Should the Detroit Pistons wait on making a major trade?

The Detroit Pistons potentially have the opportunity to make a major trade. Should they hold out on doing so? Or should they take the risk?

The Detroit Pistons are currently stuck in a tricky situation. With young players, role players, and two all-stars, the Pistons are do not have a third all-star on the team.

The Pistons have shown interest in multiple players over the year. They were interested in Mike Conley before the NBA Trade Deadline. Memphis’ asking price for Conley was too much for the Pistons liking. He would eventually get traded to the Utah Jazz in the off-season.

There has also been rumors that the Pistons are interested in Wizards guard Bradley Beal. Beal would be an amazing fit next to Andre Drummond and Blake Griffin. But the Wizards have made it clear. They will only trade Beal if a team takes John Wall and his atrocious contract with them. This basically makes Beal almost untouchable.

And now recent reports tell that the Pistons are interested in former MVP Russell Westbrook. The Oklahoma City Thunder shocked the world when they traded Paul George to the Los Angeles Clippers for 5 first round picks, 2 pick swaps, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Danilo Gallinari.

This forced Russell Westbrook and his agent to make a decision and ask for a trade. But this is a tough scenario for the Thunder. Russell Westbrook is 30 years old making 38 million dollars next season. And his contract sky-rockets up to 47 million in 2023. Teams are going to be very wary on trade offers for Westbrook.

The Pistons will surely be wary when it comes to a deal for Westbrook. But it leads me to my next question. Should the Pistons hold out on a big time trade?

If you told me I’d have to choose between having Russell Westbrook or Bradley Beal on the Pistons, I’m choosing Beal in a heartbeat.

Beal could potentially become available for a trade if he declines signing an extension with the Wizards. And the Pistons could be waiting for this moment. But here is the problem with the Pistons packaging a deal for Beal. Beal will be very expensive to trade for. Beal is 26 years old on a good contract. He’ll be making 27 million dollars next season and 28 million in the 2020-21 season.

Even if Beal does become available, the Pistons aren’t going to be the only team interested in him. Other teams will arguably put together a bigger and better trade package for Beal. The Pistons would have to overpay dearly in order to get him. A deal of Luke Kennard, Sekou Doumbouya, and multiple first round picks is possibly what the Pistons would have to give up. This would mean sacrificing your future and depth to become a possible contender in the East.

This is not the case for Russell Westbrook. Westbrook’s age and contract has likely forced his trade value down to the ground. And the Pistons wouldn’t have to give up large amounts of assets in a deal. Although the Pistons wouldn’t stand a chance against most trade packages for Beal, this wouldn’t be the case for Westbrook.

Not a lot of teams will be interested in Westbrook’s contract. And many teams would question the fit on their roster. The Pistons could potentially offer a top 3 package in a deal for Westbrook. If a deal were to happen for Westbrook, the Pistons can throw free agency out of the window. Similar to the Oklahoma City Thunder with Westbrook, George, and Steven Adams, they would never have cap space to bring in a solid bench unit to surround their big three. Again, all of this would be for possible contention in the East.

You could make the argument that the Pistons aren’t going to get a big name free agent in free agency. But a move like this would kill any opportunity at getting that or a great starting player.

You could also make the argument that Kennard, Sekou, and future picks won’t help you compete for the Finals. But drafting potential is what the Pistons have lacked. And other teams have proven that this could be a strategy to succeed.

Should the Pistons hold out on a trade? Or should they hit the trade button? Give us your opinion!