The Pistons can do better than this proposed B/R trade with Spurs

The Pistons can do better than this proposed B/R trade with Spurs

As I said previously, the Detroit Pistons are not going to reap a huge pile of assets for trading an oft-injured, one-dimensional center with $25 million left on his deal.

But surely they can do better than Devonte’ Graham. Detroit will likely look to add a veteran guard this offseason, as they could lose Cory Joseph to free agency.

But ideally that guard will either be able to play defense, shoot the 3-ball or both and Graham can do neither. Once the centerpiece of the Hornets’ offense, Graham has just gotten worse everywhere he’s been.

He went from 18 points per game and shooting 38 percent on nearly nine 3-point attempts per game to 14 the next season, then 11 when he joined the Pelicans to just 7.4 points per game this past season splitting time between New Orleans and San Antonio.

Not only that, but he shot just 37 percent overall and just 35 percent from 3-point range. In addition, Graham is a 6-foot-1 guard who can really only defend one position and not well.

He doesn’t fit any of the criteria of what the Detroit Pistons are looking for in a veteran guard. Yes, Graham can occasionally get hot, but he is one of the streakiest shooters in the NBA, and when it’s going bad, it’s really bad.

He’s been reduced to a 3-point chucker who can’t really defend. Graham would potentially give Detroit another ball handler to help take some of the playmaking load off the young guards, but where exactly is he going to get minutes? He’s one of the few veteran guards in the NBA who wouldn’t beat out Killian Hayes for run in the second unit.

The Pistons do need to balance their roster, but they shouldn’t take on a lesser talent to do it, which is what they’d be doing here.