The Detroit Pistons' hot start has them in all of the trade rumors, as fans and media look for the piece that could push them into title contention, a group of players that now includes Anthony Davis.
That’s according to Shams Charania, who had this to say in a recent report, “Anthony Davis of the Dallas Mavericks, another former NBA champion, is expected to be a critical trade target of several teams, including many of the East's contenders. The Detroit Pistons, Atlanta Hawks and Toronto Raptors are expected to be suitors for Davis, league sources told ESPN.”
It was somewhat surprising to hear this for a few reasons, the first being Anthony Davis's lengthy injury history, which includes missing 15 games already this season. Trajan Langdon has targeted reliable players who have been consistently available in their careers, which you certainly can’t say about Anthony Davis.
But there are other reasons this seems like a long shot for the Pistons.
What would the Pistons have to trade to get Anthony Davis?
The idea of taking a couple of shots at a title with Anthony Davis does have some appeal, but it depends on the cost.
You’d think his injury history and salary would make him have little trade value, but I highly doubt the Mavs are looking at it that way, especially after giving up Luka Doncic just last season to get him.
The Mavs are also playing better of late and may just want to ride this out.
If the Pistons could get away with a package of Tobias Harris, Jaden Ivey, Caris LeVert and a pick, it might be worth it to take a shot, as two of those guys are on expiring contracts and LeVert is not part of the long-term plans either.
With the way the East is going, adding Davis could be enough to push the Pistons into real contender status. A starting five of Cade Cunningham, Duncan Robinson, Ausar Thompson, Anthony Davis and Jalen Duren would theoretically be the best in the East.
All of this would hinge on Davis being healthy, so any trade for him comes with risk.
What about paying Anthony Davis?
AD is eligible for a monster extension next year that any team foolish enough to give him will soon regret. How does four years and $275 million for a 35+ year old Anthony Davis sound? Yikes.
He won’t likely get that, but would the Pistons even want to extend him? If not, they’d get the rest of this season, plus two more and may end up dreaming that AD declines that final season at over $60 million.
Even if the trade cost were low, the Pistons would always be one injury away from financial ruin. No thanks.
Does Anthony Davis even fit with the Pistons?
AD is still a great player, one of the top big men in the league, but despite the fact that he wants to call himself a power forward, he doesn’t shoot many 3’s and is below 30 percent for his career.
He’s not a floor spacer and likes to operate in the same roll area as Jalen Duren, so it seems like spacing would be an issue, especially with another non-shooter like Ausar Thompson on the floor.
The Pistons already dominate the paint without Davis and would certainly be leaning into that strength, but some would say, far too much, as there would be no spacing for Cade Cunningham.
Teams would just pack the lane even more than they do now, so it’s tough to say how an offense would work with both Davis and Duren in it. The Pistons already have one of the top defenses in the league, so how much better is it going to get with Davis?
At the right price, I’d certainly be intrigued, as Davis is a needle mover, but he comes with huge risk and question marks.