As the only team with cap space in the NBA, the Detroit Pistons are being included in some wild rumors as the trade deadline approaches.
In most of them, they are simply a vessel for another team’s problem, a financier that helps two teams with economic challenges exchange big contracts as if Detroit merely exists as some kind of payday loan franchise for other teams.
Jimmy Butler clearly wants to go to the Phoenix Suns and the feeling is reportedly mutual, but it will be impossible for them to pull off unless they find a sucker to take the Bradley Beal contract, and of course the Pistons have been mentioned even though Trajan Langdon has avoided injury-prone players and contracts that extend past this season, and Beal is one of the worst examples of both.
In short, I’d be absolutely shocked if the Pistons traded for Beal, as the Suns don’t have nearly enough assets to make it worth their while and Beal just isn'nt that good, especially when you factor in his injury history and contract.
Most Pistons fans agree, and hope the team makes a modest addition at the deadline, not a guy scoring the same number of points per game as Jaden Ivey who makes 53 and 57 million in the two seasons after this one.
The Suns’ hopes have been dampened even more by Beal’s no trade clause, especially after he said recently he isn’t going to waive it for just anyone.
Bradley Beal doesn’t want to come to the Pistons and the feeling is mutual
On a recent podcast, Chris Mannix had this to say about the possibility of Bradley Beal coming to Detroit:
“From what I was told from people close to Bradley Beal this week is that, look, would he okay a deal to another contender, Miami included? Yes. He ain’t okaying a deal to like Detroit or Charlotte or any rebuilding team that’s out there. He’s not doing that.”
This actually made me laugh, as Detroit wants nothing to do with Beal anyway. Also, the Pistons currently have a better record than Beals’ Superteam Suns (who have the highest payroll in the NBA) and he may recall the Pistons beating the Suns back in December. Perhaps he should look at the standings, where the Pistons are one game behind contenders Miami and Milwaukee.
One thing that Beal and most Pistons fans can agree on is that he is not a fit in Detroit, so you can go ahead and him cross him off your lists of potential trade targets.
The last thing Detroit wants is an overpaid, oft-injured guard who does nothing but shoot and doesn’t want anything to do with the city, so I for one am glad that the feeling is mutual just to rule out even the tiniest possibility that it would happen.