In the NBA, when one man goes down, another comes up, and that is the formula of business within the front office. The Milwaukee Bucks were one of the teams forced to play their cards in a particular way, as Damian Lillard was hurt, and as much as Giannis Antetokounmpo needed a co-star in the season after next, the best move was to waive him in his early recovery process.
The LA Clippers have never had such issues with their superstars, as Kawhi Leonard has been injured on various occasions, but the front office cannot even go as far as having the thought of using the waive-stretch method on his contract, given that he is a top ten talent in the NBA when healthy.
However, executive Lawrence Frank may have to make a move on Bogdan Bogdanovic, as he recently injured his hamstring while trying to lead Serbia to EuroBasket history. Bogdanovic had the right intention, putting his country first and above all, but depending on the severity and time of recovery, Frank could trade the three-point specialist.
Moreover, hamstring injuries are one of the most serious injuries, yet this is Bogdanovic’s second time in 365 days being forced to sit for the same reason. This ultimately increases the worry and future implications.
That said, if evaluations are released, and Bogdanovic faces the worst outcome of a grade-three tear, the Clippers will have to trade him for any return.
The LA Clippers will face a pre-season disaster if Bogdan Bogdanovic’s hamstrings take months to recover
Bogdan Bogdanovic will have to provide his hamstring with extra time and attention, as the same injury for a third time would be a horrific position to be in career-wise. Thus, if his hamstring was injured in the EuroBasket to a level three, Bogdanovic could take up to six months, more than half of the regular season, to return.
Furthermore, Bogdanovic is a valuable contributor and someone James Harden and Ivica Zubac love to play with, but business is business, and the Clippers could trade him away to free up roster space, give someone like Cam Christie a real opportunity on the bench, or bring in a replacement veteran three-point shooter.
Nonetheless, if Bogdanovic is traded, the value of the player he is to the Clippers will not equal the return value Lawrence Frank will receive, and this is a hurtful realization that comes with forced acceptance, as LA may not have six months on their hands to wait for recovery.