Grading the Detroit Pistons 2019 offseason moves
The trade
NBA Draft week is chucked full of rumors but nobody saw this trade coming. The Pistons sent Jon Leuer to the Bucks for veteran wing Tony Snell and the 30th overall pick.
Leuer, 30, was signed to be a power forward that could space the floor. In his first season (2016-17), he was serviceable off the bench with a 14.2 Player Efficiency Rating, despite shooting 29.3 percent from 3-point range. However, Leuer hasn’t been able to stay healthy, playing in 49 games over the last two seasons.
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Milwaukee acquired Leuer to shed some salary cap and allow them to bring back Brook Lopez, among others, keeping the Bucks as a formidable threat to the Eastern Conference crown.
Snell, 27, enters his seventh NBA season and first in Detroit. He figures to be the Pistons starting small forward after they dealt Stanley Johnson in a mid-season trade that netted them Thon Maker.
As the Pistons look to add 3-point shooting to their offense, Snell is a legitimate threat. He’s connected on 39.7 percent of his 3-point shots, or better, in his three years with the Bucks. He’ll stretch the floor with catch-and-shoot attempts and corner treys.
GRADE: B+
Snell will have a player option for $12.2 million next summer. If he opts in to the final year of his contract, this trade looks even better for a Pistons team looking to advance in the playoffs.