About that Pistons-Knicks trade rumor? Not so fast.

Ian Begley of ESPN New York wrote:

"If you’re looking for any clues regarding potential draft-night trades, here’s one: the Detroit Pistons are said to have interest in trading for Tim Hardaway Jr. and have tried to engage the Knicks on a deal, per league sources.Detroit may be looking to move guard Brandon Jennings because the organization traded for fellow guard Reggie Jackson last season. Jackson will be a restricted free agent this summer.Jennings is entering the final year of his contract and will make $8.3 million next season. In a Jennings-for-Hardaway Jr. swap, the Knicks would likely have to use their trade exception and adjust their outgoing assets to make the deal work.It’s unknown if the Knicks would want to take Jennings’ salary out without further enticement. It’s also worth noting that former NBA star Tim Hardaway Sr., Hardaway Jr.’s father, is an assistant coach with the Pistons."

Before we dive into this report that has been denied by sources to the Free Press’ Vince Ellis and Stan Van Gundy himself, remember: NO RUMORS ARE TO BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY THIS WEEK!

This is the week before the NBA Draft; it’s almost like a week-long game of NBA April Fool’s jokes. There will be plenty of reports thrown into the Twittersphere, and nearly all of it will be forgotten by next week because chances are it is smokescreen.

I’m of the belief that most teams – potentially even the Pistons — know what they want to do at this point in the draft process. They’re just spending this week trying to confuse the hell out of everybody else.

But that doesn’t change the fact that this rumor was one of the more interesting I’ve seen in a while.

The hypothetical package would be Brandon Jennings and the No. 8 pick for Tim Hardaway Jr. and the No. 4 pick. Depending on how the board shakes out on Thursday, that’s a deal I would pull the trigger on with little hesitation.

I don’t think Hardaway Jr. is much better than Kentavious Caldwell-Pope at this point. I also don’t know what the Pistons would do with Jodie Meeks if they were to acquire Hardaway Jr. But that’s not a bad problem to have, and it’s one you can easily figure out later.

Trading Jennings is the polarizing aspect. He’s only got one year left on his deal, and the Pistons are going to throw gobs of money at Reggie Jackson next month. Jennings is definitely expendable, and I’m sure he would LOVE playing in a market like New York – especially at a time where he would be a primetime player for the Knicks.

I also have zero idea why the Knicks, or any other team, would want to trade for Jennings right now. Achilles’ injuries are no joke, and we have no idea whether Jennings’ mini revival is sustainable. Nor do we know whether he’ll be the same speedy guy he was before the injury.

That’s why I never bought this. I don’t see why New York would gamble on Jennings. I don’t see why they would buy so high when his value is at its lowest. I don’t know who the Pistons have highest on their draft board. I’d guess it would be Karl-Anthony Towns or D’Angelo Russell, but you’d be lucky to land either at No. 4.

However, if you’re trading for Hardaway Jr. – who I don’t see as a full time small forward – you’re trading Jennings and the No. 8 pick (potentially a starting small forward) for a pair of shooting guards. The whole thing is just odd and doesn’t make sense.

Van Gundy said on Monday that he would entertain moving the pick for a superstar. That I actually believe. But I don’t think Tim Hardaway Jr. and, potentially, Kristaps Porzingis fit that bill.