Detroit Pistons: 2 small trades to add bench shooting

Detroit Pistons: Trade with the Philadelphia 76ers

The main focus of Philadelphia’s offseason is going to be centered around Ben Simmons. Simmons is a good player, but his refusal to shoot would do little for the Detroit Pistons. While the media and Sixers front office is focused on a possible Simmons relocation, the Pistons could help Philly solve some other issues and also add some shooting.

Sekou Doumbouya has no real role of future on the current Pistons roster, and if Dwight Howard wants to re-sign elsewhere, the Sixers may take a chance on the young and athletic forward. The Sixers seem to love raw projects to work on, and if Embiid takes Doumbouya under his wing, then he could grow to be a better player than he ever would be on the Pistons.

The Sixers also have an issue at point guard, and adding Cory Joseph just makes sense. He plays smart offense, which is more than their current point guard. I’m not saying Joseph will replace Simmons, but he can be a reliable bench player for Philly, and Detroit doesn’t really need him.

In return, the Pistons get George Hill in all of his 34-year-old glory. He’s still a very productive bench shooter and would be a welcome presence on the court as well as in the locker room. He could conceivably shoot over 40% from deep in 20 minutes, and he’ll get a much bigger role in Detroit than in Philadelphia. Maybe he wants to retire with a ring, but he could also have a massive leadership role. Trades are a fickle thing.

For an experienced player, Sekou and Joseph are almost enough but not quite. The Pistons need to add the 37th pick if Philadelphia wants it. A mediocre bench player and a high risk do not equal a good bench leader. Add a pick to make it fair.

Of course, both teams would have to fully guarantee Joseph and Hill’s contacts to make this work.