Detroit Pistons: Proposed trade of Alec Burks to the Pelicans is garbage

Detroit Pistons: Proposed trade of Alec Burks to the New Orleans Pelicans

When fans of the other team would take the trade and run out of the room laughing, it’s probably one you should not pursue.

On paper, this looks somewhat fair, as the Pistons are getting back a “decent” player and a first-round pick for a 31-year-old bench player.

But dig a little deeper and you’ll see why this is not one the Detroit Pistons should entertain. First off, Devonte’ Graham stinks. He’s averaging five points per game and shoots 32 percent from the 3-point line, which is the one thing he’s supposed to be able to do well. The Pistons already have enough shoot-first players who can’t defend anyone, They need long, athletic defenders on the wing, not 6-foot-1 guards who do nothing but chuck and miss 3-pointers.

If Graham were on an expiring deal, it might be more palatable, but he is owed $12 million next season and then a partially-guaranteed $12 million the season after that, so the Pistons would be taking on two more years of him. No thanks.

And then there is the pick, which would eventually come from Milwaukee in 2027. That is four years from now, so this is not an asset that is going to help the Pistons anytime soon, and maybe never, as Giannis will still only be 32-years-old, and as long as he’s around, the Bucks are likely to be good, meaning that pick won’t be.

The last reason is that Burks is currently on one of the best contracts in the league for his production. He has a very team-friendly team option for next season of just $10 million and is knocking down 45 percent of his 3-point shots.

If the Detroit Pistons really want to get better next season, they won’t do it by trading for a quantifiably bad player and a pick four years down the road. You could say they could use that pick to make a trade, but is a pick that is likely to be in the 20’s really going to move the needle in a big trade? Probably not.

If the Pelicans wanted to give up a better player (I’d maybe take a flyer on Jaxson Hayes) or a better pick (take off the protections or offer up one of the Lakers’ picks they own) then there could be something here, but Graham and a distant pick just aren’t worth it.