Lakers eye Bogdanovic after Cade Cunningham's season-ending surgery

Cunningham had been dealing with shin soreness since his rookie season last year. He initially played through it, but he's been out since Nov. 9 of this year as he and the team tried to determine if surgery was necessary. They apparently decided it is, which indicates Cunningham likely has a stress fracture.

The Pistons seemed primed for improvement this season, adding lottery picks Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren to their young core. While they sent Jerami Grant to the Trail Blazers, they traded for veterans Alec Burks, Nerlens Noel, and Bojan Bogdanovic to complement the young guys. It hasn't worked out.

Detroit is the worst team in the league at 7-22. Burks, Noel, and Mavin Bagley have missed significant time with injuries, and their defense is second-worst in the league. The one bright spot has been Bogdanovic, who is shooting 43.7 percent from three-point range and scoring 21 points per game, including a 38-point effort against the Lakers Sunday night.

That may have intrigued Lakers GM Rob Pelinka. Shams Charania reports that the Lakers have asked about Bogdanovic, offering a protected first-round pick. The Pistons maintain they value Bogdanovic's leadership with their young team, and have already turned down an unnamed Western Conference team's offer of a protected first-rounder.

While the Pistons are going nowhere, that might be true for Bogdanovic as well. That is, unless the Lakers are willing to unprotect the pick they're offering, or sweeten the offer by protecting, and sending their picks in 2027 and 2029.