Detroit Pistons: Trade with the Los Angeles Clippers
It is no secret that the Detroit Pistons need more shooting and Kennard led the entire NBA in 3-point percentage last season.
Three years ago (god, has it been THAT long) I wrote that Kennard could be the Pistons’ Manu Ginobili, but that didn’t work out and he was eventually traded in the move that brought Saddiq Bey to Detroit.
Ginobili he aint, but Kennard can score and the Pistons desperately need scoring, especially off the bench. He’s still relatively young at 26, so fits into the timeline. He’s on a salary that looks pretty team friendly, and will be even more so once the cap goes up again. He’s locked in for three more years, so Detroit could potentially get his prime at a bargain.
Jason Preston isn’t going to get any run on a deep Clippers’ team this season, but he might on Detroit, especially if Killian Hayes continues to disappoint. Preston is a big guard prospect with a huge wingspan, who runs the pick-and-roll well and can play above the rim.
I wouldn’t be shocked if he came in and took Killian’s minutes and at the very least would give the Pistons another guy in the pipeline. This move would also save the Pistons around $4 million in cap space while making them younger and helping a weakness.
But there are also reasons not to do it.