The NBA offseason has already been filled with surprises, and we haven't even made it to free agency yet.
According to several reports, the Detroit Pistons are expected to be aggressive on the trade market this offseason as Trajan Langdon looks to make a splash in hopes of surrounding Cade Cunningham with the talent that can finally help Detroit over the hump.
Detroit has been linked to several notable names already, with Kawhi Leonard, Trey Murphy III, Tyler Herro, Kyrie Irving, and even Norman Powell as a sign-and-trade option this summer, but all of those names listed above are widely expected to be available.
However, the Minnesota Timberwolves stunning acquisition of LaMelo Ball in the blink of an eye suggests that the Pistons shouldn't limit themselves to just scanning the market for players who have been made available, but if they make a good enough offer, it feels like there's a real opportunity they could pry the star of their choosing away from their current situation.
T-Wolves LaMelo Ball trade should give Pistons confidence to swing big
Ball was never a name that came up on the trade market as a realistic possibility for any team to acquire this offseason, and there's an argument to be made that if Detroit knew he was an option, they would have pursued him, too.
It's clear that teams around the league have more insight into which stars around the league are more available than originally thought, and Ball landing in Minnesota in a span of 24 hours should convince the Pistons to make a run at a player who may not even be viewed as an option to the general public.
Obviously, Boston Celtics' star Jaylen Brown has quickly become a name to watch, with NBA Insider Jake Fischer revealing that a possible sign-and-trade of Jalen Duren for Brown hasn't been ruled out, but the All-NBA wing is a name that is widely perceived as available on the trade market.
So what other options are out there for the Pistons to pursue?
Maybe Langdon could call up the Orlando Magic and check their temperature on the future of both Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero, who, up to this point, haven't made it out of the first round of the playoffs as a duo.
The Utah Jazz have rebuffed calls on Lauri Markkanen up to this point, but the future of Keyonte George is already up in the air with Darryn Peterson's arrival in Salt Lake City. And if not George, what about the Jazz's mid-season addition in Jaren Jackson Jr.?
Regardless of who the Pistons call, it's clear that they should at least inquire about players they're interested in, because the Timberwolves move to land Ball proved that with the right offer, any player could become available.
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