Detroit Pistons: Trade or keep? Small forwards
Sekou Doumbouya: Keep
The Pistons have learned the hard way with guys like Spencer Dinwiddie and Khris Middleton that giving up on raw prospects too early will come back to haunt you.
Pistons’ fans who are ready to give up on a 20-year-old who has barely played and came into the league with raw skills have no idea how to build a team or to develop talent. No one is going to offer what Doumbouya could eventually be worth, so it makes no sense to trade him unless it was part of a blockbuster deal.
Developing prospects takes patience and the Pistons would be wise to exercise some with Doumbouya, who is still younger than most college players and has plenty of time to be a star.
Jerami Grant: Keep
Jerami Grant has evolved into a star for the Detroit Pistons and there is an argument that they should trade him now for a massive haul while his value is potentially at its highest.
But there is also an argument to build around the guy. Not only does he actually want to be in Detroit, but shipping out a free agent who just signed a half season ago is not a good look for a franchise that already has problems attracting them.
Grant has the skillset to build around, as he is a wing who can score and defend all over the floor, which is the most valuable commodity in the NBA right now.
His ascension speeds up the timeline of the rebuild and the Detroit Pistons could end up being good sooner rather than later if they make the right moves.
The Pistons finally have some young talent to build around but that doesn’t mean Troy Weaver won’t go crazy at the deadline. It’s going to be an interesting couple of weeks in Detroit.