3 Best Blockbuster Pistons Trade Ideas

With the Detroit Pistons currently sitting in the eighth seed in the East and the trade deadline less than a month away, it’s time to examine some realistic (and some not so realistic) trade possibilities.

Following disappointing losses against the Chicago Bulls and Charlotte Hornets over the weekend and on Monday, there are seem to be many more questions than answers regarding the Detroit Pistons.

After a blazing start to the season, even ascending as high as second place, the Pistons have come crashing back to the cold and hard Earth. The Pistons are now 3-6 following the injury to Reggie Jackson, and playoff berth is now in question.

Whenever there is uncertainty about the direction of a team, there is only one thing to do…

*Pulls cord*

You fire up that trade machine.

I asked on Twitter for fans to throw me trade proposals for the Detroit Pistons with my reactions and opinions on the three best proposals that were sent my way.

Point Guard Swap with Hawks

What I like:

• Pistons get a healthy, starting-caliber point guard in exchange for a perpetually-injured Reggie Jackson
• Pistons receive a good backup center who has ability to step out and hit from beyond the arc (41 percent on just over 1.5 attempts per game)
• Lottery protections on the 1st round pick if the experiment does fail.

What I don’t:

• If you were a critic of Reggie Jackson’s ball dominance and insistence on taking many shots, you’ll find that Dennis Schroder is much worse. He averages just over 17 shots a game (15th in the NBA).
• Schroder is under contract for one more year than Reggie Jackson.
• Pistons give up on the Stanley Johnson experiment too early. At only 21, Johnson has the ability to develop into a quality NBA starter and bailing too early is too reminiscent of the Pistons bailing on Khris Middleton too early.
• In general, wing depth is a bit of an issue for the Pistons and trading Stanley Johnson only makes that problem worse.
• Marco Belinelli eats into the playing time of both Luke Kennard and Langston Galloway this season. Galloway has already received countless “DNP-Coach’s Decision” designations because of the plethora of shooting guards on the roster.

Pistons Acquire Young Point Guard

What I like:

• The Pistons quite possibly land their point guard of the future in Malcolm Brogdon. After Brogdon’s stellar rookie campaign, the Bucks decided to upgrade the point guard position by trading for Eric Bledsoe – leaving Brogdon to man the bench unit for the Bucks. A Brogdon-Drummond duo is an interesting pair to build around, especially with Brogdon still on his rookie contract.
• Tony Snell is a good, servicable player that can start at either the shooting guard or small forward position. He’s a good defender and can shoot from a high clip from beyond the arc. He fits the bill of a Stan Van Gundy player.
• The Pistons don’t lose any picks in this deal.

What I don’t:

• Reggie Jackson is still on the roster. Brogdon is a good enough point guard to keep the Pistons competitive, but there may be some controversy once Jackson becomes healthy and he’s still on the roster. Any deal for a starting point guard needs to involve trading Reggie Jackson, in my opinion.
• Avery Bradley gets traded to a competitor and forms the most formidable defensive backcourt in the Eastern Conference.
• Henry Ellenson gets traded with three years left on his rookie scale contract. Based on what we’ve seen in the NBA the past few seasons, the most valuable contracts are the rookie scale contracts because it allows for a young player to be under team control for a long time. By sending Ellenson out, the Pistons are not only giving up on him but they are also allowing for a valuable trade chip to be in the hands of Milwaukee for very little return.
• Snell has a player option after the 2020 season for just over $12 million

Lakers Point Guard Joins Detroit (Not Lonzo)

What I like:

• Jordan Clarkson is a good enough point guard to allow for the Pistons to remain competitive this season, in spite of losing Avery Bradley.
• The albatross contract of Luol Deng remains with the Lakers.
• Opens up playing time for Luke Kennard with the starting lineup and solidifies Reggie Bullock as the starter at small forward.
• The idea of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Avery Bradley as the shooting guards for the Los Angeles Lakers.

What I don’t:

• The length of Clarkson’s contract. Clarkson is owed up to $13 million until 2020 and I’m not sure that he’s a good enough point guard to really move the needle for the Pistons going forward.
• The Pistons don’t move any of their bad contracts. The Pistons’ bad contracts (i.e. Jon Leuer, Boban Marjanovic, etc.) remain on the roster with Clarkson’s deal tacked on. This limits the Pistons’ flexibility in improving the roster going forward.
• Reggie Jackson is still on the roster (see previous trade).

EXTRA – Boban’s Reign Ends in Detroit

What I like:

• The Pistons completely gut their roster and start over. They rid themselves of every bad asset and large contract they have.
• This deal cost the Pistons 0 future assets (either picks or players).

What I don’t:

• Stanley Johnson has the potential of becoming a superstar next to another former Piston turned star, Khris Middleton.
• Boban Marjanovic and his cult move to Golden State.
• No way am I tying up my cap space in three players, especially one that’s 33 years old.