Troy Weaver and the Detroit Pistons are at it again, trading Delon Wright to the Sacramento Kings for Cory Joseph and two second-round picks.
The trade was first reported by Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, who actually dropped one of his beloved bombs on Twitter while the Pistons’ game was being played.
Kings are sending a 2021 via second-round pick via Lakers and their own 2024 second-rounder to Pistons in the deal, source tells ESPN. https://t.co/yXGXXwbsL6
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) March 25, 2021
This is another trade that is not going to rock the foundations of the NBA, as both guys are similar players at a similar age and stage of their respective careers.
But it is an interesting one for several reasons, particularly what it does for the Detroit Pistons in terms of the salary cap, future assets and possible future trades.
But first let’s take a look at what the Pistons got in the trade.
Detroit Pistons: What did the Pistons get in the Delon Wright trade?
The Pistons will recieve 29-year-old journeyman guard Cory Joseph and two second-round picks. One of the picks will be in 2021 and will come from the Lakers, and the other won’t come until 2024, so again, this was hardly a blockbuster.
With LeBron James and Anthony Davis out for several weeks, that Lakers pick could get better, but it is still likely in the high 20’s. The perpetually awful Kings’ pick in 2024 will probably be good but who knows if it will ever be conveyed, as second-round picks tend to change hands several times in some cases.
Joseph is not as good as Delon Wright and never has been. He’s been a career bench player who has never averaged double digit points in a season. He doesn’t shoot the 3-pointer particularly well or rebound or, well, do anything all that well to be honest.
So what is the deal? Why would the Detroit Pistons trade the superior player? There are a couple of reasons.