The Detroit Pistons have been watching the offseason action carefully, waiting in the weeds to pounce at the right opportunity.
That opportunity could come via the Washington Wizards, who just traded star guard Bradley Beal to the Suns for peanuts according to Adrian Wojnarowski among others.
Can we just take a second to recognize how badly the Wizards botched this whole thing? I actually feel sorry for Wizards’ fans, who had to endure mediocrity while their star was in massive trade rumors for years, only to watch the team wait too long and eventually trade him for what amounts to matching contracts and a second-round pick. Yikes.
Yes, they did get out of his contract, the massive extension that they signed him to that inexplicably contained the only no-trade clause in the NBA, which tanked his value on the open market.
Just an absolute travesty of asset management.
But the Wizards’ folly could help the Pistons in a number of ways, as they are likely to tear down their roster and Detroit could pick the bones.
The Pistons could pick the Wizards’ bones after Bradley Beal trade
The veteran bench players
The Wizards have a number of high-profile players who are now more likely to hit the market, but they also have some bench guys who might be nice fits on the Pistons.
Both Monte Morris and Delon Wright would be quality backup guards who would upgrade the spots vacated by Cory Joseph and Rodney McGruder. The Pistons could use a veteran backup guard behind Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey, preferably one who can defend and/or shoot the 3-ball.
They are both on team-friendly, expiring deals, so could be trade targets for Detroit. Would the Wizards be interested in sending over Morris for Marvin Bagley III?
There could be some mutual interest there. After trading away Beal, it makes little sense to keep these types of veterans, but before Detroit gets to the bench, they might inquire about some guys who would make a much bigger impact.
The Pistons could pick the Wizards’ bones after Bradley Beal trade
Trading back for assets
The Detroit Pistons have the 5th pick in the draft but have made it clear that they are open to moving it in the right deal.
Now that it looks as if the Wizards are going to rebuild, they might be interested in a higher draft pick to kickstart it. Washington has the 8th pick in the draft and there may be some mutual interest there if they were to offer the right asset to move up to the 5th pick.
The Pistons could be interested in one of their young players such as Deni Avdija or Corey Kispert and might consider moving back if the Wizards were willing to attach one of them to the 8th pick.
Detroit may think they can still get the guy they like in the draft with the 8th pick anyway, and could pick up a nice young asset in the process.
Would Avdija and the 8th pick be enough to move up to the 5th pick? I’m not sure, but if Washington wants a higher draft pick, they may reward the Pistons handsomely for moving up.
The Pistons could pick the Wizards’ bones after Bradley Beal trade
Kyle Kuzma
It was a foregone conclusion that Kyle Kuzma was going to opt out of his player option in search of a bigger deal this offseason. He is due only $13 million, and after a breakout season, will command much more on the open market.
The Beal deal pretty much guarantees that Kuzma is not going back to the Wizards, as it’s not likely he’ll want to spend his prime on a team that just started a rebuild. Of course, Washington does love ending up as the 10th seed every year, so who knows, they may want to keep one of the only known commodities they have.
It’s possible that Washington will have no interest in Kuzma, which would be great for the Pistons, as it would mean they have one less team to try and outbid for his services, which could keep the price lower.
Washington still has the chance to work a sign-and-trade, but those are fairly rare and the incumbent team never gets full value in those deals, as they have no leverage. The Pistons could get involved in a sign and trade with the Wiz, especially if the price is low.
But it’s more likely that Kuzma simply hits the market with the Pistons now not having to outbid his current team.
The Pistons could pick the Wizards’ bones after Bradley Beal trade
Kristaps Porzingis
The biggest question hanging over the Wizards after the Bradley Beal trade is what is going to happen with Kristaps Porzingis?
He too has a player option for next season and could simply choose to opt into it and collect his $36 million. Of course, he’s coming off one of his healthiest seasons, so it might behoove him to opt out in search of a long-term deal.
If he opts in, he’s definitely a potential trade target for the Pistons, especially considering the Wizards would have little leverage and Detroit might be able to get him for a similar type of deal that Washington just got for Beal.
Marvin Bagley III and Killian Hayes would be a good start for their rebuild and would still give the Wizards cap relief if they were to sign and trade Porzingis.
Porzingis may not decide that he doesn’t want to risk going back to the Wizards and just opt-out, in which case he’d be a potential free-agent target for Detroit.
Either way, Porzingis is more like to hit the market and give the Pistons a chance to land the unicorn that they missed on in the Draft Lottery.