The Detroit Pistons have four picks in the 2021 NBA Draft and not enough roster spots for all of them, so they could try to make a trade.
We’ve taken our series to the Eastern Conference now, where first the Southeast Division offered up some potential trades.
Now we’re onto the Atlantic Division, where all five teams will be looking to make moves to get themselves back into the playoffs or back to the top of the East.
The Raptors, Celtics, Knicks, Nets and 76ers will all be trying to win next year and all of them made the playoffs this season except for the Raptors, who were hampered by injuries but will look to get back to their familiar spot in the playoffs.
The Detroit Pistons will be building around Saddiq Bey, Isaiah Stewart and likely Cade Cunningham, who should add a bit of superstar power to the Pistons’ team of quality role players.
There are some juicy trade possibilities in the Atlantic, so let’s take a look at some of them, starting at the bottom and working our way up.
Detroit Pistons: NBA Draft trade with the Toronto Raptors.
The Raptors are an interesting team in that they have plenty of talent but are at a crossroads with franchise icon Kyle Lowry and may decide to finally go in another direction around their young core of Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby and Fred VanVleet.
There have been suggestions that the Detroit Pistons would trade Killian Hayes in a package for Fred VanVleet, and I could see some interest there, but I am going to go with a blockbuster right out of the gate.
Phew, this would be a monster. I don’t think the Pistons would do this, but they’d at least have to consider it, as they’d be adding a young, quality guard who fits the tough mold they are trying to build, as well as the number four pick in a loaded draft.
They’d be giving up team leader Jerami Grant, last year’s #7 pick in Hayes, raw project Doumbouya and one of their second rounders to get a chance at VanVleet and whoever is there at #4.
I think the only way that the Detroit Pistons would do this is if a guy they thought could be the best player in the draft (Jalen Green, Evan Mobley, Jalen Suggs) was still there at four and they weren’t happy about the prospect of pairing Cade Cunningham with Killian Hayes for the long term.
It would be a lot to give up for the fourth pick and VanVleet but the idea of a Cunningham/Green backcourt of the future might be too enticing to pass up.
This trade would make Toronto relevant right away, would solve their long-term point guard problem and give them another high-ceiling project to develop in their famous G-League program.
This is a tough one to say no or yes to but if the right guy was there at #4, it’d be tough to pass up.