The Detroit Pistons made their second move of the NBA trade season as a facilitator in the deal that sent Jimmy Butler to the Golden State Warriors.
Earlier tonight, the Pistons took on KJ Martin and two second-round picks, a deal I wrote about here.
So far, the Pistons have used the trade deadline to add picks and players on expiring (or non-guaranteed) deals, which they did again, adding Lindy Waters III from Golden State, Josh Richardson from the Heat to go with a second-round pick.
As part of the deal, Warriors' Lindy Waters III and Heat's Josh Richardson are headed to the Detroit Pistons, sources said. https://t.co/JPBWVEnPZJ
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 6, 2025
The Pistons now have a slew of second-rounders, which will hopefully help make up for the first they could lose in the 2025 draft if it falls outside of the top-13.
Both Waters III and Richardson are on expiring deals and not likely part of the future plans. Waters III has played 38 games for the Warriors this season, averaging 5.5 points in 17 minutes on mediocre shooting splits. The journeyman Richardson has appeared in just eight games for the Heat.
These were hardly additions that are going to rock the foundations of the NBA or even make the Pistons better, but for those hoping for more, you are likely to get it.
The Detroit Pistons have to make roster moves
The Pistons are over the roster limit currently, so more moves are coming.
It’s possible that they just waive the two players they just acquired, pocket their second-round picks and move on.
Salary dumps are not exciting, but at least the Pistons are being moderately rewarded and haven’t taken on players that will affect their long-term plans or cap sheet.
Depending on whether the Pistons use their exception on Martin, they still have around $8 million in cap space available, so may not be finished making moves.
We know they at least have to cut a player or two, so we are going to see more roster moves or trades before 3:00 PM ET tomorrow.
Could the Pistons package some of the assets and players they’ve acquired to make a bigger deal? I wouldn’t count on it, as Trajan Langdon appears to be taking a pragmatic approach, using his cap space to grab assets.
This is the last season fans will be satisfied with this approach, as the Pistons are on the verge of being good and have clear needs that must be addressed for them to take the next step, namely getting another star to put with Cade Cunningham.
The way star players have been moving, the chances seem better than they did at the beginning of the season.