The Detroit Pistons are still rebuilding and aren’t really in a position to make a blockbuster trade.
As much as people have talked about the possibility of swapping a package centered around Jerami Grant for Ben Simmons, I don’t see this as a realistic option and may not be the best move for the Pistons anyway considering their offensive struggles.
It’s far more likely that the Pistons will make a low-stakes move to balance their roster or take a chance on a young prospect who might not be getting a chance on his current team.
The Pistons have a big man problem, as they were thin at the position even before Kelly Olynyk got hurt and Isaiah Stewart got suspended.
They don’t have the contracts or coveted veteran contributors to make a splashy trade, and THEY CAN’T TRADE NEWLY ACQUIRED PLAYERS UNTIL DECEMBER 15TH (sorry for the caps but I had to put that in for the mansplainers who love to tell me 25 times in the comments).
Fans who are hoping for a big trade will be disappointed, but the Pistons do have some needs that they could try to fill before the trade deadline this season.
What do the Detroit Pistons need?
The truth is that the Pistons don’t need much other than experience. They have a core of players in Cade Cunningham, Saddiq Bey, Isaiah Stewart and Killian Hayes who simply need time to develop and get better.
But there are a few glaring weaknesses of the roster.
The Pistons need more big man depth, specifically someone who can block shots, catch a lob and run the floor. The Pistons are short on athleticism behind Beef Stew and adding another young big to the roster would be nice. Of course, the Pistons can just wait and try to draft the guy, so there is no real pressure to make a move.
The Pistons also need shooting, as they are dead last in the NBA in 3-point percentage, which means they aren’t taking advantage of Cunningham and Hayes’ ability to pass the ball and set up teammates. The duo is averaging 17.1 potential assists per game between them, mostly because their teammates are shooting at a historically bad clip.
There is one team out there who has these types of players, and that is the Dallas Mavericks, who could be a future trade partner with the Pistons.
Potential trade between the Detroit Pistons and Dallas Mavericks
The Mavericks are10-7 and currently 4th in the Western Conference, so they are not desperate to make a trade right now and may not be at the deadline depending on how things go.
The Mavericks are not a particularly deep team after their top three guys, and have a bunch of guys who can’t get off their bench but might be useful to other teams.
Moses Brown, an undrafted 22-year-old center in his third season, is one such player. He is buried on the Mavs’ depth chart and has only played six games this season despite being pretty good last year for the OKC Thunder.
Brown put up 8.6 points, 8.9 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 21 minutes per game for the Thunder but hasn’t been able to get off the bench for the Mavericks after being traded to them for Josh Richardson. He’d be a nice project player for the Pistons and would undoubtedly be getting minutes right now which he won’t get on the contending Mavs.
Another guy who barely plays for Dallas is former Michigan Wolverine Trey Burke, who has had an up and down career but has shot over 40 percent from 3-point range three times in his career.
The question is whether the Pistons have the assets to get either or both of them and whether it would even be worth the trouble.
Here is a trade that would work, though I am not sure either team would do it:
Would the Mavericks move two guys who never play for the expiring contract of a guy who might be able to help them now?
Would the Pistons or Mavericks do this and does it matter?
In the grand scheme of things, this is hardly a trade that is going to move the needle for either team.
The Pistons would get to take a flyer on a young big with potential and would have to take on Trey Burke’s contract for their trouble.
The Mavericks would get to clear around $5 million of cap space for next season, which means they could potentially have around 13 million off the books for next season, which they could use to re-sign Jalen Brunson or grab another mid-priced veteran contributor.
Josh Jackson is not having a great season, but he would give the Mavs more depth this season behind Reggie Bullock and Dorian Finney-Smith, and Jackson would give a boost to their defense, which could use it.
Like I said, this is hardly a blockbuster deal but it represents the type of trade the Pistons should be looking for when it comes to Josh Jackson, who is on the final year of his deal and recently lost his spot in the rotation to Hamidou Diallo, who has been playing well.
I would love to see the Pistons use Jackson’s contract to try and land a project big to develop behind Isaiah Stewart. Dallas has one but it’s unclear if they would need or want anything the Pistons have to offer.