Any day, another avalanche of fake trades involving the Detroit Pistons.
We all know most of these are not going to happen and have no real chance of happening, but they are a useful way to discuss players and team needs.
Speaking of needs, the Pistons could certainly use someone who can score and handle the ball to take some of the pressure and intense usage off Cade Cunningham.
It’s increasingly likely that Trajan Langdon is going to go out and get that guy at the deadline, whether it is a stopgap like Malcolm Brogdon (these are just examples) or someone for the next two seasons like Collin Sexton.
It’s more likely to be a name we’ve not heard at all.
One thing that many of these Pistons trade proposals have in common is that they rarely consider Detroit’s needs but mostly just use their cap space as a means to get the deal done.
That’s what happened in a recent podcast between Bill Simmons and Kevin O’Connor, who are two of the biggest violators of bad Pistons trades.
Proposed trade doesn’t make much sense for the Pistons
I’m going to be brutally honest here, and no offense meant to these two, but you’d have to pay me to get me to listen to a whole podcast of fake trades involving the two of them.
I did listen to the bit that involved the Pistons (you’re welcome) where KOC laid out this mess of a trade:
Phoenix Suns get Jimmy Butler
Miami Heat get Khris Middleton and Pat Connaughton
Chicago Bulls get Bradley Beal plus picks*
Milwaukee Bucks get Zach LaVine
Detroit Pistons get Bobby Portis
*No specifics about where these picks are coming from
Woof.
This is one of those trades where I am not sure anyone wins. I really don’t get the Suns’ desperation to get Jimmy Butler, who is already 35 and not getting any better. Is he really going to elevate them? I’d rather have LaVine.
Why in the world would the Bulls want Bradley Beal? Why not just keep LaVine, who is the far better player and is on a better contract? Makes no sense at all unless there are multiple first-round picks coming their way and maybe not then.
I don’t see how this helps Miami, though I do like LaVine for the Bucks, but if I’m the Bulls there is no way I am giving him away (he’s been awesome this year) for this garbage package.
The Pistons aren’t giving up anything in this deal, so are just absorbing Bobby Portis into their cap space. I like Portis, who is tough and can shoot, but where is he playing? Whose minutes is he taking? Tobias Harris? Beef Stew?
The Pistons need someone who can handle the ball and create a bit, which Portis doesn’t do. I am not saying Portis couldn’t help this team but it seems a strange way to use their cap space when they have other more pressing needs.
This is yet another trade that just uses the Pistons without much consideration for what they might want or need out of the trade.
Portis only has a plyer option left on his deal, which he might decline in search of a long-term contract next offseason, so it’s a move that likely wouldn’t affect the Pistons long term, but he’s just not the type of player they need right now.