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Sometimes, the best moves are the ones you don't make.
Throughout the active 2015 NBA Draft, the Nets, predictably, dangled Mason Plumlee's name in efforts to move up in the draft. As we know, Plumlee was shipped off to Portland for Rondae Hollis-Jefferson & Steve Blake.
There was one name reportedly dangled, quite a few times, that was unexpected. Bojan Bogdanovic, the 26 year-old Croatian was supposedly being shopped at the draft, however, NetsDaily sources said he was never "offered" in a deal.
Shortly after the Nets' season came to an end back in May, Bogdanovic was skeptical about his future with the Nets. It would've been a shock to many -- and big disappointment -- if they traded one of the few bright spots for the team's future. But for the sharp-shooting Croatian, it probably wouldn't have shocked him if the Nets decided to include him in a trade.
In an interview with a Croatian newspaper back in early May, Bojan Bogdanovic said he was happy with the Nets, loves New York and hoped that he won't be included in any trade packages with "stars" that the Nets might make.
Bogdanovic made it more than clear that he wanted to stay a Brooklyn Net.
"I don't know what team management is planning, but I know trades are normal thing and that in packages the stars go more players," the Nets rookie told Hrvoje Sliskovic of Jutarnji List. "I feel great in Brooklyn and hope I won't be traded anywhere."
A league source familiar with Nets off-season thinking at the time told NetsDaily that "He is not going anywhere."
Several beats reported that Bogdanovic could have possibly been moved to a few different destinations throughout the night:
In addition to exploring moving up by dangling Plumlee without much luck, Nets looking into what they might fetch for Bogdanovic per sources
— Ohm Youngmisuk (@NotoriousOHM) June 25, 2015
Then Tim Bontemps reported the Nets' desire for a point guard to one day replace Deron Williams.
Nets are definitely fishing around to move up for a PG. One scenario I've heard involves Bojan Bogdanovic going to Washington for No. 19.
— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) June 26, 2015
The Nets saw potential in point guards [later] selected around the 10-20 slots, therefore stayed motivated throughout the night to nab one of them. They dangled Plumlee, nobody bit. Bogdanovic, however, was supposedly not offered in a deal.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Told today from a good source that the Nets never dangled Bojan Bogdanovic to move up in the draft last night.</p>— Stefan Bondy (@SBondyNYDN) <a href="https://twitter.com/SBondyNYDN/status/614423531854692352">June 26, 2015</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Like <a href="https://twitter.com/SBondyNYDN">@SBondyNYDN</a>, I was told <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Nets?src=hash">#Nets</a> never "offered" <a href="https://twitter.com/44Bojan">@44Bojan</a> in trades last night.</p>— NetsDaily.com (@NetsDaily) <a href="https://twitter.com/NetsDaily/status/614439905154985988">June 26, 2015</a></blockquote>
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Bogdanovic, 26, averaged a little over nine points per game. He finished on the NBA All-Rookie second team and shot 39% in the second half of the season. In his biggest game as a Brooklyn Net -- with the season on the line -- "Bogie" scored 28 points and propelled the Nets straight into the playoffs.
The Nets waited three years for him. He was the band-aid on the wound for not having a first-round pick in the 2014 NBA Draft. Trading him seemed like more of a panic move to nab a young, unproven player for somebody who's already mature and has shown great potential for the future.
Like we say - and certainly stand by thanks to recent years ... some of the best moves are the ones you don't make.