Trading Isaiah Stewart in the blink of an eye for the bare minimum return of three second-round picks that the Detroit Pistons traded away just 24 hours prior is going to be a move that lingers for quite some time.
If the Pistons can find a way to land Bobby Portis, though, not only will they fill a massive void that Stewart leaves behind, but they could find the perfect enforcer with offensive upside that makes this move worthwhile.
Trajan Langdon has plenty of pressure to bolster a roster that was bounced in the 2nd round and has a superstar entering his prime.
Cade Cunningham desperately needs help, free agents are flying off the board, and the only move the Pistons have made up to this point is trading their heart and soul in Beef Stew away for cap relief.
Which leads us to one target that makes too much sense to pursue now.
The Pistons have the perfect reason to pursue Bobby Portis now
Obviously, Trey Murphy III, Tyler Herro, and Kawhi Leonard are the top targets for the Pistons, but even if they manage to pull off one of the above trades, the lack of an enforcer on the bench will be a massive hole that Stewart leaves behind.
Bobby Portis landed in South Beach as part of the blockbuster trade that sent Giannis Antetokounmpo to Miami, but that trade has yet to be finalized, and reports suggest the Heat could still be open to flipping the veteran forward's contract.
Averaging 13.7 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 1.6 assists on 48.8% shooting from field goal range and 45.6% from three, the 31-year-old would be an ideal fit in the Motor City.
Similar to Beef Stew, Portis takes pride in doing the dirty work, but his strengths as a capable scorer off the bench would offer something Stewart didn't.
Absorbing Portis' $14 million contract would essentially take away the point of offloading Stewart's contract, but the move itself could make a lot of sense.
Detroit's also interested in Herro, and with the deal yet to be finalized, they could find a way to get involved in the blockbuster deal and improve their roster in one big deal.
If not, flipping Caris LeVert's contract to Miami for Portis would be an acceptable pivot if the opportunity presents itself.
Regardless, if something doesn't shake loose soon, fans could start to get frustrated, solely because upgrading the roster this offseason seemed to be at the top of the to-do list, and up to this point, Detroit is only involved in rumors.
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