The Detroit Pistons hope to make a leap as a franchise soon, but to do so, they will have to rely on more than just lottery luck and hoping their young players get better.
The Pistons need more talent, particularly at small forward, where they don’t have a starting caliber guy, as both Bojan Bogdanovic and Saddiq Bey are better at defending the four.
It’s a crucial position in the modern NBA, as many of the best players are wings and being able to slow them down is just as important as the offensive end.
There are a number of players the Pistons could pursue to help bolster this weakness, some of whom are better fits or more likely candidates than others. As the trade deadline approaches, the Pistons will have to decide if they are going to try and trade for talent now or wait until the offseason to either make those trades or snag players in free agency.
Here are seven possible candidates who could help them and whether the Detroit Pistons should attempt to trade for them now or wait until they are free agents.
Detroit Pistons: Trade or free agency for these 7 targets?
OG Anunoby-Either
I’ve long said that OG Anunoby would be the perfect guy to add to this Pistons’ roster, as he is not only one of the better wing defenders in the league, but is a burgeoning offensive weapon who can shoot from deep.
There have been some rumors that the Raptors would consider moving him for a king’s ransom similar to the one that landed Cleveland Donovan Mitchell, and if that is the case, the Pistons are likely out, as they don’t have those types of draft assets to trade.
There is one wild hypothetical that could land OG in Detroit, but it’s an extreme long shot, so not likely. He can be a free agent in the 2024-25 season, when he has a player option and will likely be looking for a big raise, so the best bet for Detroit is to wait it out and see if he either becomes available in the offseason or in free agency the year after next.