Pistons bail out Warriors in disrespectful trade proposal

The Detroit Pistons have been mentioned in a million trade rumors and proposals this offseason, with the most recent seeing them bail out the Warriors by trading for Jonathan Kuminga. 

Golden State is in a holding pattern with six open roster spots as they try to figure out this Kuminga saga. They’ve made offers, he’s turned them down and the two sides remain far apart on his next deal, a problem the Pistons could face next year with Jaden Ivey or Jalen Duren, who are both due for extensions and could end up as restricted free agents, same as Kuminga. 

There have reportedly been teams interested in Kuminga, most notably the Bulls, which should be a red flag considering this is the team that gave a $90 million deal to Patrick Williams that included a player option at the end. If the Bulls want him, then it’s a sign to stay away. 

The Warriors can’t complete the rest of their offseason until Kuminga is either signed or traded. The Pistons were initially mentioned as possibility for Kuminga, which makes some sense considering they need a long-term option at power forward, and he is just 22 years old and showed some promise in the playoffs. 

This recent trade proposal from Fanspo revisits that possibility by flipping Isaiah Stewart, picks and swaps for Kuminga: 

This is a great trade... for the Warriors, who would be getting a quality role player for the cost of a guy who isn’t going to be on their team for much longer. The Warriors are trying to win now, and Beef Stew helps more in the immediate future than Kuminga. 

But what about the Pistons? Would they consider this deal to get their power forward of the future? 

Detroit Pistons trade rumors: Total disrespect for Isaiah Stewart 

The short answer to the question above is an easy NO. 

Kuminga has certainly flashed some promise, but at this point in their respective careers, I’d still far rather have Been Stew, who is one of the best rim protectors in the league, a defensive “agnostic” who can play in any scheme, which is why he’d be a great fit in Golden State. 

If this were a straight-up trade of just the two players, I probably still wouldn’t do it. 

Then you add two pick swaps and three second-round picks and suddenly this looks like a huge overpay for Detroit for a guy who hasn’t proven anything but still wants to be paid like a star. Hard pass. 

This deal would leave the Pistons without a viable backup center option, not great for a team that is already on the small size in the frontcourt. 

Kuminga wouldn’t even crack the starting five of the Pistons, so where is he playing exactly? Is he your new backup center? No thanks. 

Then you have the money. Stewart is locked into a relatively team-friendly deal, while Kuminga is seeking upwards of $30 million a year on a long-term contract.

The Pistons have shown they aren’t going to offer that kind of deal to anyone that isn’t a proven second star and Kuminga is far from that. You’d be paying for potential, not for contributions on the court, and Langdon has made it clear he’s not going to do that. 

This trade completely ignores the Pistons’ roster needs and disrespects Beef Stew, who is a more impactful player on a better deal.