Veterans In Bad Situations After the NBA Draft

June 29, 2023

Daniel ranks outlines several veteran NBA players who saw their stock drop as a result of the NBA draft.

Since the conclusion of the NBA draft, we have learned about the futures of multiple players. Some players are in better situations to compete or get playing time, and some players have seen their teams get worse or lose significant playing time. Today, I will review my three veteran losers after the NBA draft.

Now, my criteria for a veteran loser are really based on their situation. For example, someone can be a loser because their team did not get significantly better or because they lost their sport and could possibly be on the move. Each one of these veterans has a unique situation, and I'm only choosing veterans whose offseason is not going their way right now.

Now that I have you all caught up on my criteria, let's hop straight into the list. If you have any differing opinions or comments, you can contact me on Twitter at @danieldleonard7.

1. Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers

The Trail Blazers are still not in a position to compete... 

Damian Lillard has been the number-one story of the offseason so far. Damian has held multiple meetings with the Trail blazers' management and has reiterated that he wants Portland to build a team to compete next season. Portland was lucky enough to jump multiple spots in the lottery and land the number three overall pick. There were countless rumors of Portland trying to package the number three pick and Anfernee Simons for a superstar-caliber player. Once the draft came around, the Trail blazers ended up keeping and using the pick on talented guard Scoot Henderson. This was not a bad decision, but I don't think this move helped maximize their championship window at all.

Now, when we look at their offseason, the only real options they have are resigning forward Jerami Grant and possibly using the MLE for a good role player. Once Jerami Grant inks his massive extension, they will once again be strapped for cash and will have to look internally for some real improvement next year. Right now, I feel like their only hope is that a superstar becomes available for trade and they can package one of their young guards to get them. Dame has made it clear he does not want to have another rebuilding year, but that is what it is looking like right now for the Blazers.

2. Bojan Bogdanovic, Detroit Pistons

He lost his starting spot and now could get traded.

Last year, Bojan Bogdanovic had a very impressive year with the Pistons, where he averaged 21.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.6 assists on 41.1% shooting from three. Many believed that he was primed to stay in Detroit after such an impressive season last year, but it seems as if the Pistons are moving in a different direction. Detriot opted to draft young forward Ausar Thompson with the fifth overall pick. This move certainly made the 34-year-old forward's future with the team murky, but when the team was rumored to be in on Cam Johnson, it was obvious he could be on the way out.

The Pistons acquired a younger player who plays the same position as Bogdanovic, and they are ready to splurge a good amount of money to get Cam Johnson. These moves signal to me that the Pistons are trying to get younger players with more upside to compete in the future. Bogdanovic could be viewed as a winner in some people's eyes because he could go to a contending team, but I don't think any player enjoys their team acquiring their future replacements.

3. Gordon Hayward, Charlotte Hornets

He probably lost his spot and now could get traded.

Last year, Gordon Hayward had a pretty good and healthy year, considering his significant injury history. He averaged 14.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 4.1 assists in just 50 games of action last year. He already had a very murky future with the Hornets, but now I can confidently say the writing is on the wall for Hayward. The Hornets passed on dynamic guard Scoot Henderson to select sharpshooting forward Brandon Miller. This is an obvious sign that the Hornets felt like they needed an upgrade on the wing, not to mention that they recently extended a qualifying offer to high-flying forward Miles Bridges.

The Hornets are also gearing up for a hefty contract extension with Bridges, so this could signal fewer opportunities for Hayward as well. With so much cap space and draft capital being used on these younger players, it is easy to see Hayward as the odd man out of this equation. He is obviously still a talented player who can contribute to a plethora of teams but is just in the wrong place at the wrong time, to be honest. Hayward's huge contract could be a roadblock for both sides to be able to move on, so he could spend another year in Charlotte with a diminished role.

That's the end of my very short list of veteran losers. There obviously are other players who could've possibly been on this list, but I think it's a little too early to put a handful of guys on it. The reason why I have these guys on the list is because I think that all of their situations revolve around them and their team worsened after the NBA draft. I think these are guys for whom we can make educated guesses about what their future could be very soon just by how their team is making decisions right now.

Just so that no one is confused about what my criteria were based on. My criteria for a veteran loser are really based on their situation. For example, someone can be a loser because their team did not get significantly better or because they lost their sport and could possibly be on the move. As I said before in my opening statements, every situation is unique, so I tried to take that into account as well while making this list.