The NBA trade deadline is still two months away but that hasn’t stopped the rumors from heating up around the Detroit Pistons. The Pistons have been connected to players like Lauri Markkanen for months and most recently Giannis Antetokounmpo, but their best option could be Michael Porter Jr.
It seems unlikely that the Pistons would gut their team to offer the type of package it would take to pry Markkanen or Giannis off their respective teams. The Jazz are only going to trade him for a monster payoff and the Bucks aren’t going to move the face of their franchise for anything less than a Godfather offer.
But there are other options.
The Pistons were reportedly scouting the Pelicans recently, possibly in hopes of dealing for Trey Murphy III, who would provide the shooting they need and is on a relatively team-friendly deal.
But he too would likely cost a fortune in players and picks, so the Pistons could move onto another option in Michael Porter Jr., whose price tag will reportedly be lower than the other three players mentioned because of his expensive contract.
There’s also the fact that the Nets are trying to tank this season and MPJ’s breakout year isn’t helping their case, as he has singlehandedly won them several games. He’s averaging career highs in just about everything, shooting the lights out and looking more like the superstar people thought he was going to be coming out of the draft than the role player he became on the Nuggets.
But should the Pistons be interested, and what would he cost?
Detroit Pistons rumors: Trading for Michael Porter Jr.
On paper, MPJ is pretty much everything the Pistons are looking for, as he’s a tall forward who can shoot and would be a massive upgrade from Tobias Harris offensively.
The defense is probably a wash, but Harris would have an edge when it comes to intangibles, as he’s a veteran leader and MPJ is....well.....not. Let’s face it, Porter Jr. is known as a bit of a headcase, but the Pistons have the internal culture in place to absorb someone like that.
And given the state of their rebuild, the Nets would be nuts not to trade MPJ while his value is at its peak, but what exactly does that mean?
MPJ is owed $38 million, so any trade would likely have to start with Tobias Harris, who is on a big expiring contract that would be needed to match salaries. My guess is that Jaden Ivey would likely be the prospect the Pistons would offer along with a first-round pick that is a few years down the road.
Would Harris, Ivey and a pick be enough to land MPJ? This is not me trying to jettison Ivey, but the Pistons have no guarantee of keeping him past this season anyway, so if they are going to lose him, they may as well cash in for a couple of seasons of MPJ, who is playing out of his mind right now.
One thing to consider is that MPJ is doing this on a bad team, but scoring 26 efficient points per game is impressive on any team and he’s shooting nearly 40 percent on NINE attempts from 3-point range per game, which is precisely what the Pistons need.
MPJ could offer the Pistons a chance to add a legit 20+ppg scorer without losing any of their long-term core or all of their draft assets. If this is the case, it’s a trade they have to explore.