Serbian sharpshooter Bogdan Bogdanovic has officially become a member of the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday. He will join the organization on a four-year, $72 million deal.
Bogdanovic spent the previous three seasons with Sacramento Kings, where he averaged 13.5 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game. Considering he was a restricted free agent, the Kings had the opportunity to keep him if they matched Atlanta’s offer but ended up deciding against it.
Bogdanovic previously almost joined Milwaukee Bucks. Kings had the deal in place with Bucks to sign-and-trade Bogdanovic, but the player ended up rejecting the move as he wanted to explore the market.
It proved to be a good gamble, as Bogdanovic received a bigger contract than his actual market value.
When the move became official, the player went on Twitter to thank the Kings and the city of Sacramento.
The Kings’ decision to let Bogdanovic go was influenced by the team’s salary cap situation. If they had taken him at the projected price, it would severely limit the moves they are able to make roster-wise in the future. According to reports, the addition of Iowa State’s Tyrese Haliburton in the recent draft also played a role as the organization now feels they have a deep enough backcourt.
The Atlanta Hawks, on the other hand, willingly overpaid for Bogdanovic. They view him as a good addition to their roster because of his shooting ability and believe he could play an important role as they are trying to find their way back to the playoffs.
