Locked On Pistons – June 21 – KCP may be accidental victim of D’Angelo Russell trade
By Duncan Smith
In Wednesday’s Locked On Pistons, we explore how the trade between the Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Lakers may have consequences for the Detroit Pistons.
In Wednesday’s Draft Day Eve episode of Locked On Pistons, we take a look at the unintended consequences the trade between the Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Lakers may have had on Detroit Pistons’ guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. The Lakers sent D’Angelo Russell and Timofey Mozgov to the Nets in exchange for the 27th pick in the draft and Brook Lopez‘s expiring contract.
The Nets might want to play Russell and Jeremy Lin together, much like the Lakers had planned to play Russell alongside Lonzo Ball. This means they may be less interested in adding another two guard. The Nets have the money, but maybe they won’t be as eager to make KCP their big-ticket piece with a 21-year-old talent in Russell at the same position.
With the Nets being less of a threat, the Philadelphia 76ers become the most likely team to max KCP, forcing the Pistons to break the bank for him. While they’ve got virtually unlimited cap space, next season they’re going to have to max Joel Embiid, and two seasons after that in 2020-21, Ben Simmons and Dario Saric are likely to get their big pay days in restricted free agency.
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Will the Nets tie up cap space by offering KCP a big deal? Will the Sixers mortgage their future for him? Listen to Locked On Pistons as I walk us through the various scenarios in play.