The Detroit Pistons will likely be active at the NBA trade deadline as either a buyer, seller or maybe even both.
Most of the talk so far has revolved around Bojan Bogdanovic, who is having a career season at 33-years-old and would undoubtedly give a boost to just about any contender.
But he’s not the only Piston that could be on the move, and it’s even possible that Detroit will pursue a player themselves according to The Athletic (SUBSCRIPTION REQUIRED) who recently did a “Trade Deadline Big Board” in which they ranked players by perceived value and availability. The list included their top-25 targets at the trade deadline.
As expected, the Detroit Pistons were featured prominently, but they were also mentioned a potential buyer, which might surprise some people.
Here are the three Detroit Pistons The Athletic thinks could be traded and the guy they might pursue if the price is right.
Detroit Pistons on the Trade Deadline Big Board
#19: Alec Burks
Burks hasn’t gotten as much attention as his teammate Bogdanovic, but that will likely change as the deadline approaches and teams get more desperate to add depth and shooting for a playoff run.
The Pistons have repeatedly said that they won’t entertain trading Burks unless there is a “tremendous return” though never mentioned specifically what that might be.
The Athletic thinks that “A first-round pick may be too much to expect,” so Detroit would need to get a promising young player at least in return for Burks. If that player is a wing defender, the Pistons should consider it, but if not, his combination of production and team-friendly contract make him a player they should probably keep.