The Detroit Pistons will look for any way to improve this summer, and apparently that includes trading Isaiah Stewart.
The Pistons are reportedly shopping Stewart, which is not completely unexpected after the way Paul Reed played in the playoffs.
Detroit will have to make some compromises if they want to balance their roster, and that may mean cutting out their own heart, which is what trading Stewart would be doing.
Jake Fischer (subscription) threw more gasoline on this fire, saying Stewart was “bracing” for a trade and named four teams that might have interest in the Bucks, Heat, Celtics and Spurs.
It’s never good news when a fan favorite might be traded, but the positive sign is that more than one team has interest, which should open up some opportunities for the Pistons to cash in.
The Bucks, Heat and the Giannis deal
We’ve been talking about the possibility of Tyler Herro coming to Detroit as part of the Giannis deal for a couple of weeks now, and it’s a deal that does make some sense for everyone involved.
The fact that both the Heat and Bucks have interest in Stewart may actually give the Pistons additional leverage in the deal, as they don’t necessarily have to deal with both teams if a multi-team trade gets too complicated or expensive.
They could trade for Herro as part of a separate deal with either the Bucks or Heat if Stewart’s inclusion knocked down the price a bit. The fact that two teams involved in the Giannis saga like Stewart is a good thing for the Pistons.
The Celtics are a team to watch
The Celtics have been attached to Stewart several times over the years and are another team that is after Giannis.
Most of the Boston rumors have them sending out Jaylen Brown as part of the Giannis deal, but there’s also a chance they could send out another salary like Derrick White, in which case the Pistons couldn’t have interest.
A straight up Stewart for White deal is not going to happen, but if there is a multi-team trade for Giannis there are going to be plenty of players moving around, so there might be a way for the Piston to work something.
The Spurs want muscle, the Pistons need shooting
San Antonio is an interesting addition to the Beef Stew rumor mill, and it makes sense, as they’d love a big with some muscle to protect Wembanyama and chase centers like Karl-Anthony Town around the perimeter.
Stewart would make a ton of sense for them, so much that I almost wouldn’t want to do it, as we’d be handing the Spurs (who don’t need our help) exactly what they need.
It would only be worth it if the Pistons could land one of their young shooters. If the Spurs were willing to part with Julian Champagnie (for example), that could be interesting, though I doubt they would be given his production and contract.
There is a deal sitting there for De’Aaron Fox, but he’s not a name I’ve heard attached to the Pistons.
The willingness to move on from Isaiah Stewart opens a lot of possibilities for the Pistons and may be the best way for them to get what they need, as painful as it would be.
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