Published 10:13 IST, January 6th 2021
Giannis didn't recruit Bogdanovic for Bucks, ex-Kings star had NO CLUE about failed trade
Bogdan Bogdanovic has revealed that Giannis Antetokounmpo had no part to play in his failed sign and trade deal from the Kings to the Bucks in the off season.
Bogdan Bogdanovic had a tumultuous off-season after a sign and trade deal between the Sacramento Kings and Milwaukee Bucks failed to materialise before eventually signing for the Atlanta Hawks. The deal created an uproar and an investigation was launched subsequently, with the Bucks eventually losing a second-round draft pick despite not signing the player. All this while Bogdanovic was isolated in Belgrade, as he had COVID-19 and looked for answers in what was a frantic week for the 28-year-old.
Bogdanovic Bucks saga: Giannis had no part in failed Bogdanovic trade
In an interview with Sam Amick of The Athletic, Bogdan Bogdanovic reveals that he had no clue about the sign and trade deal agreement in place between the Bucks and the Kings. The 28-year-old said that he got to know about the entire scenario via Twitter and felt betrayed by the Kings as they did not keep him the loop. The deal was further complicated as the Bucks and Kings weren't yet allowed to make such a transaction as the free-agency window hadn’t opened at the time.
Milwaukee was set to send Donte DiVincenzo, Ersan Ilyasova and D.J. Wilson to Sacramento in exchange for Bogdanovic who was restricted free agent then. Reports had suggested that Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo himself had actively tried in bringing the 28-year-old as Milwaukee font office looked to add more quality to the Bucks roster. However, Bogdanovic denied those claims, suggesting that he was closer to Thanasis than his brother and reigning two time MVP.
We (Thanasis and Bogdanovic) are friends. We are friends, you know? I talked with him once monthly, once every two months. So we talk about it — we talked maybe in the bubble, not about me coming there, nothing like that. But we were like, ‘Ah, you guys are good,’ — bla, bla, bla, you know? Normal things. How is your family? Basketball things, we didn’t even talk about it because I know that they are professionals and they respect my professionalism and we never talked about it. We really never talked about it. When the news came out, we were like, ‘What the [expletive]?’ I didn’t know what was going on. I wasn’t sure. I wasn’t sure what was going on.
- Bogdanovic on his friendship with Thanasis to The Atheltic
Bogdanovic Hawks contract
After the entire meltdown, the Sacramento Kings have declined to match Atlanta Hawks' $72 million contract offer for Bogdan Bogdanovic. The Kings had laboured over the decision for the past two days after the Hawks' lodged their offer, as Sacramento aimed to maintain roster flexibility under new general manager Monte McNair. The 28-year-old was amongst the several veterans signed by Atlanta this season, along with the likes of Rajon Rondo (two years, $15 million), Kris Dunn (one year, $5 million) and forward Solomon Hill (one year) and Danilo Gallinari.
(Image Courtesy: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bogdanovic Instagram)
Updated 10:13 IST, January 6th 2021