Detroit Pistons: Pros and cons of trading Sekou Doumbouya
Detroit Pistons: Pros and cons of trading Sekou Doumbouya
Pro: Troy Weaver has a clear vision for what he wants this team to be and has so far shown a sharp eye for talent.
Doumbouya is now the longest-tenured Piston and the last guy who Weaver didn’t either draft or get via free agency or trade.
If Weaver really wants to wipe the slate clean and start over, then it makes sense to trade Doumbouya for a prospect he likes or for another draft pick.
This would get the stink off the former roster and Weaver could continue to bring in guys who fit the culture he is trying to build in Detroit. So far, that looks like athletic defenders who play hard every night and Doumbouya has yet to show he is any of those things.
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Con: THE KID IS 20-YEARS-OLD! Just for reference, Pascal Siakam was 22 in his rookie season, a full two years older than Sekou is halfway through his second. The Pistons knew he was a project when they drafted him, he wasn’t even a lottery pick and that draft was horrible, so it’s not like he was a top-five pick in a loaded draft. The Pistons took a swing on high-upside talent, but everyone knew it would take time for him to develop.
Trading Doumbouya now would be pretty unfair to him, as he hasn’t even really gotten a chance to develop given the circumstances of last season, a shortened offseason and a whole new team to adjust to, not to mention having to play behind Blake Griffin’s corpse, which couldn’t have been good for his confidence.
The Detroit Pistons are not going anywhere in the next few seasons so there is no rush to jettison Doumbouya. It looks like a panic move from a team that has no reason to panic or be in a rush. It’s not a great look for the other Pistons’ young guys who might then feel their future rides on every bad game.