If there were a Hall of Fame for trade rumors, Zach LaVine would already be in it, as he’s been in them for years, attached to just about every team in the league, including the Detroit Pistons.
Trading for LaVine would be a risky move for 1st-year president Trajan Langdon, whose team is on the fringes of the play-in. Adding LaVine might be enough to push the Pistons up the standings a bit, something I am not sure Langdon wants since his 2025 pick is only protected in the top-13.
The most recent team attached to LaVine is the Denver Nuggets, who are treading water as the 5th seed in the Western Conference and want to do everything they can to maximize the window of an all-time great in Nikola Jokic.
It will be a tricky maneuver for the Nuggets to pull off given their financial situation, which is where the Pistons and their cap space could come in handy.
3-Team trade between the Pistons, Bulls and Nuggets
I’ve seen some version of this trade several times now, usually put forth by Bulls or Nuggets fans who are trying to do the Pistons dirty by using their cap space but giving them little in return.
Bulls’ beat reporter KC Johnson also revealed that the Bulls want no part of Zeke Nnaji’s contract in a LaVine trade, as it extends three years past this one (though it does decline each year) and Nnaji hasn’t been very good even though he is still only 23-years-old.
Said this on @CHSN__ pregame show last night but, at least as of now, Bulls have shown no interest in taking Zeke Nnaji contract in any talks surrounding Zach LaVine.
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) December 21, 2024
Here are the bones of a deal that could work, at least financially.
As it stands, this would not be a good deal for the Pistons, who are simply eating two bad contracts and getting nothing for it, so obviously this is not happening unless the pot is sweetened for the Pistons.
The Pistons would have to get a pick
Lonzo Ball is a sunk cost at this point even though he is currently healthy, something that could change before I finish writing this sentence. Theoretically, a healthy Lonzo helps the Pistons as a secondary ballhandler who can defend and shoot the 3-ball, but we have no idea if that Lonzo is ever walking through the door again.
Nnaji’s contract isn’t the worst in the league, but it’s not great, even though it does go down each season. Nnaji has barely played for the Nuggets, who have no depth, which isn’t a great sign.
If the Pistons are going to eat these two contracts and help grease the wheels of this trade, they would need a first-round pick in return, something that isn’t likely to happen.
Trading LaVine would be a sign that the Bulls are finally rebuilding, so they aren’t about to give up a pick, especially when they already owe a protected one to the Spurs in 2025. It might even be hard to squeeze a second-rounder out of them.
The pick would have to come from Denver, who doesn’t have one to trade until 2031. If they are truly interested in LaVine, this might be what it takes, but again, I find it hard to believe they are going to send it to the Pistons just for taking on a middling bad contract.
This trade represents the type of leverage the Pistons have as the only team with any cap space, as they can hold out for bigger payoff if there are two teams that really want to do a deal and can’t get it done without them.
It’s a good position to be in, as Detroit has all of the leverage and doesn’t have to give in without being paid handsomely.