The Detroit Pistons are looking to upgrade the level of talent on their roster–they want a star–but are there any stars available? Let’s take a look at what the Pistons could do.
The Detroit Pistons are serious about upgrading their roster to win now. So much so that they are willing to move their 12th pick overall for a “win now” veteran.
As I mentioned in this article, I don’t think the Pistons have a realistic window to accomplish that, however, I am all for moving the pick if it can be packaged to land a super star talent that can eventually put the team in contention.
But what are the Pistons options? Who would be willing to forfeit a star player? The Sacramento Kings have already moved DeMarcus Cousins!
While it is difficult to find deals where this is possible, without giving too much up, there are possibilities for Detroit.
For example, Kristaps Porzingis could end up being very much available given his relationship with the New York Knicks.
The Pistons could offer up their 12th pick and Andre Drummond–a high upside player who has four more years left on his contract–in exchange for Porzingis. This ensures the Knicks gets talent for talent.
For a more extensive breakdown of this trade, check out this article.
Another option for the Pistons is acquiring a potential star, that is, a player with high upside who has yet to play in the NBA. This can be achieved by acquiring the Boston Celtics number one pick.
Luckily for the Pistons, the Celtics are wanting to add an all-star caliber front court player. Enter Andre Drummond.
While I have been on the record as saying Andre Drummond is an extremely flawed player–albeit he has tremendous upside and if he could put it together, would be a dominate player–I still love Drummond on a team that can compliment his skill set and develop him.
That’s why I love the Celtics, who need Drummond as much as Drummond probably needs them.
I wasn’t sure a deal could get done, when I wrote about a potential Drummond swap for pick earlier in the offseason, but I’m starting to believe that this is more possible the closer we get to the NBA draft.
Finally, I present the least likely of opportunities, but an intriguing idea non-the-less that Rod Beard presented, should this player become available, Klay Thompson.
#Pistons SVG is just waiting for the opportunity to pick up that phone and make the call. No questions about Klay being a max-salary 2-guard https://t.co/BJ9Ev46bVd
— Rod Beard (@detnewsRodBeard) June 2, 2017
This started with C.J. McCollum joking that the Golden State Warriors enjoy Thompson while they have him, because he’s going to find another team and win another ring.
The thing is, Thompson is a key piece to the Warriors roster, but he’s not THE key piece. The team is built around Kevin Durant and Steph Curry.
The Warriors could potentially be spending $261 million next season (for perspective, the Cleveland Cavaliers are paying $100 million less) to keep this team together. Perhaps the team decides to go ahead and pull the plug on Thompson to alleviate the potentially monstrous payroll?
Next: Donovan Mitchell's unique fit with the Detroit Pistons
If they did, the Pistons would be very interested. Not only does the team lack shooting, but they also lack a true star who can pace the offense.