Could the Detroit Pistons capitalize on the turmoil surrounding the New York Knicks and Kristaps Porzingis?
The Detroit Pistons lack a true center piece player. Andre Drummond could be that player, but as the years pass by, the less likely that seems.
With the 12th pick in the NBA draft, the Pistons will have a tough time finding a center piece. Moreover, with little cap space, the team has virtually no chance of landing a star.
That leaves one opportunity left, the trade market. Luckily for the Pistons, that market could produce a player that they could realistically grab, should the player’s relationship continue to spiral downward with the organization.
Enter Kristaps Porzingis and the curious case of the New York Knicks.
The Knicks relationship with Porzingis has taken a turn for the worst.
Porzingis skipped his exit interview with the team at the conclusion of the season, and in an effort to reconcile the relationship recently, it appears the Knicks are losing ground.
"Janis Porzingis (Porzingis’ brother), who is also one of Kristaps’s agents, met with Jackson for what was described as a “lengthy sitdown” concerning the team and Porzingis’ well-publicized decision to skip his exit interview after the season. The meeting reportedly “accomplished very little to bridge the chasm as Jackson remained steadfast in his ways and direction.”Janis recently told ESPN that Kristaps wants the Knicks to create “an environment where he can develop and grow as a player and win.” New York endured another frustrating season, with Porzingis among several Knicks who dealt with injuries amid a lot of losing and controversy surrounding Carmelo Anthony’s status with the team. Kristaps is spending the off-season back in his native Latvia, and Janis met with Jackson in his stead."
The trade is simple: Andre Drummond and this year’s first round pick for Kristaps Porzingis. (If you run this trade through ESPN’s trade simulator, it won’t work. That’s because Derrick Rose’s 21M hasn’t fallen off the Knicks’ books yet).
The more I think about this, the more likely I think the Knicks would be to agreeing to this, primarily because the team gets an all-star caliber player who’s locked up long-term, in exchange for an all-star caliber player who has more potential, as well as a first round pick.
The question is, would the Pistons do it, and is the addition of the first round pick too much?
My take? I would do this in a heartbeat, though I would start the offer with just Drummond. In fact, I think that may have a chance to go through, if Porzingis demands a trade.
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Of course, the Pistons competition in this situation would likely be the Celtics and their ability to offer up this year’s first–an offer I could see them making if Porzingis is available.
The biggest question marks surrounding the probability of this hypothetical are obviously whether or not the Knicks’ relationship with Porzingis is salvageable, but this is an idea that I think could pick up steam given the poor state of the Knicks. Stay tuned.