Detroit Pistons: Possible trade of Marvin Bagley III to the Nets

Detroit Pistons: Possible trade of Marvin Bagley III to the Nets

On paper, this trade would benefit both teams, as the Nets don’t have any scoring punch behind starting center Nic Claxton and trading for MBIII would save them some money.

They would immediately get about $1.5 million in cap space next season and Bagley’s contract runs one year less than Finney-Smith’s.

The Nets would also get the very first pick in the 2nd round of the 2023 NBA Draft, which they could use to add some young talent to their pipeline or possibly package with their two first-round picks to make a move for an impact player to add to their roster.

However, the Nets were reportedly offered two late firsts for DFS at the trade deadline and turned it down, so they clearly think highly of him and this may not be enough.

As for the Detroit Pistons, this is a no-brainer, as MBIII hasn’t been able to stay on the court, and even if he could, he might be buried in the depth chart anyway. Detroit may need to go into next season with four centers (if you count Isaiah Stewart) but one of them should be a defensive veteran and Bagley does not meet the description.

DFS would immediately help shore up their wing defense and give them a solid veteran on a reasonable contract. He would open up a lot of lineup possibilities and help balance their roster without breaking the bank.

The question is whether the Nets would have any interest in a guy who only managed to play 42 games this season and whether they think they could find a suitable backup center for less money.