The Detroit Pistons are a rebuilding team that has several useful veteran players, so it makes sense that they are going to be mentioned in trade rumors.
Bojan Bogdanovic, Alec Burks, Nerlens Noel and even Cory Joseph could all help contending teams, so the Pistons are sure to be getting more calls as the trade deadline inches closer.
Bogdanovic would be the big prize of the group, and even though the Pistons only recently extended him, they may want to cash in while the price is high, as Bojan is just outside the 50/40/90 club and averaging over 20 points per game.
The Lakers have reportedly already inquired about Bogdanovic, but the Detroit Pistons have no reason to move him unless the deal is too good to pass up, as he provides much-needed shooting and veteran leadership for a young team that is hoping to turn the corner soon.
Recently, Bleacher Report put out some trade ideas for contending teams that mentioned the Pistons as a possible trade partner with the Atlanta Hawks in a move that makes some sense for both teams.
But is it enough to move on from one of the NBA’s most reliable shooters?
Detroit Pistons: Bojan Bogdanovic trade to the Atlanta Hawks
The Hawks are a middling team in the mediocre Eastern Conference, sitting as the 4th seed with a 13-11 record. Though the conference is fairly wide open, they aren’t really a legit contender at this point and may need to add better complementary players to get there.
The Detroit Pistons are still in their rebuild and Bogdanovic may not fit that timeline depending on how close they think they are to climbing out of the cellar.
So there may be a match here, which is why this trade does make some sense:
On paper, Bogdanovic is a better fit with Atlanta as a catch-and-shoot option and Collins would give the Pistons another talented young player to add to their core. Collins is just 25 and plays the same position, so he would slide directly into the Pistons’ starting five.
We’d also have the bonus of having two guys named Bojan Bogdanovic on the same team, which has to be bucking some astronomical odds for happening.
This does fit the definition of a fair trade, but would it really move the needle for the Detroit Pistons now or in the future?
Detroit Pistons: Bojan Bogdanovic trade to the Atlanta Hawks
The Pistons’ biggest weakness at the moment is that they lack defense, athleticism and rebounding from their forwards.
Both Saddiq Bey and Bojan Bogdanovic are slew-footed defenders who can’t really guard wings and don’t play above the rim. Neither of them are very good rebounders, which puts a lot of pressure on the Pistons’ undersized bigs on the boards.
Collins is not the accomplished scorer and shooter that Bogdanovic is, but he is a better defender and rebounder. He fits the timeline age-wise much better and is already under contract through the 2024-25 season with a player option for one after that. His salary is reasonable and will look even more so once the salary cap spikes again.
The Pistons have plenty of money and this would be one way to get a younger talent without overpaying on the 2023 free agent market, which is not great.
This is a guy who has shown real potential as a two-way forward and had a season where he scored 21.5 points and got over 10 rebounds per game while shooting 40 percent from 3-point range.
At his best, Collins is a better all-around player than Bogdanovic and could return to that level with an increased role in a situation that better suited him.
He reminds me a bit of Andrew Wiggins, who many had written off before he landed in the perfect situation and started thriving as a two-way forward right around the same age that Collins is now.
He fills a need and still has an opportunity to get better, so this would be the type of deal the Pistons might jump at.
Or not.
Detroit Pistons: Bojan Bogdanovic trade to the Atlanta Hawks
Yes, John Collins has had some big seasons, but he has dropped off every year since, culminating in this one, where he is averaging just 12.3 points and 7.5 rebounds while shooting just 21 percent from 3-point range, by far the lowest of his career.
Detroit already has plenty of players who can’t shoot the 3-ball, and right now, Collins has been struggling even though he’s playing 31 minutes per night.
His defense, while certainly better than Bogdanovic’s, isn’t elite or anywhere close, though he would instantly be one of Detroit’s best shot blockers. Would his better defense and rebounds be enough to offset his lack of scoring?
Then there is that contract.
This one could go either way, as it will look like a bargain at $25-26 million if he returns to his previous levels but would look like an overpay if he stays where he is.
Detroit would be stuck with him for one year longer than they have Cade Cunningham signed, so it could be prohibitive in future moves if Collins doesn’t work out.
If it were just apples to apples right now, I don’t think this trade moves the needle for the Detroit Pistons much now or in the future, but if they believe Collins still has that other level, then this would be a good return for a guy that they only gave up Kelly Olynyk’s expiring contract to get (though KO is playing really well for Utah).
Detroit would have to be satisfied that Collins would thrive with their current roster and not be the type of mediocre complementary guy he’s been for Atlanta so far this season. It would be a roll of the dice for both teams, but it really comes down to whether Detroit and Atlanta really think this kind of swap would make a difference to their chances this season and beyond.