Ranking 3 potential Utah Jazz trade chips

Utah Jazz Trade Chip #3: Bojan Bogdanovic

The decision between Bogey and the next candidate was admittedly a narrow one. Bogdanovic prevailed because he is the most important player of the 3 to this Jazz offense.

That’s not a statement that can be made without some controversy. Some may suggest that Jordan Clarkson’s shot creation abilities are more vital than Bogdanovic’s floor spacing.

We beg to differ. Simply put, out of the 3 players being considered here, only Bogdanovic offers both floor spacing and a dose of shot creation. That’s key. This offense doesn’t run through Jordan Clarkson. It runs through Donovan Mitchell. Joe Ingles compliments Mitchell, and Clarkson relieves him. Only Bojan Bogdanovic does both.

Defensively, he’s actually been the worst player of the group this season according to Defensive Box Plus/Minus (DBPM). Having said that, his -1.6 mark in that category is only barely edged out by Jordan Clarkson’s -1.4 (Ingles clears them both at 0.4).

We’re willing to live with that compromise given Bogdanovic’s importance to this Jazz offense. Plus, any trade involving any of these players is likely to target a 3-and-D wing. It’s logical to keep the most important offensive player in pursuit of acquiring a defensive upgrade.

Bogdanovic is that. He can carry the offense for short stretches, and his 39.1% accuracy on 6.5 three-point attempts per game is by far the best combination of volume and efficiency in this group. He’s too important to this Jazz attack to be traded unless, somehow, they’re receiving a superstar in return.