NBA strips Bucks of 2022 second-round draft pick for early free-agency discussions regarding Bogdan Bogdanović
The NBA announced Monday that it closed its investigation into the Milwaukee Bucks’ contact with then-Sacramento restricted free agent Bogdan Bogdanović and found the organization did indeed speak to him or his representation and that such discussions were considered “conduct detrimental to the NBA.”
As a result, the Bucks were stripped of their second-round draft pick in 2022.
According to the league, its penalty took into account that the Bucks cooperated with the investigation, there was no evidence of an illegal contract agreement between the parties and, ultimately, that Bogdanović did not sign with Milwaukee.
The 28-year-old shooting guard signed a four-year, $72 million offer sheet with Atlanta that the Kings did not match.
He had averaged 13.5 points and shot 37% from behind the three-point line in his three-year career in Sacramento.
The league launched an investigation because ESPN reported Nov. 16 that the Bucks had agreed to a sign-and-trade deal with Sacramento and Bogdanović to send Donte DiVincenzo, D.J. Wilson and Ersan Ilyasova to the Kings.
Free agency did not open until Nov. 20.
The Bucks eventually waived Ilyasova and DiVincenzo is now part of the starting lineup. The team then signed D.J. Augustin, Torrey Craig, Bryn Forbes and Bobby Portis.