Potential Raptors trade target off the market after signing extension

The Toronto Raptors had their fingers in plenty of proverbial pies in the offseason, as Masai Ujiri was constantly trying to figure out which trade target made the most sense. One player who was heavily linked with a potential move to Toronto was Bojan Bogdanovic.

Back then, it was believed that Utah Jazz would have been looking for a first-round draft pick, while the Raptors would have to move multiple players to accommodate the Croatian star’s $19.4 million salary. Thus, the move did not materialize and Bogdanovic ended up being traded to the Detroit Pistons for Kelly Olynyk and Saben Lee.

Bogdanovic has been playing some of the best basketball of his career since moving to the Pistons. He has averaged 22.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game while shooting 53.2% from field goal attempts and an incredible 50.8% from beyond the arc.

Other than the rebounding, every one of those numbers is a career-high for the forward.

It is safe to say that the Pistons must be very happy with the trade they made to bring Bogdanovic to Detroit, as he has already agreed to a two-year, $39.1 million extension with the franchise. With multiple years of salary now added onto the end of his deal, the Raptors may be much less likely to trade for the veteran.

Potential Raptors trade target Bojan Bogdanovic is extended.

Not only has Bogdanovic been an incredibly consistent performer for the Pistons, scoring more than 15 points every time he has been on the court, but he has brought some much-needed veteran experience to one of the youngest teams in the league.

The bigger problem for the Raptors was the financial side of any potential Bogdanovic deal. With big contracts for Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet likely coming soon, Toronto needs to be very careful about who they splash the cash for.

While the Croatian could have been a great contributor to this team, it is also worth pointing out how much Nurse’s side have improved when it comes to their shooting.

When it comes to 3-point shooting, they have been the eighth-best team in the league this season, draining their shots from deep at an impressive 38.1% compared to last season’s 34.9%. And the numbers would have been much higher if not for their awful performance in the 90-112 loss against the Philadelphia 76ers.

There will be other top trade targets that the Raptors can chase in the rumor mill, but taking on two years of additional salary to get an aging veteran who is going to be a defensive liability doesn’t seem like the type of move Ujiri normally makes.