The February 9th trade deadline is inching closer and the Detroit Pistons have been mentioned in rumors involving everyone from Bojan Bogdanovic, to Alec Burks, to Saddiq Bey.
Bogdanovic seems like the most likely to be moved, as he is 33-years-old and would likely net the Pistons the biggest return in any deal.
Bey started getting mentioned in trade rumors in December, with Detroit Pistons continuing their posturing of “we don’t want to move him…but” and then naming their price as a first-round pick according to several reports.
Bey’s numbers have taken a slide this season, but there are still hopes he can turn around his shooting and be the 3-and-D forward the Pistons need. But the real problem has been the defense part of the equation, as Bey has the third-worst defensive rating among NBA forwards.
For reference, Bogdanovic has the worst, which is another reason Bey could potentially be on the table, as it is difficult to have two forwards who are below-average defenders on the floor at the same time, one of the things that has led to Detroit’s historically bad defense.
It would be painful to give up on Bey, as he has flashed star talent at times and is a tough player who works hard and embodies the basketball culture of Detroit.
Bey has also shown some life over the last four games, averaging over 22 points and 6.5 rebounds per game in an expanded role with so many of his teammates out with injury. Saddiq Bey can still be a very good role player on a good team, which is why the Detroit Pistons should be leery about trading him to the Miami Heat, one of the teams reportedly inquiring about him.
Let’s take a look at one possibility and why the Pistons should probably run away.
Detroit Pistons: Saddiq Bey trade to the Miami Heat
Bey is still on his rookie deal, so trading him for equal value won’t be easy, as not many teams have productive players who are making that little.
The Heat are one of them, so would likely have to kick in a first round pick to make it worth the Pistons’ while.
Here is a deal that works financially, though Miami would need to find 59K of additional cap space, but I will leave that to the accountants.
In this trade, the Pistons give up Bey for 19-year-old forward prospect Nikola Jovic and the Heat’s first round pick this year, which would currently be the 20th choice in the 2023 NBA Draft.
The Heat take back a guy who can help them now, as they have won three in a row, are up to 7th in the Eastern Conference are playing their best basketball of the season. The Heat don’t need a splashy move, but adding a guy like Bey would give them another solid role player off the bench and a guy who fits into their culture and system.
On paper this seems somewhat fair, as Bey was the 19th pick himself and Jovic is a 6-foot-10 prospect who profiles as a guy who can make plays and shoot from the wing position.
But the Detroit Pistons should exercise caution when dealing with the Miami Heat for a few reasons.
Detroit Pistons: Dangers of trading Saddiq Bey to the Miami Heat
There are a few reasons the Detroit Pistons should be careful when dealing with the Heat. Miami has been one of the best teams at developing talent, as they have rarely chosen high in the draft.
If they want Bey, as several people including Adam Borai have reported, then the Pistons should probably ask themselves why, and the same is true of Miami’s willingness to trade Jovic. I could see Saddiq Bey going on to reach his ceiling with Miami and that would be painful to watch.
The other reason is the lure of a pick in the later first round. I recently looked at the odds of landing an impact player with the 20th pick or higher and they aren’t great. Troy Weaver is very good at identifying talent, but there would be no guarantee he’d find a guy who even makes the roster.
Essentially, he’d be hoping to land another Saddiq Bey-level player, and if that is the case, you may as well just keep the one you already have.
There is also the issue of salary. Bey’s value is probably at an all-time low right now and he is extension eligible after this season. The Detroit Pistons may be able to lock him up at a discounted price, which would make him a valuable player down the road if and when he finally reaches his full potential.
Of course, they might think Bey has already hit his ceiling, but right now, he’s a safer bet than an unproven teenager and a late first-round draft pick.
There are certain teams that you always have to be careful dealing with and Miami is one of them, so if I were the Detroit Pistons, I’d hold onto Bey unless the deal they are getting back is just too good to pass up, and that deal might not be out there.