The holidays are here and the Detroit Pistons have the worst record in the NBA, not the gift most fans were hoping for.
They’ve lost four in a row and there is some discouragement in the normally optimistic fanbase, so now seems like the perfect time to talk about the future.
The Pistons have already been mentioned in trade rumors, with their best assets being veterans Bojan Bogdanovic, Alec Burks and Nerlens Noel.
The Pistons have expressed reluctance to trade their veterans, and are also hampered by the fact that they can’t trade a first-round pick until they convey the one they owe to the Knicks, making trading for an impact player difficult.
But that doesn’t mean Troy Weaver (who recently signed an extension) won’t find a deal before the trade deadline, as the crop of 2023 free agents isn’t great, leaving trades as another possible route to acquire more talent or players who are better fits.
ESPN recently took at look at each team’s possible trade targets and there were a few guys that stood out as possibilities for the Detroit Pistons with the focus being forwards who can defend or shoot.
Some are more realistic than others, but just for the sheer sake of argument and distraction, would you pass or pursue these five guys?
Detroit Pistons: Possible trade targets
John Collins: Atlanta Hawks
The Hawks are at .500 and it’s long been rumored that they are shopping John Collins for players that might be better fits on the perimeter. Bojan Bogdanovic was named as a possibility and I came up with some trade ideas, but it really seems like a lateral move for the Pistons at best.
Collins has regressed this season, so even though he’d be the type of young, two-way wing the Pistons are looking for, he’d be a downgrade at this point and I’d rather they just keep Bogs, who is on a better contract.
Verdict: Pass