The Detroit Pistons haven’t had the offseason some fans were hoping for.
Armed with the 5th pick in the 2023 NBA Draft and $30 million in cap space, the Pistons walked away with Ausar Thompson, Joe Harris and Monte Morris, not exactly the prime haul of a dream offseason.
The NBA offseason has come to a bit of a standstill, with plenty of quality free agents still available and guys waiting around to find out their fate in trades. That’s because multiple star players, including Damian Lillard, James Harden and Pascal Siakam have either been heavily involved in trade rumors or requested a trade outright.
The Detroit Pistons are not likely to get involved with any of stars directly, but have been mentioned as a possible third team in the trade for Damian Lillard.
Lillard has put Portland in a bind by saying he only wants to play for Miami, and his agents have been poisoning the idea of him to other teams, saying that they’d be trading for an “unhappy” player.
As we know, superstars always get their way eventually, so expect Lillard to end up in Miami at some point, but since they don’t have a great offer for him, it may take a third or fourth team to get it done. Enter the Detroit Pistons.
Detroit Pistons: The third team in a Damian Lillard trade?
According to insider Chris Haynes on a recent episode of the This League Uncut podcast, the Pistons could emerge as the third team in the Damian Lillard trade.
"“At the end of the day, if they’re able to get something done where Miami gets Dame and Portland gets (stuff) from wherever, whether it’s a few from Miami, some from Brooklyn and another team, possibly Detroit.”"
Obviously, this is just speculation, but Detroit might have the right combination of players and assets to work a deal and land a nice player in the process.
Detroit Pistons: Possible 3-team trade for Damian Lillard
The Trail Blazers have expressed that they are not interested in taking on the 4 year/$120 million extension owed to Tyler Herro, which takes the Heat’s best trade asset off the board unless a third team gets involved.
Would the Detroit Pistons be up for taking on that deal? And what might they have to give up to get it?
This is just spitballing, but here is the framework of a trade that would at least give you an idea of how it could work:
So in this deal, Miami gets Dame and Bojan, two guys who would help them get back to the NBA Finals right away and maximize the Butler/Adebayo window. They’d be giving up pretty much all of their young players and two future 1st rounders to do it, though they’d at least be getting off Duncan Robinson’s contract.
This might not be the deal the Trail Blazers are hoping for, but given their lack of leverage, two young players, a big expiring contract and three first round picks is probably as good as they are going to do.
As for the Pistons, they trade away Bogdanovic and a future first-round pick for the 23-year-old Herro, who is under contract for four more years guaranteed.
There may have to be a fourth team to get the Blazers the assets they covet, but this is an idea of how the Detroit Pistons could get involved. Would they need to give up more? Throw in Alec Burks? Perhaps, but a deal like this, or close, could probably work.
But would Detroit even want it?
Detroit Pistons: Possible 3-team trade for Damian Lillard
Tyler Herro, former 6th Man of the Year, is a proven 20 points per game scorer who also adds over five rebounds and four assists, so he’s not just a shooter who stands in the corner.
He’s a proven playoff performer who has stepped up in the big moments and already has high-level experience even though he is just 23-years-old. He would replace Bogdanovic’s high-volume 3-point shooting while adding more as a playmaker and rebounder.
Neither of them are good defenders, so that is a wash, but Herro has shown improvement and was a part of one of the league’s best team defenses over the last several years.
Herro is undoubtedly good, but is he a fit for the Detroit Pistons?
It’s unlikely Herro would expect to come off the bench for Detroit, so he’d either have to be inserted into the starting five as a wing or someone else would have to hit the bench:
- Cade Cunningham
- Jaden Ivey
- Tyler Herro
- Isaiah Stewart
- Jalen Duren
This would give the Pistons three playmakers and more shooting with Stewart and Duren holding down the front court.
But you can also imagine small-ball lineups like this:
- Cade Cunningham
- Jaden Ivey
- Tyler Herro
- Ausar Thompson
- Isaiah Stewart
You could also bring Ivey or Herro off the bench and go with a more traditional starting five with one of the league’s best 6th men coming in to play big minutes:
- Cade Cunningham
- Jaden Ivey/Tyler Herro
- Ausar Thompson
- Isaiah Stewart
- Jalen Duren
As good as Herro is, and as much as I’d love to see another young, talented player in Detroit, his fit with this team is not crystal clear, especially if you view Jaden Ivey as the long-term solution at the two-guard spot.
A lineup of Cunningham, Herro, Thompson, Stewart and Duren with Ivey coming off the bench is also a possibility with some appeal.
It takes some imagination to see how this works, but the Detroit Pistons are definitely a team to watch when it comes to the Damian Lillard trade.