The Detroit Pistons made their only move just minutes before the trade deadline, sending Saddiq Bey and Kevin Knox to the Warriors in exchange for James Wiseman.
Some fans were shocked that Bey was moved, but shouldn’t have been, as it was something that was discussed for weeks and heading into the deadline it looked as though he was the most likely to be traded if the Pistons did make a move.
What was somewhat surprising was the return, as most thought Detroit would be seeking draft compensation when they moved Bey, but instead took a flyer on James Wiseman, which sent Pistons’ Twitter into a full-blown meltdown.
The not-so-measured takes were flying last night and I saw everything from demanding Troy Weaver be fired to people upset that they bought a teal Saddiq Bey jersey at the beginning of the season.
Even after sleeping on it, I don’t have a hot take or strong opinion about this move, as I don’t think it really changes much for the Detroit Pistons. It’s not like they traded an All-NBA talent or got one in return, so in the end, their future will be determined by what happens in the NBA Draft lottery and in free agency, not by this trade.
I can see why fans are upset, but I also saw myriad problems with Saddiq Bey, so I may be riding the fence here but I don’t think this move is going to make or break Troy Weaver’s time in Detroit. The Detroit Pistons were a rebuilding team hoping for lottery luck and the right free agents before, and they still are.
But I will try to break down why this was a good move for the Pistons and why it wasn’t.
Detroit Pistons: Why the Saddiq Bey trade was the right move
While James Wiseman is hardly a guaranteed return, there are some reasons why this was a smart move for the Detroit Pistons.
- Saddiq Bey is not a good defender. Having him and Bojan Bogdanovic on the floor at the same time wasn’t working and has helped lead to the worst defense in team history. To improve the defense in the future, one of them had to go and the Pistons chose to keep the more reliable and efficient Bogdanovic. The Pistons still need wing defenders, but have the draft, free agency and offseason trades to find them.
- This will open more minutes for Isaiah Livers, who could be one of those wing defenders and is a guy that Weaver is very high on. He’s more of a pure 3-and-D guy, which is what Detroit needs.
- Bey was not a good fit. As James Edwards III outlined in his breakdown for The Athletic (SUBSCRIPTION), the Pistons were not happy with Bey’s style of play. He was dribbling too much, trying to do too much and was a black hole on offense at times, something I touched on recently. Bey only passed 22 percent of the time on drives and the team was getting fed up with it. This was highlighted by a recent play in which Bey took a wild shot instead of dishing to Jalen Duren for an easy dunk. It was one play yes, but very much symbolic of the problems he had offensively. When Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey are both in the lineup, the Pistons need to surround them with PnR guys and efficient shooters. Bey is neither.
- The Pistons clearly weren’t comfortable offering Bey an extension. Saddiq is extension eligible in the offseason and will be looking for a big raise that Detroit clearly didn’t want to give him. He was likely to be seeking something in the Keldon Johnson range, and he just hadn’t done enough to justify that risk in the eyes of the team. Wiseman is far less likely to get such a raise given his limited action so far, though will cost substantially more next season (more on that in a minute). This is another one of those low risk/high reward moves that Troy Weaver loves. If the Pistons wanted to extend Wiseman in the offseason, he’ll be cheaper than Bey.
- James Wiseman has a higher ceiling. Wiseman was the #2 pick in the same draft Saddiq came out of and the Pistons were reportedly high on him at the time. He’s only played 60 games due to injury and role on a very good Warriors team, but he’s just 21-years-old, and is an athletic 7-footer who really hasn’t gotten to show what he can do. Weaver is hoping that he will flourish in an expanded role and live up to that hype. If he does, he’ll likely be better and cheaper than Bey. The Pistons need more elite talent and Wiseman could be one.
- Wiseman gives the Pistons’ guards another lob option. You wanted more athletic rim runners for Cade, Killian and Jaden? You got it. Wanted another lob threat? Done.
- Wiseman is better than a late first-round pick. The Pistons weren’t going to get much for Bey and at best would have walked away with a late first-round pick (if that) or a similarly flawed player, so why not take a flyer on a former #2 pick? You can argue that Wiseman has a better chance of being good than a late first round pick.
