Detroit Pistons discussing moving Stanley Johnson?

The Detroit Pistons have been reportedly heavily involved in trade talks according to multiple outlets. One player has come up on the Pistons’ roster that makes a ton of sense, if the right offer comes along.

The Detroit Pistons are looking to make a trade, that much is clear.

So far, the Pistons have been linked to Chicago Bulls forward Nikola Mirotic, and Orlando Magic wing Evan Fournier.

Now, add Pistons’ forward Stanley Johnson to the mix of names the Pistons might be looking to move in exchange for other assets.

Via Ian Begley, ESPN:

"ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported earlier this week that the Detroit Pistons have been one of the most aggressive teams in the trade market.So, which Pistons might be available via trade?Forward Stanley Johnson is one name that has come up in the Pistons’ conversations with other teams, per ESPN sources.Opposing teams have come away with the impression that Johnson is available for the right return.Teams have also asked Detroit about rookie Luke Kennard, per league sources, though the Pistons don’t appear to be interested in moving their 2017 first-round pick.It will be interesting to see if Detroit finds an offer it likes for Johnson, the 8th overall pick in the 2015 Draft."

This just makes a lot of sense. In fact, just yesterday I noted a hypothetical trade involving Johnson for the Orlando Magic’s Mario Hezonja–another deal that just makes a lot of sense.

Johnson has been in Stan Van Gundy’s dog house seemingly his entire career. His offensive game has never developed into what the Pistons had hoped it would be, and more importantly, he just doesn’t fit.

That’s not to say Johnson is not talented. In fact, far from it.

I firmly believe Johnson would do substantially better if he found the right situation.

The question is, will the Pistons part ways with him?

Johnson has two team-friendly years left on his rookie contract before hitting free agency as a restricted free agent. His age, untapped potential, and team-friendly contract make him an ideal target for other teams, particularly if he blossoms as the team trading for him could retain him easily when he hits free agency as a restricted free agent.

However, he’s also under performed considerably, which means the Pistons could be receiving low ball offers for him.

It’s one of the reasons I believe a Hezonja-Johnson trade just makes too much sense not to happen as both players could benefit tremendously from a change of scenery, and both players have relatively cloudy trade value.

If the right deal is presented to the Pistons, I firmly expect the team to move on from him. His name is surfacing for a reason and his situation and standing with the team isn’t likely to change.

One thing I did find encouraging about ESPN’s report is the Pistons’ reluctance to include rookie Luke Kennard in deals. Pistons’ fans may still be salty about the team passing on Donovan Mitchell in favor of Kennard, but I think Kennard has the potential to develop into a really good NBA player.

Next: A trade for Mario Hezonja still makes sense for Detroit Pistons

Pair that with his contract and age, and that’s an asset that you’d be hard pressed to get me to move.

As far as Johnson goes, as James Edwards II notes in the above tweet, there are still some who believe Johnson is one of the Pistons’ best assets. All it takes is one team in line with that thinking to make an offer, as Van Gundy isn’t likely to part with Johnson without the right value.