Right before free agency, Bogdan Bogdanovic was one of the players whose team options were declined by the LA Clippers. He probably expected it, and not long after, Bogdanovic signed a one-year deal with the Houston Rockets. However, there’s a reason the Clippers didn’t want him back: he’s not the same player he once was. LA knows this very well, and at some point during the 2026-27 regular season, the Rockets and their fans will learn the exact same.
Free agent Bogdan Bogdanovic has agreed to a one-year deal with the Houston Rockets, sources tell ESPN. Rockets executives recruited Bogdanovic tonight and now land an established, playoff-tested shooter for his 10th NBA season. pic.twitter.com/U68eAXWswS
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2026
By then, the Rockets will already be looking forward to the trade deadline, as the signing of Bogdanovic will have been a mistake. He provides solid leadership and can make a difference in the locker room, but, as the Clippers have seen time and time again, the level of shot-making he once had is no longer there.
That’s essentially why he was benched indefinitely by Tyronn Lue.
Bogdan Bogdanovic’s flaws will lead Ime Udoka to take away his minutes.
In the Houston Rockets’ season opener, Bogdan Bogdanovic might chip in off the bench. Rockets fans may see a few three-pointers go down, and even some buckets in the mid-range and around the rim.
But as time passes, Bogdanovic will begin to show that he is at a stage of his career where he cannot contribute to quality production anymore.
This past season, for the LA Clippers, before he suffered an injury and never really returned to the lineup, across 15 games averaging 23.9 minutes, Bogdanovic posted 8.5 points, shooting 37.9% from the field and 33.8% from beyond the arc.
That’s pretty underwhelming for a player who can only offer buckets, and because of how he performed during this sample size, it was clear that if the Clippers were hoping to bounce back and make a push for the Play-In, he had to remain on the sidelines from start to finish.
And, what do you know? The Clippers turned their season completely around right as Bogdanovic was on the court.
Additionally, with the Rockets, Bogdanovic’s life will be ten times harder. This is because he’ll be playing behind a number of guards, including Fred VanVleet, Reed Sheppard, and likely Marcus Smart.
Once he inevitably makes a mistake, like a bad shot selection or a series of poor showings, he won’t be seeing the floor again.
That said, though the Rockets were smart for signing Bogdanovic to a prove-it deal, he will ultimately show that his best days are behind him. If they weren’t, he’d still be a Clipper.
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