Detroit Pistons: Instant reaction to the Saddiq Bey trade

With the trade deadline passing by on February 9th, the Detroit Pistons weren’t as active as fans were hoping.  GM Troy Weaver did make a move, but it wasn’t the splashy trade many expected and some fans were disappointed.

Detroit Pistons: The trade of Saddiq Bey for James Wiseman

Pistons GM Troy Weaver was active during the trade deadline, but it wasn’t what most Pistons fans expected.  Weaver traded Saddiq Bey over to the Hawks as part of a three team trade involving the Warriors.

The trade included Kevin Knox heading to the Golden State Warriors, who later moved him along with five second-round picks to Portland in exchange for Gary Payton II, a former member of their 2022 championship team.

What did the Detroit Pistons get? A flyer on a high-ceiling risk

The Pistons will receive James Wiseman from the Golden State Warriors, the former #2 overall draft pick in the 2020 NBA draft.  Trading for Wiseman is a speculative move for GM Troy Weaver, as we have yet to see his full potential in the NBA on a loaded championship Warriors team the past couple of years.

The Detroit Pistons have already seen a lot of promise from rookie Jalen Duren this season, as he’s been inserted in the starting line up and proven he can become a starting center in the league.  With the addiction of Wiseman, a 7-foot center, you have to question what GM Troy Weaver has in mind in the future leading up to the draft, with Wiseman, Duren & Marvin Bagley on the roster, three centers to go along with Isaiah Stewart, who can also play the position.

So what now for the Detroit Pistons?

The Pistons were certainly under watch this trade deadline with multiple contending teams inquiring about veteran Bojan Bogdanović, who has been the best player for the Pistons this season.  GM Troy Weaver chose not to move Bogdanović at the deadline, which means he’s going to be a part of the future for Detroit.

With a young, but inconsistent player like Bey heading out, Pistons fans can’t help but to question whether or not Weaver gave up on Bey too early. Bey has shown flashes of being a great player at times, and the Pistons will certainly regret letting Bey go if he thrives in Atlanta with the Hawks.

The Wiseman experiment will be very interesting to keep an eye on. It’s probably not going to define Troy Weaver’s tenure with the Pistons, but trading a popular player will definitely warm up his seat a little and put more pressure on him to nail the 2023 NBA Draft and find the right pieces in free agency.