Every team in the NBA has trades they wish they could undo, including the Detroit Pistons.
But we are looking at the best trades in team history and have so far touched upon a clear-cut theft from the Boston Celtics and a mutually beneficial swap with the Philadelphia 76ers.
Some trades pay off right away, like the one with the Celtics, while others are slow burners that take years to evaluate, as was the case with the 76ers.
This particular trade with the Lakers falls into the latter category, as we still have to see how certain careers pan out before we can know how good it was for either team.
But for now, this looks like a home run for the Detroit Pistons that will continue to pay dividends for years to come, while the Lakers were left holding the short end of the stick.
The Pistons do not have a ton of trades with the Lakers, as the two have only dealt seven times, mostly far in the past, but this one worked out for the Pistons and should continue to for some time.
Detroit Pistons: The Lakers trade that keeps on giving
This trade didn’t look like much at the time, but it has yielded two players who figure to be part of the Pistons’ rotation next season:
There weren’t any huge names moved in this trade, but it has already paid off for the Detroit Pistons.
The Pistons sent veteran sharpshooter Reggie Bullock to the Lakers in exchange for project Svi Mykhailiuk and a 2nd-round pick that eventually turned into Luka Garza.
Bullock played a grand total of 19 games with the Lakers before going to the Knicks the next season in free agency, so essentially the Lakers gave up a young player and a pick for nothing.
The Pistons, on the other hand, flipped Svi Mykhailiuk for Hamidou Diallo, a player primed to have a breakout season for Detroit, and a 2nd-round pick that they used to select Luka Garza, a guy who is likely to make the roster after signing a two-way contract.
I hate the Lakers, so being able to fleece them in a trade feels good, as they got nothing from this deal and the Detroit Pistons ended up with two quality young players.
The Lakers were only thinking of the short term, which allowed the Pistons to get players who might make an impact down the road.
Thanks Lakers!