As things stand right now, the Boston Celtics are the best NBA club. In fact, the Celtics are the clear favorite to win the 2024 NBA title, according to the most recent FanDuel Betting Odds. Right now, they have even better chances than the Denver Nuggets to win the championship at +320. With a little more than a month until the trade deadline, the C’s might have one more move up their sleeve, but even a loaded team can still do better.
The Sacramento Kings (+700), Los Angeles Clippers (+500), Denver Nuggets (+500), and Milwaukee Bucks (+400) complete the top five teams who are likely to trade for Bogdanovic.
It’s true that the Celtics could use more proven depth behind their starting six. Although Sam Hauser and Payton Pritchard are reliable supporting players, the Celtics might be reluctant to give them important postseason minutes. Meanwhile, because of his amazing deep-range shooting ability, Bogdan Bogdanovic is a tough-shot maker and a valuable secondary ballhandler whom opposing teams should never overlook.
Unfortunately, the Celtics will never be able to scrape together the salary required to sign Bogdanovic away from the Hawks. Bogdanovic’s salary this season is $18.7 million; in order to close a deal, the Celtics will need to include one of their core six players. They haven’t played poorly this season, so there’s no reason to push the boundaries too much.
Furthermore, the Hawks are unlikely to trade Bogdanovic away while attempting to assemble a strong core around Trae Young. Given the flurry of trade rumors surrounding Dejounte Murray and the Hawks’ purported interest in acquiring a top power forward, it’s probable that the 31-year-old shooter will be promoted to the starting lineup in the event that Murray leaves.
Considering all of the previously mentioned factors, wagering on Bogdanovic’s possible trade to the Celtics is not a prudent course of action.
