Bogdan Bogdanović made it to Houston. Getting on the floor is another matter entirely.
The KK Partizan product signed with the Rockets this offseason, joining what has quietly become one of the deepest rosters in the NBA entering the 2026-27 season. That depth, however, is precisely his problem. Houston's core of Kevin Durant, Amen Thompson, Alperen Şengün, Jabari Smith Jr., and Tari Eason already locks up the bulk of meaningful minutes — and that's before accounting for fellow offseason addition Marcus Smart, who arrived alongside Bogdanović to further crowd the backcourt.
The result: less than a month before training camp opens, Bogdanović is already being floated as one of the Rockets' likeliest trade candidates.
It's a jarring position for a player who, at his best, is one of the more reliable scoring guards available off the bench in the league. Bogdanović has spent his NBA career building a reputation as a knockdown shooter and shot-creator who elevates second units — exactly the kind of player a contender wants. The question in Houston isn't about his ability; it's about the arithmetic. General manager Rafael Stone constructed a roster built around championship expectations, and the numbers simply don't add up for everyone to get meaningful run.
The Rockets' situation reflects a broader offseason trend of contenders over-loading on veteran depth and then scrambling to right-size before the regular season. For Bogdanović, it means his role — if he has one — is far from defined as camp opens. The Yahoo Sports player preview for him frames the uncertainty bluntly: Will he get on the floor?
For Partizan fans who watched Bogdanović develop in Belgrade before he made his way to the NBA, this storyline carries a familiar tension. He has spent his professional career proving doubters wrong, most notably during his seasons in Atlanta where he emerged as a legitimate offensive weapon. Whether he gets the chance to do so again in Houston, or whether he ends up in a third NBA city before the season is truly underway, will be one of the more interesting subplots to monitor as camp gets started.
The Rockets, for their part, are operating from a position of enviable strength — which is exactly why they can afford to dangle a player of Bogdanović's caliber on the trade market. Stone has leverage. Bogdanović, at least for now, does not.
Training camp will offer the clearest read on where the Serbian guard actually fits in Houston's rotation plans. If the minutes aren't there, expect a deal to materialize sooner rather than later. The NBA trade market has a way of finding solutions for skilled veterans on the wrong roster — and Bogdanović is unquestionably skilled enough to draw interest from teams with more room to give him.
AI-generated summary
