The Brooklyn Nets regained the services of a former offensive microwave during the 2024 offseason. The Nets acquired veteran forward Bojan Bogdanovic from the New York Knicks as part of the Mikal Bridges trade. Bogdanovic started the 2023-24 season with the Detroit Pistons but was later traded to New York. He endured injuries that hampered his playing time, but the sharpshooter received a promising update before Brooklyn's training camp.
Bogdanovic had surgery on his foot and wrist at the end of April, but he is expected to take the floor in September to play in Croatia's honorary Drazen Petrovic game, Brian Lewis of the New York Post notes, according to reports from Europe. Bogdanovic's return will be his first time playing since he got injured during the 2024 playoffs with the Knicks.
Bojan Bogdanovic's history with Nets and what he brings back in 2024
Bogdanovic started his NBA career with the Nets during the 2014-15 season. He built a promising foundation, averaging 9.0 points per game and shooting 35.0 percent on three-pointers. Then, Bogdanovic improved to 11.2 points on a 38.9 percent three-point shooting clip. He further raised his scoring mark during the 2016-17 season, averaging 14.2 points.
The Nets were in the middle of a challenging rebuild during Bogdanovic's initial tenure, and he was traded to the Washington Wizards in February 2017. The veteran scorer had stints with the Indiana Pacers and Utah Jazz before joining the Pistons and Knicks.
Bogdanovic had one of the most promising scoring periods of his career with the Pistons between 2022-23 and 2023-24, averaging over 20 points per game. He averaged 10.4 points with the Knicks in 29 regular season games but played just 19 minutes per contest.
The first thing Bogdanovic brings back to the Nets is shooting. He comes off a stint shooting 37.0 percent on his three-pointers with the Knicks in 2023-24 and shot 41.5 percent during his first half with the Pistons. Furthermore, Bogdanovic will bring valuable veteran experience to Brooklyn's locker room, given his 12-year NBA tenure.
It will be interesting to see how Jordi Fernandez uses Bogdanovic in the Nets' lineup during the 2024-25 season.