PistonPowered
Fansided

NBA Rumor: John Wall to the Detroit Pistons, Really?

By Stuart London

Houston Rockets guard John Wall (1). Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
Houston Rockets guard John Wall (1). Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 3
Next
John Wall
The shoes of Washington Wizards guard John Wall (2) during the game against the Detroit Pistons. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports /

5 reasons the Detroit Pistons would trade for John Wall

  1. The Pistons will be a better team this year. For all the potential of Killian Hayes, he is not John Wall, even one who has lost a step. A Cade Cunningham/John Wall backcourt would probably be fun to watch. Detroit would instantly become a contender for the Play-in tournament.
  2. Wall does fit general manager Troy Weaver’s prerequisite  of being a high character person. Wall was very popular with Wizards’ fans and did a lot for the community. He certainly would be a good mentor for Cunningham and Hayes along with the other young players.
  3. Wall could become a valuable trade chip later in the season. Much like the Pistons were able to flip Derrick Rose last season for a second-round pick, a team in contention could think Wall is the final piece and offer Weaver some goodies. Of course, Rose made a lot less money than Wall is scheduled to.
  4. With a legitimate star player, Wall might help attendance at Little Caesars Arena. It has been two years since fans were allowed to fill the place. Certainly would bring some excitement into what had been seen as strictly a rebuilding season.
  5. Sorry, I got nothing.

Weaver used to work in Oklahoma City before coming to Detroit last year. The Thunder are one of the few NBA teams that have enough salary cap space to absorb Wall’s salary. A three-way trade involving OKC, along with Houston and Detroit, seems a bit more realistic.

Next. Detroit Pistons: Ranking the roster from least to most untouchable. dark

The only players on the Pistons who make over $10 million are Jerami Grant, Kelly Olynyk and Cade Cunningham. Obviously, ‘Motor-Cade’ is going nowhere, so you would have to package Grant and Olynyk, with some throw-ins, to match Wall’s salary. That would seem … dumb?

I would not start ordering John Wall Pistons jerseys just yet, the chances he comes to Detroit one would expect are slim. But it is interesting to wonder what was in the trade offer they made Houston.