Ranking the Pistons’ best trade assets, from peanuts to blockbusters
Detroit Pistons: Ranking the trade assets
TIER 3: Marvin Bagley, Alec Burks, Nerlens Noel, Isaiah Livers
I know I’m bound to take heat for having Bagley in this bunch. For weeks we’ve been hearing that there is a market for both Burks and Noel. For months we’ve been hearing that the Pistons overpaid when they signed Bagley to a three year deal last offseason. Yet, I believe that the pedigree will continue to carry the big man forward in his career as a former #2 overall pick. He’s a high-flyer that can still put it all together in order to have an impact on a winning team. While Andrew Wiggins is a much different player, it’s pretty astounding how much he managed to rehab his image with Golden State last season. Maybe Bagley will be able to do something comparable somewhere, someday.
Related Story. This proposed trade of Burks to the Pelicans is garbage. light
As for Burks and Noel, I’m trusting the gossip. Burks has played great at times, and shot lights out all the time in regards to the 3-point line. Noel is known for his defense and there is always a market for a big that can truly play D. I found Livers to be one of the hardest to rank, and nearly grouped him with the cast in Tier 5. I think he has a little bit more to prove though before he belongs there.
TIER 4: Bojan Bognadovic
Bogdanovic gets his own tier, and I believe he’s as good as gone. He’s been great in Detroit. And Detroit has been great for him. He got paid. He got a chance to be the top scoring option and has answered with a career high 21.3 points per game. It has been a beautiful relationship that best ends with him going to a contender, and the Detroit Pistons getting something back that helps them when they become one themselves. Bojan deserves the love he’s getting from all around the NBA right now, but he’s nearly 34-years-old and it’s unlikely teams are going to give up a ransom for a guy at this stage of his career.