The NBA has been buzzing after news broke that Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks were discussing his future. Every Detroit Pistons fan started coming up with their dream Giannis trade, but be careful what you wish for, as it could easily end in disaster.
To start, I hate to crush your dreams, but it’s very unlikely to happen. If and when Giannis is traded (which is now complicated by an injury), there will be teams lined up with their most lucrative offer to land him.
If a team like OKC wanted to get involved (why would they, how much better can they be?), the Pistons can’t compete with their best offer, and that’s probably true of several teams, including the Spurs and Hawks, who have better draft assets.
And with Jaden Ivey still trying to work his way back to 100 percent, the Pistons’ best offer may not look that appealing, especially when you consider that their draft picks aren’t as valuable.
Then you get to the trade cost. I’ve already discussed what it might cost to trade for Giannis, and it’s a steep price that likely starts with three players from the young core. If you look at any realistic trade package, and then try to fill out a rotation afterwards, it’s not easy and often ends with Caris LeVert and Duncan Robinson in your starting lineup and at least two of your three best defenders headed to Milwaukee.
Giannis is also turning 31 in two days and just got injured again, so for all of these reasons, I am saying a Giannis to Detroit trade is not going to happen. Not impossible, but not likely.
Even if the Pistons could do it and still put a decent team on the court around him and Cade Cunningham, the possibility for it to spectacularly blow up in their faces is there.
How the Giannis trade becomes a nightmare for the Pistons
Giannis is only under contract for one more season and then has a player option, so any trade would be potentially putting all of your eggs in one basket for a season and half, as Giannis could opt out and be a free agent.
If the Pistons didn’t win a title in one of those two seasons, they could have given up a big chunk of cost-controlled talent and depth for nothing and be left with a shambles.
If Giannis gets to free agency, you can bet the Lakers, Knicks, Heat and others will be there with bags in hand and Giannis could choose to play with any of them. These teams may be willing to wait out this trade season in hopes Giannis hits free agency and they can get him without gutting their team.
If he’s going to ask out of Milwaukee, he could certainly do the same to Detroit, or he could just enter free agency and leave anyway. Even if he stayed, you’d then be paying an aging Giannis a TON of money and would still have all of the same challenges trying to build a deep roster.
If the Pistons were to land Giannis, I’d certainly talk myself into it quickly, but it’s hard to overlook the inherent risk of gutting your team for one guy who has no obligation to stay.