Grades for the Detroit Pistons’ trade deadline moves and non-moves

The Detroit Pistons had a relatively quiet trade deadline, making just one minor move after weeks of speculation and rumors.

It doesn’t appear that the Pistons were really ever close to trading Jerami Grant, as it was hard to find equivalent value for a non-star who is still a very good player on a favorable contract.

Perusing Pistons’ Twitter today, there were a LOT of fans upset by this non-move, and I get it, as Detroit did play better in some areas without Grant, and I do understand the need to have a new shiny thing when your team is the worst in the NBA.

I also get the impatience, as this team has been awful for three straight seasons, so fans wanted some reason to be hopeful.

We’ll get to the non-trade of Jerami Grant in a minute, but first the grades for the move the Pistons did make.

The Detroit Pistons take a flyer on Marvin Bagley III

One of the worst-kept rumors among Pistons’ fans was that the team was going to land Marvin Bagley III in a trade. The team had already started following him on Twitter (big giveaway), and this is a move that makes a lot of sense for Detroit.

The Pistons gave up Josh Jackson (who is hurt and on an expiring contract), big man Trey Lyles (who is frustrating to watch but was competent) and two second-round picks to acquire Bagley III.

This trade cost the Pistons little, as neither Jackson nor Lyles were part of the long-term plans and second-round picks come and go and are easy to replace.

Bagley III was the second pick in the 2018 NBA Draft and is still just 22-years-old, so he’s worth taking a chance on in exchange for nothing, especially for a team that lacks size and talent in the front court.

Bagley showed his potential in his rookie season, averaging just under 15 points to go with 7.6 rebounds and a block per game.

But consistent injuries and clashes with coaches kept him from developing any further and he has regressed this season, watching his productivity go down with his minutes.

There are some concerns about attitude (having a respected veteran coach should help) and his helicopter-parent father (fun follow on Twitter btw), but the talent is there if it can be harnessed.

The Pistons might be able to sign him for a low-ball deal if things go well in the final part of the season, so it is really all positive from a Detroit perspective.

I am not a big fan of Bagley III but it totally makes sense and is a low risk-high reward trade for the Detroit Pistons. If it works out, great, if not, it cost them nothing. This is exactly the type of trade a team that needs to find creative ways to get talent should make.

Grade: A-