NBA Trade Rumors: Andrew Bogut Addresses Media About Trade Demands
NBA trade rumors about Andrew Bogut finally reveal some quotes straight from the big man himself. As the Dallas Mavericks continue to struggle during the 2016-17 NBA season, it has been mentioned a number of times that Bogut may want out. A report by ESPN.com on Thursday, Jan. 5, asks some important questions of Bogut, including whether or not he wants to remain with the Mavericks for the rest of the season.
“I’m not silly. I’ve been in this league long enough. I’m an expiring contract. I haven’t asked for a trade, but I know in this league we’re 11-24, and I was being honest. There’s a chance that I get traded. That turned out into a headline that says ‘Bogut wants out,’ which is false, but it’s just one of the things you have to deal with in this league. Like I said, they can obviously get some picks back and build for the future by trading some of the veteran guys, and I could be one of them.”
It is very clear that Andrew Bogut would prefer to finish the season as a member of the Dallas Mavericks. It’s also possible that Bogut is smart enough to know what to say and when to say it when he is approached with questions about current NBA trade rumors. The Mavericks won’t be making the 2017 NBA Playoffs, so it may be only a matter of time until the front office finds another team willing to give up a draft pick or two to add a player who can do well in the low post.
During the NBA off-season, the Golden State Warriors traded Bogut to the Mavericks for a future second-round pick. It amounted to a salary dump by the Warriors, as the franchise was trying to save money to pay for the contract of free agent Kevin Durant. Since coming to the Mavs, Bogut has played in 19 games (18 starts) for the struggling team. He has averaged 23.8 minutes, 3.3 points, 9.7 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 0.9 blocks per game. They are decent numbers for a center, especially with how good his rebounding numbers have remained with the Mavs.
Last season, Andrew Bogut played 70 games for the Warriors, starting 66 of them. He averaged 20.7 minutes, 5.4 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.6 blocks per game. Bogut was an important part of the rotation for the Warriors, starting 22 games during the 2016 NBA Playoffs as well. The size he provided on defense and on the offensive glass is something that the Warriors have missed a bit to open the new year. The need to save money and not pay extensive salary cap penalties led to the team basically giving him away to the Dallas Mavericks.
As the Mavs continue to slide in the Western Conference standings, Bogut finds his name mentioned in more and more NBA trade rumors. There are a number of potential playoff contenders that could be vastly improved by adding his size, which raises a question about why he is still wasting away in Dallas. It could simply be that another franchise simply hasn’t made the right offer to Dallas yet, or that some teams are holding out hopes of acquiring Hassan Whiteside, Nerlens Noel, or DeMarcus Cousins before the NBA trade deadline.
Andrew Bogut is in the final season of a contract that will pay him just over $11 million this season. He has already admitted that a return to the Dallas Mavericks is very unlikely, which could possibly mean that the front office has already talked to him about a possible deal. At just 32, Bogut is still relatively young for a big man in the NBA, meaning there is almost no risk for a team to acquire him for the final few months of the regular season. Fans of the Mavs should certainly expect these NBA trade rumors to lead to a deal soon, even if Bogut doesn’t demand one.
[Featured Image by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images]
