Detroit Pistons: Nets trade could be Troy Weaver’s first major mistake

Detroit Pistons: Was trading Sekou Doumbouya really necessary?

Doumbouya was incredibly inconsistent in his two years with the Detroit Pistons. The 20-year-old showed flashes of his immense potential, but he would follow up those performances with absolute stinkers.

Doumbouya’s inconsistency combined with Detroit bringing in a lot of young talent this offseason led to speculation that he could be the odd man out in Detroit. That speculation would be proven true by this trade.

That being said, for as inconsistent as Doumbouya was, and for as much talent as Weaver brought onto the roster this offseason, the guy is still only a 20-year-old. It was well known he needed time to develop, and if his flashes of potential can become a game-to-game thing, Doumbouya could turn into a force to be reckoned with in the NBA.

But the 20-year-old power forward was the last remaining piece from a former regime, and Weaver had no ties or commitments to the young player. With those factors, it comes as no surprise that Doumbouya was one of the players chosen to be traded away.

It is no surprise but it is also not a great return for a former first-round pick, especially one this young. Four future seconds for Detroit to take the hit and pay Jordan his buyout is one thing, but throwing in a 20-year-old developing prospect on top is well beyond value Detroit should have given up.

Cutting Okafor or even trading Okafor for Jordan and a second-rounder or two would have made much more sense than trading away such a young prospect like Doumbouya.

Before this trade, there are very few roster moves made by Weaver that can be considered mistakes. Trading Bruce Brown away for Dzanan Musa and a second-round pick is the only clear choice one could make.

Like Doumbouya, Weaver sent Brown to the Nets, and the young defensive stud has thrived in his new role with Brooklyn. While the 6-4 do-it-all player signed the qualifying offer this offseason, he is likely to get paid a handsome contract next offseason.

The Brown trade may be the only move that Weaver looks back on and second guesses. He may not regret the trade, but Brown’s play with Brooklyn should at least make him think ‘what if?’.

Now Doumbouya has the opportunity to follow his former teammate to Brooklyn and take time to develop in the G-League and learn from one of the NBA’s best in Kevin Durant.

Doumbouya very well could become one of the players of the Nets’ future. Durant, Harden, and Kyrie Irving are all over the age of 30. The championship window is not going to be open forever. Once the team is forced to enter rebuild mode after their stars fade in the league, Doumbouya could be one of the next men up to take the torch and run with it.

Weaver has done a great job reshaping this Pistons roster. In the course of just one season, Detroit has gone from a rudderless franchise stuck in the NBA’s purgatory tier of mediocre teams to a team with one of the brightest futures in the league.

As Weaver continues to build this roster into a championship contender, there will undoubtedly be a few mistakes along the way.

One day, one of those mistakes could turn out to be sending Doumbouya away to Brooklyn, and restricting Detroit’s cap space by taking on additional dead money.

It is hard to truly judge a trade until players are able to play with their new teams or draft picks are made. Weaver is unlikely to ever regret this trade. It is unlikely he regrets any move he makes, good or bad. But ultimately, if Doumbouya starts to turn the corner on his young career, and Detroit finds itself in a sticky cap situation, Weaver may look back on this trade and second guess himself, even if it is for just a second.