One of the strangest developments for the Detroit Pistons this season is that they are listening to calls on trades for Saddiq Bey.
That seemed unthinkable after Bey’s rookie season, but his 3-point regression coupled with his defensive limitations have made him “gettable” according to several reports.
Things change quickly in the NBA, as we went from discussing how big Bey’s extension was going to be to wondering if he has a future with the team at all.
The Pistons don’t have to be in any hurry, as the trade deadline isn’t until February and they still have Bey locked up for $4.5 million next season.
This gives Detroit leverage in any deal, as they aren’t compelled to move Bey and don’t have to if the price isn’t right.
We may now have any idea of what exactly it would take for the Pistons to trade Saddiq Bey.
Detroit Pistons: The asking price in a Saddiq Bey trade
According to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, the Pistons want an unprotected first-round pick in exchange for Bey:
"“Elsewhere in Detroit, multiple rival teams told Yahoo Sports the Pistons’ asking price to part with third-year swingman Saddiq Bey is an unprotected first-round pick.”"
I think this tells us that the Detroit Pistons aren’t ready to give up on Saddiq Bey just yet, and won’t unless they get satisfactory compensation.
This would be a calculated risk if the Pistons did it, as they’d be gambling that they could find a better player than Bey at some point in a future draft. Considering most of the teams mentioned around Bey are contenders, that could mean the Pistons would be trying to find that player late in the first round.
The best bet could be the Miami Heat, who have been mentioned as a possible suitor for Bey. They currently have a losing record and are the 8th seed in the Eastern Conference, so might end up with the highest 2023 draft pick of the suitors for Bey.
Count me as one who would be very nervous about trading Bey to Miami, as I’m having visions of him turning into a great role player under Erik Spoelstra. If a franchise like the Heat really want Bey, then maybe he’s worth keeping.
In the end, I’d be surprised if the Detroit Pistons moved Bey at this point, but if they think they can turn him into valuable draft capital, we know Troy Weaver won’t be shy to make a deal.