The Eastern Conference just got a little bit more daunting for the Detroit Pistons after the Cleveland Cavaliers made a blockbuster trade to acquire Donovan Mitchell.
The Cavs did it without sending out any of their core players, using just a sign-and-trade of Collin Sexton, Lauri Markkannen, Ochai Agbaji, three picks and two swaps to land the star from Utah.
It was an unexpected turn, as the Knicks were the team most rumored to be after Mitchell, but apparently the Jazz preferred the package offered by the Cavaliers.
This definitely shifts the power of the Central Division, as the Cavaliers have probably leapfrogged the Bulls and could even knock the Bucks off their division perch.
Fans of the Detroit Pistons had various reactions to the trade, many of them being in the “when is this going to happen to us?” camp, as the Cavaliers are now legit contenders, a huge turnaround considering they were recently with Detroit in the cellar.
But many had a different reaction: It’s time to tank.
Detroit Pistons: Tanking appeals to some fans
To the tank community, the Cleveland trade was further proof that the Pistons should lose for one more season to try and land a generational talent like Victor Wembanyama or one of the other top players in next year’s draft, which is thought to be loaded at the top.
Yes, the Pistons have Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey, but now have another loaded team in the Eastern Conference to deal with, a team in their own division that they will have to play four times next season.
Adding another potential superstar is appealing, especially to a team that is so young and not likely to win a ton of games next season anyway.
Their predicted month-by-month record was pretty grim before this trade, so should the Detroit Pistons tank away another season in an attempt to balance the superstar scales in the Eastern Conference?