Detroit Pistons: 3 restricted free agents the Pistons might try to steal

Detroit Pistons: Josh Hart would fit into Detroit’s culture

One of my favorite players to watch is Josh Hart from the New Orleans Pelicans and I was hoping the Pistons would make a trade for him at the deadline.

He is a guy who almost perfectly fits what Detroit is building, as he is a versatile defender who plays hard, hustles and is the best guard rebounder in the NBA.

The New Orleans Pelicans will have the Lonzo Ball soap opera to sort out, so Hart won’t likely be their priority, and with big raises due to some of their guys, they might not be able to afford him anyway.

Hart might be out of the Pistons’ range as well depending on how their cap space shakes out and they would almost certainly have to move on from Hamidou Diallo to make this happen.

I would be ok with that, as Hart is better now and can do some things that Diallo can’t, namely shoot the 3-point shot, though his numbers have dipped somewhat. But he is tough and I love the idea of putting him with fellow Villanova alum, Saddiq Bey.

Hart is also hurt and going to miss the rest of the season, which could affect his value some, but he is still likely to get a fairly substantial offer from someone.

He doesn’t check all of the boxes for Detroit, but what I love about Hart is that he will do whatever helps the team. He is the ultimate glue guy who wouldn’t mind coming off the bench, can defend four spots and will always give 100 percent.

He would be a fan-favorite right away and would give the Pistons another versatile perimeter defender. He is a young veteran who is just entering his prime, so the Pistons could get all of his prime years.

He will likely get a deal in the $12-15 million per year range, which the Pistons might not be able to offer, but if they can free up the cap, he is a guy I would love for them to try and steal.