The Detroit Pistons and Milwaukee Bucks are two teams headed in opposite directions.
The Bucks have one of the best records in the league and will be chasing a title behind MVP candidate Giannis Antetokounmpo while the Pistons are just 3-12, facing injuries and likely headed back to the lottery.
Even though the Bucks have gotten off to a great start, there have been trade rumors that they are looking to move guard Grayson Allen according to Jake Fischer among others.
The Bucks are reportedly looking for a veteran defender, with the Suns’ Jae Crowder most prominent on the radar.
The Detroit Pistons would welcome Grayson Allen’s shooting, as he is hitting 42 percent of his 3-point shots this season and Detroit is just 27th in the league in 3-point percentage.
Allen is also on a reasonable contract of $8.5 million that only runs through next season, so he’d be way to add some shooting without splashing out big money. The question is do the Pistons have the ammunition to get him?
Detroit Pistons: Possible trade with the Milwaukee Bucks for Grayson Allen
The Pistons really only have one player that could be labeled as a “veteran defender” and that is Nerlens Noel, whose salary does match up with Allen’s.
Although the salaries do match and Noel technically fills the role, there are a few problems with this trade.
The first is that Noel has barely played this season, only appearing in four games, though one of them was against the Bucks. It’s unclear if he is not fully healthy, still not in game shape or just can’t make the 3-12 Pistons’ rotation, but none of those are good signs.
When healthy, Noel can be an impact defender at the rim and has anchored good defenses in the past, but can he still play? He has a team option for next season, so the Bucks would be potentially be getting off a year of salary, which might have some additional appeal, but they would likely need assurances that Noel is healthy and game-ready before they would trade for him.
The Pistons don’t really have anything else to add to the pot, as Allen is not worth a 1st-round pick and it’s unlikely that the Bucks would be interested in second rounders.
There is a potential fit here for both teams, but it’s probably not a match unless Noel shows that he can still play and make an impact defensively.