When the New York Knicks traded for Mikal Bridges, it looked like a clear overpay. Who gives up five first-round picks for a guy who has never even been an All-Star?
No one is saying that now.
The Knicks identified Bridges as the final piece of their championship puzzle and did what it took to get him, giving up most of their draft assets in the process. It was a bold move, but one that paid off with one title so far and a championship window that will be open for at least a couple more seasons.
The Pistons are right on the verge of being legit title contenders themselves but may have to make a similar trade to push them over the top.
The Pistons should go all-in on Nickeil Alexander-Walker
This one hurts, as the Pistons could have had NAW last offseason but chose to go with Caris freaking LeVert instead, mostly because LeVert would accept a shorter contract.
NAW went on to win Most Improved Player and has emerged as one of the best two-way wings in the East. Oops.
If the Pistons want him now, they’ll have to overpay, as he is one of the best 3-point shooters in the league and averaging over 10 attempts per game. He’s also a great on the ball defender who would give the Pistons another elite perimeter stopper.
NAW also has some of the qualities that made Bridges attractive to the Knicks, as he is a reliable player who has only missed four games in the last three seasons combined.
NAW would give the Pistons a true 3-and-D wing, but he’s also a guy who can create some, as he started his career as a point guard in New Orleans before being re-cast in a new role with his subsequent teams.
He’d be a perfect fit on the Pistons and would make them a true title contender.
What would it take to trade for Nickeil Alexander-Walker?
NAW is a productive 20+ppg scorer who can defend. He’s also on a super team-friendly deal that might be the best value in the entire NBA, so trading for him won’t be cheap.
It might not cost the Pistons five first-round picks like the Knicks gave up for Bridges, but it won’t be far off. Atlanta has no real reason to trade him unless they want to reset again, so it would take a godfather offer to get them to budge.
If the trade was built mostly around draft picks, the Pistons can afford it, as they control all of their future picks and already have plenty of young talent in place. Like the Knicks, the Pistons have their core but may have to overpay for the final piece. But also like the Knicks, making that trade would give a championship window that would be open for several seasons.
If they walked away from it with a title, no one would care about draft picks, just like they don’t care about them in New York even though Bridges is off to a slow start.
It’s worth overpaying for the right guy, especially considering NAW is the right age and is locked into a contract for the foreseeable future.
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