- The Pistons may be building their own version of what Cleveland is doing. The Cavaliers have recently had success with a two-big lineup with the versatile Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. The Pistons needed to get more size and athleticism and could try to do something similar with Wiseman and Duren.
- No more Kevin Knox! Detroit got rid of some dead weight in the deal and opened up a roster spot that they can use to add a player off the buyout market or in a future trade.
So for all of the vicious complaining last night, this was a move that nets the Detroit Pistons a higher-ceiling player who could be on a more team-friendly deal without changing the overall trajectory of the rebuild.
But I can also understand why some believe this trade was terrible for the Pistons.
Detroit Pistons: Why the Saddiq Bey trade was the wrong move
As much as I don’t really think this trade changes much, I can understand why some fans are upset (though some of you need to relax, my god), as Saddiq Bey was a popular player who had shown big potential at times. I will say that I am somewhat bummed, as I liked Bey as a person and hoped it would work out for him in Detroit. But other than sentiment (or outright rage in some cases) there are other reasons this move could be bad for Detroit.
- James Wiseman is a questionable fit too. You can talk about Bey’s fit, but what about Wiseman? The Pistons already have 19-year-old Jalen Duren at center, a guy who has shown big time promise this season. They have Marvin Bagley III, a player who is very similar to Wiseman, as well as Isaiah Stewart, who can also play center, though it’s not his best spot. Trying to find minutes for all of these guys is going to be tough and it’s hard to see how any of them fit together. Is Wiseman going to be a power forward with Duren? Come off the bench with MBIII? Start at center and push Duren to the bench? There are a lot of question marks around this fit.
- Wiseman has done nothing in his career so far. Just like MBIII, Wiseman was the #2 pick in the NBA Draft who has done little to nothing so far. He hasn’t been able to stay healthy or on the floor, so is this just another flyer on a first-round bust? Weaver has done this with Dennis Smith Jr. Josh Jackson, Marvin Bagley III, Kevin Knox and now Wiseman. I guess if he keeps taking shots at first-round busts eventually one of them will pan out, but so far that has not been the case. If Wiseman turns out to be another Bagley III clone, then this deal won’t help the Pistons now or in the future. It’s generally not a good sign when fans of the other team are doing victory laps after a trade, which was the case with Kings’ fans and MBIII and now Warriors’ fans with Wiseman. James Wiseman may have a higher ceiling than Saddiq Bey, but Bey has a higher floor, as he is already a rotation player, which brings me to my next point.
- Could Detroit have gotten Wiseman for less? I am not one who overvalued Saddiq Bey, but he is a rotation player who has shown he can get you 15 points per game. I don’t think any other team in the league was going to offer up a rotation player for Wiseman, who has yet to show anything.
- If this came down to style, why couldn’t the coaches get Bey to play how they wanted him to? It sounds as if there was more friction there than we ever knew, but if they just wanted Bey to be a catch-and-shoot guy, then why not coach him up that way? If he refused to change, that is one thing, but this could also just be viewed as a failure in coaching.
- Bey is much cheaper. Wiseman is already locked into his contract for next season at $12.1 million, with a qualifying offer of $15.8 in his restricted free agency if he doesn’t sign an extension in the offseason. Bey was locked up at $4.5 million with a QO of $6.4, so some of the Pistons’ much-talked-about cap space this summer is now gone. If Weaver compounds this by signing Wiseman to a Bagley type deal, and he doesn’t pan out, then that will hamper the Pistons financially moving forward.
As you can see, there is ample evidence for both sides of this argument, which is why I am firmly in wait and see mode. This is not a move that is boing to make or break the Detroit Pistons, and it can’t really be judged until we see how the offseason plays out.
But I will say this, Troy Weaver is now under big-time pressure to produce this offseason and put a team on the court that has some chance of competing. If we are right back here at this time next year, taking on busts and hoping for lottery luck, then his seat will truly be warm.