The Detroit Pistons were the worst team in the NBA last season and still have some valuable veteran players on the roster to go with all of their talented youth.
That makes them the perfect team to throw into trade rumors.
Many assume that the Pistons will be bad again next season even though Cade Cunningham is coming back and they have made some useful offseason additions.
But they are still young, have a new head coach and no one really knows how all of these pieces will fit together, so you can expect Detroit to keep getting mentioned in NBA trade rumors until they prove they are ready to compete in the Eastern Conference.
But should they really be looking to trade their veteran players?
Detroit Pistons: Trading veteran players is risky
This year’s trade rumors will be focused on Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks, two of the best 3-point shooters in the NBA.
Bogdanovic only has a partially guaranteed year left on his deal after next season and Burks’ contract will expire, so it makes sense for the Detroit Pistons to field some offers.
Detroit could re-sign Burks, but it’s likely Bogdanovic is gone after next season unless the Pistons want to guarantee his full $20 million.
So trading them now and getting something before they walk for nothing makes sense.
But this is also a team that is trying to turn the corner and be competitive, so trading away their two best veteran players would likely not help that cause. Detroit would be back to being super young, relying on players in their early 20’s, which could have them right back at the top of the lottery instead of battling for a play-in spot.
So I can see both sides of the debate and I am sure the Detroit Pistons will listen if some team comes with an interesting offer. Is this one enough to get it done?
Pistons get their pick back in trade proposal with the Knicks
The Detroit Pistons still owe the New York Knicks a first-round pick, and this obligation has been holding Troy Weaver back when it comes to making trades.
While Detroit has the expiring contracts and young talent to potentially trade for a star, they lack the draft assets until the pick they owe the Knicks is conveyed.
Getting another first-round pick to offset the one they owe is a priority, which is why the Pistons have held out on trading Bogdanovic until someone gives them the pick they covet.
But what if they could just get their own back?
That’s exactly what happens in a recent trade proposed by Bleacher Report and our old friend Zach Buckley:
In this trade, the Knicks bolster their scoring with the veteran Bogdanovic while the Pistons take on the corpse of Evan Fournier as well as the pick that they owe the Knicks.
On paper, this would satisfy Detroit’s reported demands for Bogdanovic, but is it worth it with Fournier attached?
Pistons get their pick back in trade proposal with the Knicks
First off, I’m not sure the Knicks would do a deal like this, as teams have balked at the idea of giving up a first-round pick for the 34-year-old Bogdanovic. If they just wait it out, the protections get lower and lower on the pick Detroit owes them, so they could end up getting a lottery pick out of it if they just wait.
Of course, the Knicks already have multiple picks in 2024 and they aren’t going to add three rookies to their roster, so expect them to be involved in trades at some point.
I’m also not sure that Bogdanovic is enough to really move the needle for them, and they might want to wait until a genuine star (Joel Embiid?) becomes available but New York is not my concern.
Would this package be enough for Detroit? It really depends on their goals for next season. Do they really believe they can contend for the playoffs? Does Troy Weaver think that the games they can win with Bogdanovic are worth more in experience than a first-round pick?
Fournier is younger than Bogdanovic by four years, but looked washed last season when he fell out of the rotation, only played in 27 games and averaged six points per game. But he averaged over 14 just the season before and is a career 38 percent shooter from long range, so in theory he could replace some of what Bogdanovic gives you without needing as big a role.
This would allow the Pistons to put Ausar Thompson in the starting lineup right away and still give them a veteran bench player in Fournier, who only has a team option left on his deal after next season.
I have a hard time believing the Knicks would give up a first-round pick just to swap Fournier for Bogdanovic, but given their surplus of draft assets and need for shooting, it’s possible..
As for Detroit, they would probably do a deal like this, as it would give them more draft assets to make a future trade without taking on any long-term money. It would also allow them to put their core of the future on the court together immediately, and between Monte Morris, Joe Harris and Fournier, they could potentially absorb the loss of Bogdanovic without missing much.
But it would potentially make them worse in the short term, which may not be an option for Weaver, who needs to show some progress to keep his job safe.