Just like last season, the Detroit Pistons are a team that is going to be mentioned in a lot of trade rumors.
So far Detroit is being coy about their intentions for guys like Bojan Bogdanovic, Alec Burks, Nerlens Noel and even Saddiq Bey, who has surprisingly become “gettable” according to reports.
The Pistons are in a tricky spot, as they are in a balancing act between wanting to be successful soon and wanting to maximize their assets for the chance of long term and sustainable success.
Trading a guy like Bogdanovic would certainly make them worse now, but could set them up for better long-term success, so it’s up to Troy Weaver et al. to weigh the pros and cons of moving on from some of their veterans while the price is high.
I think most people agree that the Pistons should hold onto their guys unless they find the right deal, as we haven’t even seen what this team can be with a full roster, and won’t get a chance to this season with Cade Cunningham sidelined for the remainder.
For the Detroit Pistons to move Bogdanovic, Burks or Bey, they have to find either young players with upside at a position of need or get quality draft compensation. One team to watch is the Golden State Warriors, who could be shopping some of their players.
Detroit Pistons: Warriors might “cash out” and trade young talent
The Warriors currently have a losing record, are clinging onto the final play-in spot in the Western Conference and just got news that Stephen Curry will be out for several weeks. Prior to his injury, Curry was playing at an MVP level, but the window to win titles with this group is closing rapidly.
They have to decide whether to go for it again this year, or to use this time to develop some of the young talent they have in the pipeline. If it’s the former, they could leverage some of their young players in deals to get win-now veterans according to Bleacher Report.
"“They have the 2022 title, but prospects like James Wiseman, Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody haven’t necessarily arrived yet as consistent rotation players.The team may stay the course and let them grow into roles, but if the Warriors feel they need actual ready-to-win value to replace players they lost in free agency…that may come at the expense of their youth movement.Rebuilding franchises would undoubtedly have interest, which could lead to multi-team deals.”"
The Pistons were interested in Wiseman during his draft, but they already have two young promising bigs in Isaiah Stewart and Jalen Duren who are better. They also have Marvin Bagley III, so it’s unlikely they’d be looking to add a guy like Wiseman.
However, the two wings do fill a position of need, as the Pistons need more depth, athleticism and most importantly, defense from their forwards. Moses Moody profiles as a prototypical 3-and-D wing who can hit catch-and-shoot 3’s and has defensive upside on the perimeter.
Kuminga is completely raw offensively, but he has the chance to be a very good defender in the NBA. Both of these guys are young, under team control for several more years and fit the profile of the type of player the Detroit Pistons need.
If the Warriors do decide to cash out, the Pistons could try to snatch one of these forwards in a three-team deal. There is no guarantee that Detroit is going to do anything this trade season, and it will be interesting to see if the Pistons decide to hold onto their veterans or trade them for the future.