Many publications have already written the Detroit Pistons off after they didn’t make a big trade deadline move, even though there wasn’t an obvious upgrade in their price range. It’s a “mistake” (we’ll see) they believe Detroit will remedy in the offseason by making the splashy move they didn’t make at the trade deadline.
That’s what happens in a recent trade proposal from Bleacher Report, where the Pistons target Trey Murphy III, a player who was consistently attached to them in speculation at the deadline.
In this trade, the Pistons give up two of their three best defenders as well as their first-round pick (it would currently be 21st) for Murphy III, a young scorer who would theoretically be the second fiddle the Pistons are missing.
I have a lot of problems with this idea, so let’s get into it.
Pistons would rather give up picks than players
If you want to destroy what the Pistons have built this season, then this is the trade to do it, as it would cut the heart out of the Pistons’ defense and destroy the bench.
Those who don’t watch the games may just look at Stewart and Holland’s raw numbers and think this is a no-brainer for the Pistons, but these two provide things that don’t always show up in the scorecards.
The energy and heart Stewart and Holland provide off the bench can’t be quantified, not to mention Holland is only 20 and not even close to the player he’s eventually going to be.
If Holland starts making 3-point shots consistently in the next season or two, he’s going to be a better all-around player than Murphy III, mark my words. Losing Stewart would be a fatal blow to team chemistry and rim protection, not to mention a huge part of the team's identity.
The Pistons would far rather give up additional draft picks than to send both of these guys to New Orleans, especially for a guy who isn’t as clear cut a number two as people might think. Swap out Stewart for Caris LeVert and we might have something.
Is Trey Murphy III really that guy?
The Pistons need shot creation as much as scoring, and TMIII is not a guy who is going to create for teammates. He’s not a ball handler or guy who is going to initiate the offense much, so he doesn’t solve one of the Pistons’ biggest problems.
He is a scorer who takes more than half of his shots from 3-point range, so theoretically can create some space for Cade Cunningham, but there are a LOT of NBA players who can make the open 3’s that Cade creates without costing Ron Holland and Isaiah Stewart.
Just as an example, a guy like Grayson Allen isn’t much different than TMIII and wouldn’t cost nearly as much to acquire.
I covered the Pelicans for TMIII’s first years in the league, and I do like him. He’s a solid defender and a very good offensive player, but I do not see him as the second-best guy on a title team, sorry.
The Pistons can’t give up two key rotation players unless they are getting back a guy who is, so this idea would be a nonstarter for Detroit.