Why it makes no sense for the Detroit Pistons to trade for this center

The Detroit Pistons have been mentioned in myriad trade rumors as the deadline approaches and not all of them are about Jerami Grant.

Detroit was recently connected to Mitchell Robinson, the young center for the New York Knicks.

This makes some amount of sense, as the Pistons desperately need another big, especially one who can protect the rim and catch a lob, which Robinson can certainly do.

While he doesn’t really have star potential, he is solid around the basket, a good rebounder who blocks 1.6 shots per game and is still only 23-years-old.

Isaiah Stewart has been playing well of late, but many still believe he is undersized for the center position or may be better off coming off the bench.

I do like Robinson as a future possibility for the Pistons, but there is really no reason to trade for him.

The only benefit to a Mitchell Robinson trade for the Pistons

The only argument for trading for Mitchell Robinson if you are the Pistons is that they would have the inside track on re-signing him.

Robinson is going to be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season after he and the Knicks were unable to come to a contract extension.

The Pistons wouldn’t even get his Bird Rights by trading for him, so they’d have no advantage as far as the contract they could offer.

You could argue that trading for Robinson shows that the Detroit Pistons are interested in making him part of the future, which may give them a slight advantage, but in the end, it will come down to money, not appeals to his ego.

They’d really just be helping the Knicks get something for a guy who can walk at the end of the season, and why are we helping the Knicks?