The Detroit Pistons will get 55 games to prove themselves
Detroit Pistons: Veteran trades tell us the tank is on
If the Detroit Pistons have won, say, 20+ games at the deadline, I think they will go for it and try to get their young players some valuable experience playing in games that could be meaningful for a run at the play-in.
But if not, it’s likely their roster will get a makeover, as they have several veterans on what are essentially expiring contracts that may have some value on the trade market.
Alec Burks, Nerlens Noel and Kelly Olynyk will all have value to contending teams that need depth, and even guys like Cory Joseph and Hamidou Diallo could be shipped out.
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None of these guys are part of the long-term plans and are on deals that either expire, aren’t fully guaranteed or are team options the following season, which will make them easy to trade.
Burks in particular will have value at the deadline, especially if he ends up the in starting lineup or is the Pistons’ leading bench scorer while shooting 40 percent or better from 3-point range.
Same with Kelly Olynyk, as teams are always looking to add shooters at the deadline. If the Pistons get off to another horrible start, expect these two to be playing for different teams by the middle of February.
You can also expect some other changes to the rotation.