Detroit Pistons: How Victor Wembanyama will affect the trade market

The Detroit Pistons and the rest of the NBA watched in awe as Victor Wembanyama put on a display in a recent showcase of talent in Nevada.

The 7-foot-4 Frenchman didn’t disappoint, and after showing off his total package of rim protection, 3-point shooting and ball-handling, some NBA executives are fearful that the prospect may have started a “race to the bottom” in the NBA.

Wembanyama highlights have scouts salivating and some are calling him the greatest NBA prospect to ever enter the league, as we’ve really never seen a player his size with these types of skills.

This is going to lead to a whole lot of teams tanking this season, and though I don’t think the Detroit Pistons will be one of them right away, the specter of Victor Wembanyama is going to hang over the season and could affect the team’s decisions  when it comes to their own personnel.

Detroit Pistons: Victor Wembanyama will disrupt the trade market

There are always teams tanking in the NBA, even when there is not a generational prospect waiting in the wings.

Every year we see teams trade off veterans at the deadline and sit guys with dubious injuries down the stretch in an effort to lose more games and increase the chances at a top pick.

But it’s going to be ridiculous this season, as the bad teams are going to be trading off all of their good veteran players to ensure they keep losing late in the season.

This will be great for contenders, as it should lead to a bunch of quality players hitting the market, with teams like the Pacers, Hornets, Magic, Rockets and Thunder all trading off pieces that could help the good teams.

But what about the Detroit Pistons?

If the Pistons happen to be in contention around the trade deadline, it will give them a better chance to add a quality piece at a discount price, as the market should be flooded, which could lead to it being a buyer’s paradise.

But the more likely scenario is that Detroit is already well out if it by the deadline and decides to start moving parts of their own in an effort to tank down the stretch.

If Detroit starts to slip, expect to see Bojan Bogdanovic, Alec Burks and Nerlens Noel hit the trade market, as the Pistons go with the youth brigade in an effort to get more ping pong balls.

Troy Weaver wants this team to take the next logical step towards contention, but if this roster isn’t doing it, even a 14 percent chance (at best) at Wembanyama might tempt him to ship out all of the veterans and run out the youngest team in the NBA.

Rosters across the NBA are going to be affected by the possibility of Wembanyama and we are likely to see some of the most egregious tanking of all time this season as well as a lot of player movement at the deadline.