The Detroit Pistons may take a shot to add an impact star this summer, so it’s never too early to start thinking about possible trade candidates.
Bleacher Report listed their top three guys for the Pistons, and there were some familiar names. Even though these are all players who could help Detroit, they each come with a set of challenges that may force the Pistons to get a little more creative.
Michael Porter Jr. isn’t worth the cost
Michael Porter Jr. was a name continually attached to the Pistons at the trade deadline, and that’s not likely to change going into the summer.
He ended up staying in Brooklyn, who never showed serious interest in trading him, though that will change, as he’ll be on an expiring contract next season.
That fact may make the cost a bit lower and more palatable for Detroit, but there are other reasons to stay away from MPJ.
He keeps himself in the media constantly in ways that the Pistons likely don’t want or need as a distraction. It might not matter when he’s on the tanking Nets, but who needs that kind of attention? Going from Tobias Harris to MPJ chemistry-wise would be monster downgrade.
MPJ can get his own shot, but he’s not a real creator or much of a passer, which are skills the Pistons need in addition to shooting.
I don’t think the distraction is worth the cost even if he’d be a clear 3-point shooting upgrade.
Trey Murphy III is a pipe dream
B/R also named Trey Murphy III as a possibility, another name we heard a lot of at the trade deadline.
Like the Nets with MPJ, the Pelicans never showed any serious intent to trade TMIII, but unlike the Nets, that is not likely to change. He’s young, he’s good, and he’s on a team-friendly contract, so the rebuilding Pels have no real motivation to move him without being handsomely rewarded for it.
New Orleans would certainly want either Ausar Thompson or Ron Holland II, which should be immediate dealbreakers for the Pistons, especially when you consider they’d also have to pile on several first-round draft picks.
Murphy III is the best option as far as fit and future, but the cost will likely be more than the Pistons want to eat.
The Pistons could circle back to Nickel Alexander-Walker
I don’t like to trot out “I told you so’s” but NAW was the guy I wanted before the Pistons suddenly signed Caris LeVert.
He’s a great defender on the perimeter and has blossomed into the type of offensive talent the Pelicans originally saw when they drafted him. He’s averaging 20 a game and shooting 38 percent from long range on high volume, so NAW is one of the best contracts in the league, as he’s making virtually the same as Caris LeVert.
So why exactly would the Hawks want to trade him?
This would also be a classic case of buying high, and especially painful considering the Pistons could have just signed him as a free agent last summer.
After being patient at the deadline, the Pistons will likely look for impact help in the offseason, but they will have to get more creative than some of these names, as they all present potential problems for Detroit.