The Detroit Pistons have been relatively quiet after making some underwhelming trades to start the offseason, but that doesn’t mean they are finished.
The Pistons made the trade for Bojan Bogdanovic late in the offseason last year and you can’t rule out the same thing happening this September.
But as we’ve said many times, Detroit will have difficulty trading for a star right now, as they are limited by the first-round pick that they still owe the New York Knicks.
The only way it is going to happen is if they find a star with some red flags, a guy with big-time talent whose value has dipped for one reason or another, and there could be one available.
Detroit Pistons: Will Zion Williamson hit the trade market?
A recent ESPN article (SUBSCRIPTION) listed Zion Williamson as the second most likely superstar to request a trade this season. This obviously doesn’t mean it will happen, and if Zion comes out and plays well and looks healthy, it almost certainly won’t, as the Pelicans can be title contenders with him in the lineup.
But we all know about the injuries and his inability to stay in shape (though last season was more about bad luck than weight issues) so the Pelicans could decide to cut bait now while they can still get a big return for Zion.
Every time his name comes up in a trade proposal, the Detroit Pistons aren’t far behind, as many see a rebuilding team like Detroit as the ideal landing spot for Zion, as they wouldn’t have to push him and the idea of pairing him with Cade Cunningham is certainly appealing.
We already broke down a laughably lopsided Zion Williamson trade proposal last week, but now there is a new contender.
Zion Williamson to the Detroit Pistons trade proposal
I have to say, it’s nice to see the Detroit Pistons on the receiving end of a lopsided trade, as usually they are the ones giving up a good player for nothing.
This trade is not “nothing” but it still represents one that the Pelicans would probably run away from. This one comes from the FanSided Mothership, who put together four possible trades for Zion in a recent article.
In this trade, the Pistons give up two players on expiring deals (Burks, Hayes), their third-string center and three unprotected first rounders.
This deal is probably better than the last one (Bogdanovic, Killian, Wiseman and two picks) but still likely wouldn’t be nearly enough to move the needle for the Pelicans, who want to win now and would require at least one guy who could help them do that. If they are going to take a risk on upside, Zion Williamson is a far-better bet than Killian Hayes or Marvin Bagley III.
Burks is a good fit, but the Pelicans already have an offensive-minded center who can’t defend the rim in Jonas Valanciunas, so have no need for MBIII. Killian Hayes might also be a good fit, as the Pels don’t have a true point guard, but they’ve never really needed one, as CJ McCollum, Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson can all initiate the offense. New Orleans also has a similar (and better) player in Dyson Daniels, making Hayes redundant.
There’s also the nagging issue that the Pistons can’t trade three first-round picks right now, so this would have to be on the back burner.
But what about the Detroit Pistons? Should they be after Zion Williamson in a trade?
The Detroit Pistons should be hovering around Zion Williamson
I don’t think the New Orleans Pelicans are shopping Zion Williamson, as they know his value is at an all-time low. He hasn’t played enough and the huge 5-year extension he signed only starts next season, so he’s a big risk.
But if there is any indication that he is available, the Detroit Pistons should be all over it, especially in any trade that doesn’t involve Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey, Jalen Duren or Ausar Thompson.
Adding Zion to that core would be a huge get for the Pistons, a team that has limited opportunities to land players of Zion’s caliber. The three players involved in this one likely won’t even be on the team next season, and the Pistons certainly don’t need future draft picks, as they are already very young and are extremely unlikely to ever draft a player like Zion anyway.
I REPEAT: I DON’T THINK THIS WILL HAPPEN.
New Orleans has too much to lose by trading Zion right now, but he’s definitely a name to watch if the Pelicans struggle early on and feel they need to shake things up. But there were leading the Western Conference last season with a healthy Zion, so if he’s in there, NOLA is likely to be good.
If you are the Detroit Pistons, you have to constantly be monitoring these types of superstars, as it could be a chance to land an impact player outside of the draft.