Best Giannis Antetokounmpo trades could offer prizes for the Pistons

The inevitable Giannis Antetokounmpo trade will dominate the NBA summer, and the Detroit Pistons may be able to get involved. 

The Pistons aren’t going to trade for Giannis, as there are other teams that could offer more for the two-time MVP. I also have my reservations about giving up that kind of ransom for a star on the wrong side of 30, but either way, Giannis is not likely coming to Detroit. 

There are many teams that would be in on Giannis, and Bleacher Report broke down some possible trades with seven different possible suitors. The Bucks will have their choice of trade packages, and depending on what they want, there could be players available for the Pistons to poach. 

Jimmy Butler would be a risky rental 

One of the teams interested in Giannis is the Golden State Warriors, who would likely have to ship out Jimmy Butler to make the money work. 

It’s hard to imagine the Bucks wanting the 36-year-old Butler, who is coming off an injury and may not even play right away. 

It’s also hard to imagine the Pistons wanting to take on a player of this age who is making that much money ($56 mil), but his contract is expiring, and they likely wouldn’t have to give up much to get him. 

His age and contract make Butler a near sunk cost at this point, so if the Pistons could take him on for free, who knows. He’s still a very good scorer when healthy, but I’d rank this as a serious long shot. 

But I would bet that if the Warriors do trade for Giannis, Butler will likely end up on a team other than the Bucks. 

Tyler Herro is an option for the Pistons if the Bucks don’t want him 

Miami is the team most connected to Giannis, and It's one that he’s spoken about playing for, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Heat make the big move.  

Tyler Herro would likely be part of the deal, and he’s from Wisconsin, so the Heat could try to sell the Bucks on his hometown appeal as a way to soften the blow of losing the face of their franchise. 

But Herro isn’t really a guy you can build around, so if the Bucks are more interested in younger players and picks, then they could flip Herro to a third team and go the route OKC did, which is to rebuild by stockpiling as many draft picks as humanly possible. 

The Bucks could walk away with 5-6 first-round picks if that’s the direction they want to go, and Herro would be an interesting option in Detroit, as he fills an immediate need for shooting and creation. 

The Giannis trade could have a ripple effect that touches many teams, and the Pistons could be one of them. 

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