When the Detroit Pistons traded Saddiq Bey in the deal that landed James Wiseman, it created a crowded front court that may not have enough minutes to go around.
Detroit already had Jalen Duren, Isaiah Stewart and Marvin Bagley III, so adding Wiseman made little sense roster-wise, and looked more like a move to try and acquire assets.
But Troy Weaver may have other ideas, as he has spoken a lot about using two bigs, and how the Pistons needed to get bigger and tougher on the boards to compete in the Eastern Conference.
The Pistons showed confidence in Isaiah Stewart as part of the future when they extended him, and 19-year-old Jalen Duren has already risen to the top of the center pile even though he’s the youngest player on the team.
This has some speculating that one of Marvin Bagley III or James Wiseman will be traded, which makes sense, as few good teams have $25 million wrapped up in backup centers, one of whom might not even be in the rotation.
Trading one would be the smart move, but neither of them have much value on the market, which is why the Detroit Pistons would likely have to settle for one of four types of trades, none of which are that appealing.
4 types of trades the Pistons could make with Marvin Bagley III or James Wiseman
Detroit isn’t going to get a big haul for either MBIII or Wiseman, but that doesn’t mean they can’t find a deal worth making. Here are four types they could pursue:
- The dump: They could just give one of them away for a second-round pick. This won’t be easy, as there aren’t currently any teams with cap space, so unless that changes, you can rule this one out.
- Flaw for flaw: The Pistons could trade one of their bigs for a similarly flawed forward with a similarly onerous contract. It’s hard to say who that equivalent might be, especially when yo factor in the sketchy injury histories of both guys. Detroit may just be stuck dealing for the forward version of MBIII, which isn’t that exciting. Doug McDermott? Dorian Finney-Smith? (I’d love that one) Robert Covington? Even these guys might be too much.
- The add-on: Even if MBIII or Wiseman are not the centerpiece of a deal, their contracts could be valuable if the Pistons wanted to make a big move and needed a matching salary. MBIII’s deal only has two more seasons and Wiseman’s is expiring, so teams may be willing to take that on if it helps match salaries in a trade.
- The downgrade: If Detroit is going to carry four centers, one of them should probably be a veteran on a lowball deal. There is no sense in paying a backup who is going to get limited minutes over $12 million a year. Yes, having all of these bigs protects them against injury, but there are surely veteran centers out there who could contribute in a pinch and could be had for far less. Is there a team out there with a veteran big they would move in exchange for a younger, higher upside player like Bagley III or Wiseman? It may be a downgrade talent wise but would make more sense from a financial perspective.
None of these moves are the type that are going to move the needle for Detroit, at least not right away, so we may see them go into next season with all of these centers, waiting for their chance to unload one.