Detroit Pistons: Would you do this blockbuster trade for Jerami Grant?

Detroit Pistons: 76ers trade for Jerami Grant

Why the Pistons would say yes:

One way to get quality talent is to take on a bad contract in exchange for assets. In this case, the Harris contract isn’t the worst, as he is still a very good player at 29-years-old and would make the Pistons better right away.

The Pistons would also get a young, defensive two-guard to pair with Cade Cunningham, and still have their #5 pick to add the best player available. If that were someone like Jaden Ivey, then Thybulle would be a super-sub who would play big minutes and give Detroit a ton of lineup possibilities.

Springer is a flyer on a young player, and the Pistons would also pick up a second first-round pick, as well as the rights to swap in 2026, at which time they might actually be better than the 76ers.

If the Pistons’ asking price for Grant is a young player plus a first round pick, then this meets those requirements, but at what cost?

Why the Detroit Pistons would run away:

Let’s talk about that Tobias Harris contract for a second, shall we? He is owed $38.4 million next season and $40.9 million the year after that, which is a pretty high price to pay even though he is one of the most consistent scorers in the NBA.

Grant is the better defender, but Harris is going to get you a guaranteed 18 points a night and is reliably available, as he rarely misses games. But his price tag is twice that of Jerami Grant and he is not twice as good a player. The Pistons could just keep Grant, whose extension would still be way less per year than Harris’ next two seasons.

Thybulle would be a great get and would fit right in with the culture the Pistons are trying to build, but he is due for an extension and will be getting a massive pay raise after this season, so the Pistons would have to be comfortable paying Thybulle in the $18-20 million a year after next season.

Springer is a complete unknown, and pick #23 is hardly a guarantee either. Last year’s 23rd pick was Unman Garuba, a guy who played in 24 games as a rookie for a terrible Houston team. Obviously, teams can still find talent later in the first round, but the odds go way down and you could end up with a guy who is not in an NBA rotation for several seasons, if ever.

The pick swap is pretty meaningless until we know where these teams are in 2026, so would really be a non-factor.

In the end, that is a whole lot of money to take on for two guys who might not substantially move the needle for the Detroit Pistons. Do you really want Tobias Harris and Matisse Thybulle to be your top-2 paid players? Me either.

It’s an interesting idea that definitely went outside of the box, but those contracts are too much take on for a rebuilding team like the Detroit Pistons.