The Nets and trade rumors go together like NBA 2K16 and a lack of productivity. Sure enough, with the team falling fast out of playoff contention, the rumor mill has begun its annual churn.

Buried in a larger report for Sporting News, Mitch Lawrence notes that at least one team has made a preliminary call to the Nets: the Charlotte Hornets, asking about Nets 26-year-old guard Bojan Bogdanovic. It’s not clear what the Hornets offered, though the Nets could certainly use a draft pick or two. (The Hornets own the rights to Brooklyn’s 2019 second-rounder.)

Lawrence also adds that Joe Johnson is “a prime candidate for a buyout.”

Bogdanovic has had an up-and-down season, opening the year as a bench player and slotting into the starting lineup following an injury to Rondae Hollis-Jefferson. Long-range shooting is his primary skill, though the Nets — who rank last in the NBA three-point percentage — need it more than anyone.

Bogdanovic ranks second behind Shane Larkin on the Nets in three-point percentage at 33.6%, a slight downtick from last season, and below the Hornets’ team shooting percentage (34.7%). He’s averaged 12.9 points per 36 minutes through 35 games (16 starts). With Michael Kidd-Gilchrist expected to miss most if not all of the regular season with a dislocated shoulder, it makes sense that Charlotte would do their due diligence.

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