The NBA is on fire. Trades are flying all over the place and the rumor mill has another handful of blockbusters simmering on the stovetop.
Late Monday evening, the Milwaukee Bucks reportedly added a huge piece in New Orleans Pelicans guard Jrue Holiday. Before the night could come to a conclusion, they reportedly also added Kings shooting guard Bogdan Bogdanovic in a sign-and-trade, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
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SIGN UP HERE According to Wojnarowski, the return for Sacramento is expected to be Donte DiVincenzo, Sacramento-native D.J. Wilson and veteran Ersan Ilyasova in exchange for Bogdanovic and 2019 second-round pick Justin James.
DiVincenzo is the centerpiece of this trade for Sacramento. In his second year in the league, the 6-foot-4 combo guard averaged 9.2 points, 2.3 assists and 4.8 rebounds per game. He shot 45.5 percent from the field and 33.6 percent from long range in 23 minutes per game.
Wilson played sparingly during his three seasons in the NBA. The 24-year old played for Sacramento’s Capital Christian High School before moving on to play his college ball at Michigan. Selected with the No. 17 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, he has averaged just 4.1 points and 3.0 rebounds over 107 career games.
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Ilyasova is owed $7 million for this season, but his contract doesn’t become fully guaranteed until two days after the draft. If the Kings consummate the trade before the draft, then there is potential for them to walk away from the 33-year-old veteran.
Bogdanovic was one of the few bright spots for the Kings over the last three seasons. He was a catalyst for the Kings' strong play in the second half of the season after coach Luke Walton inserted him into the starting lineup for Buddy Hield.
According to a league source, Bogdanovic wanted to play with Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo and the feeling was mutual.
Bogdanovic is a restricted free agent and the Kings had the ability to match any offer for the Serbian-born shooter. In the end, they found a spot that he wanted to play, while taking back a promising young player in DiVincenzo.
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The Kings also saved substantial money in the transaction, especially if they can void the final year of Ilysova’s contract. Wilson makes $4.6 million this season, while DiVincenzo is scheduled to take in a little over $3 million.
We’ll have more on this transaction as news becomes available.