The Los Angeles Clippers have started the 2025-26 NBA season on a rocky note. After a disappointing loss to the Utah Jazz on opening night, they bounced back with a solid win against the Phoenix Suns.
However, one glaring storyline has followed them through both contests: Bogdan Bogdanović’s absence. The veteran sharpshooter has yet to step on the court this regular season, and now, head coach Tyronn Lue has finally addressed the situation, leaving fans with more questions than answers.
What Has Tyronn Lue Said About Bogdan Bogdanović?
After the victory against Phoenix, Lue was pressed on why Bogdanović sat for the first two games. The coach kept his cards close, dismissing any notion of a health setback and instead framing the decision around internal dynamics. “The communication,” said Lue as his answer to the reporter.
When asked if Bogdanović would be part of the near-term rotation, Lue was just as brief, indicating he does not anticipate using the veteran immediately. “He took that decision well, he has to stay ready as his moment will arrive,” Lue added during the postgame interview.
This situation is surprising, considering how the partnership began. Bogdanović arrived in Los Angeles in a midseason deal with the Atlanta Hawks that sent guards Terance Mann and Bones Hyland, plus three future second-round picks, to Atlanta.
He suited up six days later against the Memphis Grizzlies, offering a clean seven points on 3-of-4 shooting in 18 bench minutes. Last season, he logged 30 appearances for the Clippers, averaging 11.4 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 3.2 assists. He also stretched defenses by converting 47.4% from the field and an impressive 42.7% from beyond the arc on 4.8 attempts per night.
So, why was there an abrupt stall at the start of this campaign? Officially, the team says it’s not injury-related. Unofficially, there’s a plausible reason tracing back to his international duty. Bogdanović played in only one preseason game and carried a recent hamstring issue from his time with the Serbian national team.
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He opened Serbia’s EuroBasket slate in late August with 11 points and seven assists in a 34-point rout of Estonia. Still, he exited early in the next game versus Portugal after tweaking his hamstring. Serbia later confirmed a hamstring tear and returned him to Los Angeles for rehabilitation.
Even if he’s medically cleared now, it’s reasonable to wonder whether the staff is managing his ramp-up conservatively. On the other hand, perhaps stylistic and rotation choices are the real driver, as Lue’s “communication” framing implies. The Clippers are winning minutes without him, and Bogdanović is left to prepare for whenever his number is called.
