Is proposed trade with Spurs worth it for the Pistons?

Is proposed trade with Spurs worth it for the Pistons?

There are some things to like about this trade from Detroit’s point of view. Bullock is a better roster fit in some ways, would make them more versatile defensively and give them another veteran shooter, which would allow the Pistons to deploy lineups that could really spread the floor.

He’s also on an expiring deal, so they’d be saving $12.5 million in cap space next season which they could use to potentially nab a big-time free agent (fat chance) or make a trade for an impact player.

But that’s really all there is to like about this deal, as MBIII is a better overall player at this point in their respective careers.

Also, having a ton of cap space has not proven to be all that beneficial to Detroit, at least not yet, so giving away not only a young player but two picks for a semi-washed veteran is hard to justify in just the name of “more cap space.”

The problem is that there aren’t going to be deals out there that don’t involve some type of sacrifice or compromise, as MBIII is overpaid and can’t stay on the floor, so it doesn’t really matter how good he is.

This is why Detroit should probably just wait and see how things shake out, especially considering the number of injuries they’ve had over the last two seasons. If one of their bigs were to get hurt (which is not an unlikely possibility, especially with Wiseman or Bagley), Detroit would suddenly need the other one.

It may be overkill to have a Wiseman or Bagley III as your emergency center, but it won’t look like that if there actually is an emergency. Also, teams tend to be more desperate around the trade deadline, and if there is one out there that needs a center, MBIII might suddenly have a bit more value as a trade asset.

These recent trade proposals have been flat-out ugly, but I do think they are probably an accurate representation of what is out there for Detroit, which is why I won’t be shocked if they go into next season with four centers.