Utah Jazz forward Bojan Bogdanovic has joined Detroit Pistons, with both Kelly Olynyk and Saben Lee heading the other way as part of the trade deal.
The NBA season gets underway on October 18, and with pre-season set to begin on September 30, teams are concluding their off season business in time for the tip-off. The Pistons will be desperate to improve on a diabolical season, where they finished 14th in the Eastern Conference, with the third lowest number of wins across the NBA.
In an attempt to stoke things up, they've sent Canadian centre Olynyk and promising youngster Lee in order to secure 33-year-old Bogdanovic from the Jazz. Bogdanovic was the fourth most played member of the Jazz team last season, with their squad also being tampered with after a disappointing first-round exit in the play-offs.
A trade deal that will see Kelly Olynyk and Saben Lee switch Detroit for Utah has been completed, with Bogdanovic heading the other way. Bogdanovic is set to earn a mammoth £17.4m from the final year of his contract, while Lee and Olynyk won't even reach that figure with their salary combined.
It appears to be a short-term decision from the Pistons, who are keen to make an unlikely push for the play-offs after a tough year. But the Jazz are also in a state of transition.
Out of their five most featured players last season, only one remains on their active roster. Jordan Clarkson holds that title, while many of last years heroes have moved on to pastures new.
Donovan Mitchell, Royce O’Neal and Rudy Gobert have all moved on after being key members of their roster last season, and Bogdanovic will soon join them. Bogdanovic played 69 times for the Jazz last season, and averaged 18.1 points per game in a solid campaign.
Olynyk's performance was underwhelming for the Pistons, which is perhaps why they are happy to let him go. He played a lot less, and only registered 40 appearances, averaging just 9.1 points per game.
Lee averaged 5.6 points per game after 37 appearances, which was coincidentally the exact same percentage as the previous season. But both Lee and Olynyk will be desperate to improve on last season, and a fresh start in Utah could be the perfect remedy.
Olynyk has struggled to find his feet since 2021, when his time at the Miami Heat came to an end. Olynyk joined Houston Rockets for a matter of moths in 2021 before joining the Pistons, and is already on the move.
Lee was drafted by the Pistons in 2020 before being sent to Motor City Cruise to gain experience. It'll be a new experience for the 23-year-old, who will be relishing the new challenge.
