The Denver Nuggets have been relatively quiet so far this offseason, outside of a few trade rumors, but they could simply be waiting for free agency. The Nuggets can start negotiating with free agents on June 30 at 4 p.m. MT, and they might already know who their first call will go to.
Serbian outlet Meridian Sport‘s Djordje Matic reported that the Nuggets are planning to go after Bogdan Bogdanovic, an unsurprising move to keep Nikola Jokic pleased in Denver. Jokic and Bogdanovic have been teammates for the Serbian national team for years, and seeing them team up on the Nuggets would be incredible after what they have done together on the international stage.
“According to unofficial information from the USA that crossed the Atlantic to Meridian Sports, Denver is impatiently waiting for … June 30th to start hunting for Bogdan Bogdanović,” Matic reported (translated to English). “Also, according to information from Meridian Sport, the Nuggets have previously bolded his name in their notebook, aware of how much he and Jokić positively influence each other, not forgetting that they also make the rest of the team better and more confident.”
Of course, we will see what happens once the Nuggets can actually start negotiating with free agents, but Bogdanovic would be a great addition.
Some NBA players perform better when representing their country on the international stage, and Bogdanovic might be one of those guys. Of course, he has still had a successful nine-year NBA career, but could there be a reason he performs better when representing Serbia? The answer could be Nikola Jokic.
Bogdanovic is coming off a mild tenure with the L.A. Clippers, where he averaged 9.7 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game with 44.3/39.5/84.2 shooting splits. Fortunately for Denver, that could lower his pricetag in free agency, and teaming up with Jokic could set up a huge bounce-back season for him.
If the Nuggets lose Tim Hardaway Jr. in free agency, replacing him with Bogdanovic seems like a viable move. Ideally, the idea of playing alongside Jokic entices Bogdanovic to sign a veteran minimum contract, making this move more realistic, and that will likely be the biggest decider in their negotiations starting June 30.
With plenty of uncertainty around Denver’s current core, as Aaron Gordon, Cam Johnson, and Christian Braun are all seemingly on the trade block, it could help to bring in a player Jokic trusts on and off the court. Despite being the face of the franchise for nearly a decade now, the Nuggets have not given Jokic a Serbian teammate to this point. This could be their best chance to do so.
Not to mention, making a Jokic-minded addition this offseason would likely entice the three-time MVP to sign a contract extension with the franchise without a second thought.
Of course, this move is not just about keeping Jokic happy, though. Bogdanovic should be on Denver’s radar regardless, because of what he can do on the court. At his best, we could expect him to score 12-15 points per game off the bench, while shooting around 40% from beyond the arc and being able to handle pressure as a secondary ball-handler.
It would be surprising if the Nuggets did not at least try to sign Bogdanovic this summer, although it will likely come down to whether he is willing to sign to a veteran minimum contract.
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