Which trade could the Detroit Pistons benefit from the most?
Reuniting in Detroit
There were two submissions requesting a reunion between DeMar DeRozan and Pistons coach Dwane Casey. The two worked together with the Toronto Raptors from 2011-18, all but three seasons of DeRozan’s career.
The two exited together, DeRozan in a trade for Kawhi Leonard prior to the 2018-19 season. Casey was fired after earning Coach of the Year honors in a 59-23 season.
Then the Raptors won the NBA Championship.
https://twitter.com/SekouSZN/status/1164572448525824002?s=20
Trading for DeRozan will come at a price, including Jackson and Galloway to match salaries. Adding a player with the potential of Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk is a little unsettling, especially considering that DeRozan is on an expiring contract.
Pairing DeRozan with Griffin and Drummond doesn’t give a lot of space for Griffin to work with the ball in his hands. The paint will constantly be clogged.
Related Story. How the Pistons transitioned from Van Gundy to Casey. light
Mind you, DeRozan only attempted 45 3-pointers last season and shot 15.6 percent. He’s never been known as a great shooter with a career 3-point percentage of 28.6 percent, but that shows a lack of confidence to trust himself and that the percentages will even out.
His upside is in the mid-range area and, most importantly, makes the Pistons a force defensively. That rings true if they keep Bruce Brown in a potential deal. But it may hinder the offense, losing several 3-point shooters in Jackson, Galloway and Mykhailiuk (or Snell in the proposed deals below).
https://twitter.com/brandonengel_/status/1163844176368349184?s=20
Though I’d rather see the Pistons pair Snell and DeRozan in a potential deal, I think I like this one from Engel better. Adding Patty Mills, who is a 39.1 career 3-point shooter, would give the offense a big boost, regardless of whether he started or came off the bench.
Langston, Snell and a first for DeMar
— Blake Stackpoole (@BlakeStackpoole) August 20, 2019
Parting with two first round picks is tough, given that DeRozan may not re-sign. Perhaps a pick swap option in 2022 would suffice and Detroit would have a safety net if they wanted to re-build after Griffin’s deal expires.