How the Pistons can use expiring contracts to land a star

Detroit Pistons trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves

It’s extremely difficult to gauge what the market is for a guy like Karl-Anthony Towns. He’s a 3-time All-Star who once averaged over 26 points and 10 rebounds per game while shooting 41 percent from 3-point range on eight attempts per game.

On paper, a guy like that would potentially be a great fit with Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey, Jalen Duren and Ausar Thompson moving forward.

The question is whether Towns is still that guy. All signs point to decline, as he dipped to 20 points and eight rebounds per game this season while playing the same number of minutes but in only 29 total games. He’s also had some maturity and leadership issues (still) and has never really won anything.

His defense is suspect, and he doesn’t really have a position, as he’s not quick enough to play the four and isn’t a good enough rim protector to play the five. Putting him and Duren together may be no better than putting him with Gobert, which was pretty much a disaster in Minnesota though they didn’t get to see much of it.

The flip side is that he is just one year removed from being an All-Star, is just 27-years-old and is still one of the best offensive centers in the league. He’s a legit stretch five, something the Pistons do not currently have.

Some fans call him soft, and I am sure there would be some amount of outrage if the Detroit Pistons traded for him unless they gave up nothing but expiring contracts.

KAT is one of the most difficult players to evaluate, as he is still a star, very good, but has a daunting five years left on his contract that will almost certainly tank his value on the trade market.

This would be a splashy move, but it doesn’t seem like the right one given his history and position. However, it does give you some idea of the type of moves the Pistons could make with all of their expiring money.