Yesterday had a flurry of NBA news, some of it directly involving the Detroit Pistons and some tacitly.
The Bol Bol trade for Rodney McGruder and a second-round pick was voided after the Pistons saw something in Bol’s physical that they didn’t like.
In completely unrelated news, the New York Knicks traded Kevin Knox and a first-round pick for Cam Reddish of the Atlanta Hawks.
Reddish had been loosely connected to the Pistons in rumors, as had the Knicks, who were reportedly interested in a trade for Jerami Grant.
Neither move is going to shake the foundations of the league by any means, and the Detroit Pistons may have dodged some bullets by missing out on these two particular players.
Bol Bol had too many red flags for the Detroit Pistons
I’ll admit that I was somewhat intrigued by the idea of Bol Bol, as the Pistons don’t have any type of rim protection and he’s a 7-foot-2 forward who can allegedly block shots.
But this is a guy who could not get off the bench for the Denver Nuggets, one of the NBA’s best teams at developing players, and had only played 20 minutes or more three times in his entire career.
These two things are big red flags, and though I was mildly intrigued at the prospect of Bol, I didn’t expect him to be an impact player for the Pistons, and if I had to guess, I’d say he won’t be long for the NBA if things continue this way for him.
There have also been rumblings about his attitude and work ethic and the more I hear about Bol, the less I want him around Cade Cunningham and the Detroit Pistons. To be honest, I was more interested as seeing Bol as a potential surrogate preview of Chet Holmgren.
There is a reason the Nuggets (a very well run team) were willing to give Bol Bol up for very little, whether it was red flags about his health or his attitude, so the Pistons probably dodged a bullet there.
This was one of the least consequential trades in NBA history and further proof of how desperate we Pistons fans are to have anything other than Cade and Bey to be excited about.
Cam Reddish and the Detroit Pistons
Reddish was another guy who some were connecting to the Pistons, though I never really saw the fit for Jerami Grant in Atlanta.
Reddish was a lot more interesting than Bol as a prospect, as he has good size, has improved his shooting and was at least a lottery pick with upside.
He also had one more year left on his contract for a reasonable price, but after that is when things get dicey.
While I wouldn’t mind taking a flyer on Reddish on a rookie deal, he’d have to improve significantly to get the kind of contract he is almost certain to demand as a free agent. Unless he makes a big leap between now and then, some team is going to be gambling on his next contract and that is probably a gamble the Pistons don’t want to make at this stage of their rebuild.
Look, the Knicks didn’t give up much here, and I think it was a worthwhile risk for them given the cost, especially if it is part of some larger plot to lure Zion Williamson (keep dreaming NY).
The Pistons didn’t have a first-round pick to trade, and even if they did, might be able to find a better player than Reddish in the late first-round anyway.
I know some fans were keen on Reddish, and he does have tantalizing talent, but I think they can do better in a Jerami Grant trade, so I wish him well in New York.
The situation for the Detroit Pistons hasn’t changed
Losing out on Bol Bol will not affect the Pistons one way or another, as we have no idea if he was ever going to step on the floor even if the trade was completed.
Same with the theoretical deal with Atlanta, which was probably never going to happen given the pieces involved, especially when the Hawks may have their eyes on a bigger prize in Ben Simmons.
The Pistons are still in the same position they were before all of this, in that they have one trade piece that they don’t have to move, have all of the leverage in any potential deal and can walk away if they don’t get something they like.
The only loss was that of the Knicks as a potential trade partner, as they were reportedly interested in Grant.
As the market develops, we may find that the big blockbuster for Jerami Grant doesn’t exist, in which case I am perfectly content re-signing him to a long-term deal to be part of the restoration, as he actually wants to be in Detroit and has been an effective player for the Pistons.
I am sure Troy Weaver will swing another deal or two, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the Pistons were mostly the same team after the trade deadline.
We are all eager for this team to get better, and nothing offers more hope than a new guy with potential, but the Pistons probably dodged two bullets yesterday.
I just wish I hadn’t wasted so much time looking at Bol Bol film.