ESPN's Kendrick Perkins claimed that the Pistons are interested in Anthony Davis on a recent episode of the "Road Trippin' Show", but it's not a move that would make sense from Detroit's perspective. The Pistons are already building something special and giving away young talent for an aging injury-prone star will do them no favors. Anthony Davis should not be on the Pistons' radar at all and it would be a mistake to trade for him.
Anthony Davis is not a good fit with the Pistons
Anthony Davis has many red flags that the Pistons can't ignore. His injury history is well-documented and he's only played in 14 of 48 games since arriving in Dallas. The Pistons have already suffered their fair share of injury trouble this season, and they don't need to add a player who is almost guaranteed to be sidelined throughout the year. Over the previous 5 seasons (2020-25), Davis has played just 52 games per season.
Additionally, Davis' playstyle is not what the Pistons need. His defense has declined in recent seasons despite Nico Harrison's desire to trade for him because "defense wins championships". Meanwhile, the Pistons have built their identity on defense, especially with physicality and paint protection. Davis was once a formidable shot blocker, but his defensive presence has fallen off - especially in the few games he's played this season.
Offensively, Davis doesn't provide the missing piece for the Pistons either. He can be a great play finisher at his best, but isn't great at creating his own shot. The Pistons should seek another creator in any blockbuster trade, not a player who functions in a similar role as Jalen Duren.
Davis' playoff stats show the weakness of his self-creation. In his last two playoff series, both against the Nuggets, he's had games scoring 33 and even 40 points but also down performances with under 20 points. The inconsistent scoring is caused by Davis' reliance on playmakers to set him up for scoring opportunities. While Cade Cunningham can do that as well as anybody, Davis should be more capable of creating his own opportunities at his stature and contract.
Financially, a trade for Davis would be devastating for the Pistons. He is on a huge max contract making an average of $58 million per season for the next 3 seasons. Just to make the trade work, the Pistons would have to give up multiple players who are all contributing to their current success. Doing so and sacrificing over one third of their salary cap for a guy playing 52 games would be a crucial mistake.
The Mavericks already made the mistake of trading away talented young players for Anthony Davis. The Pistons don't need to repeat the same mistake.