The Detroit Pistons have made some strange moves over the last year with a flurry of trades and signings that had some fans scratching their heads.
But so far most of them have worked out, so Troy Weaver has earned some patience and benefit of the doubt when it comes to player acquisitions and roster construction, especially after doing well with veterans like Delon Wright, Mason Plumlee and Jerami Grant.
The Detroit Pistons were connected to another odd rumor, after Ian Begley reported that they were interested in a trade for injured Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie.
On the surface, this trade doesn’t make a whole lot of sense as Dinwiddie is out for the season with injury and only has a one year player option remaining on his contract for $12.3 million next season.
But if you dig a little deeper the trade makes more sense for a team that is rebuilding, needs to add talent and could turn Dinwiddie into a present and future asset.
Before we get into the pros and cons, here’s what a trade might look like.
Detroit Pistons: Trading for Spencer Dinwiddie
The Nets might want a different duo of Pistons’ veterans to add to their overall depth, specifically someone like Mason Plumlee, but that would leave Detroit with only rookie Isaiah Stewart at center, so might not be logical unless they were to make other moves.
This trade gets the Nets some depth and protection against injury while the Detroit Pistons pick up yet another rehab project and a 2nd-round pick for their troubles.
This might not be the exact trade but it gives you an idea of what Dinwiddie may be worth when he is injured and has no guaranteed years left on his deal.
Here are the pros and cons of such a trade when it comes to young players and the overall roster.
Detroit Pistons: Trading for Spencer Dinwiddie would be a positive and negative
The Detroit Pistons are rebuilding so every move has to be made with a thought of how it might affect their young guys. There are pros and cons to getting Spencer Dinwiddie in terms of their young guards.
Pro: The Pistons’ young guards Dennis Smith Jr. and Saben Lee have played well which has been a pleasant surprise but let’s be real here, neither of them are guaranteed to be a part of this team’s future.
The Detroit Pistons can’t turn down players because of what Smith Jr. and Lee might become, as they have not shown enough to warrant making moves around them. Same with rookie Killian Hayes, who might not return from injury at 100 percent right away and is still very young anyway.
Dinwiddie would give the Pistons another guard talent to compete for a spot and competition is always a good thing. If one of the young guys beat him out, great, if not they can learn from him, as Dinwiddie is a smart player with a lot of good attributes.
Con: The downside would be that Dinwiddie, fresh off injury, comes in and is immediately the Pistons’ best guard, putting Hayes on the bench and Smith Jr. in the G-league or on another team. The Pistons aren’t likely going anywhere next season (though in the terrible East you never know) so Dinwiddie would really just be taking developmental minutes from young players who probably have a bigger future with the team.
I’d say the positives would outweigh the negatives at this point, as the Detroit Pistons lack talent and don’t have anyone at guard who has definitely solidified themselves as part of the future.
But what about the overall roster construction and assets?
Detroit Pistons: Spencer Dinwiddie’s player option
The interesting part of acquiring Spencer Dinwiddie is that he only has a player option remaining for next season. He could potentially opt out and become a free agent, in which case the Pistons could give up some assets for nothing, as he is not going to play this season.
However, coming off injury, it’s unlikely Dinwiddie would turn down a guaranteed $12 million without first showing he can play, as he might not get that much on the open market. There are pros and cons to both.
Pro: If Dinwiddie opts into his final year, which is most likely, the Detroit Pistons could have a classic “buy low, sell high” situation, as they will have essentially given up nothing and Dinwiddie could be an asset if he shows he can play.
This is a guy who averaged 20 points per game last season for the Nets, so if he is healthy, he might get the Detroit Pistons a first-round pick at next year’s deadline. Considering they are unlikely to get a first-rounder for any of their veterans right now, this would be a way to turn them into a first-round pick by taking a moderate risk on Dinwiddie.
Con: What if he opts in and stinks? Then the Detroit Pistons are stuck paying $12 million for a guy who would then probably walk at the end of the season. Their veterans aren’t huge trade assets and unlikely to bring back much but this would literally be giving them away for nothing.
Detroit Pistons: What if Dinwiddie opted out?
Spencer Dinwiddie is a guy who has shown he is willing to take a chance on himself, so he could opt out of his option and hit the open market if he doesn’t want to rebuild his value on the Detroit Pistons.
Pro: If Spencer Dinwiddie opts out, the Pistons get $12 million of cap space and only had to give up two guys who are not part of the future to get it. They wouldn’t have lost much, so they can’t really lose here.
Con: The only way this is really a con for Detroit is if the guys they traded were even better for Brooklyn or there was a chance some other team would have offered more. Troy Weaver is going to be doing his homework over the next few weeks so it’s unlikely that there will be a better deal lurking that he did not consider, so again, this has a far better chance of working out.
If the Detroit Pistons can pick up an asset along with Dinwiddie in the form of a 2nd-round pick, this is a no-brainer.
The Pistons need talent and it doesn’t matter where it comes from. If they can continue to buy low on guys that could be future assets, this is one way to add draft picks to the coffers as you rebuild.
Go for it, Troy, bring Spencer back to Detroit.