LaMelo Ball trade will help the Pistons land their target

The Detroit Pistons are reportedly on the hunt for a star after clearing cap space in the Isaiah Stewart trade, and an unexpected one just got traded when LaMelo Ball was sent to Minnesota. 

Ball is one of the most polarizing players in the league, and though there were some rumblings from fans, I am glad he’s not headed to Detroit. I do like watching LaMelo play, but wouldn’t want his antics on my team, though I am sure there are plenty who would disagree. 

What is interesting about the Ball trade was the price Minnesota paid to get him, which will hopefully set a market for stars that is more affordable for the Pistons. 

The price of the Ball just went down 

The Timberwolves paid a relatively small price for Ball, sending role player Naz Reid, one first round pick, three swaps and a bunch of second-round picks. 

Even if you don’t like LaMelo, that’s not a huge cost for a former All-Star who not only puts up numbers but puts butts in seats and moves merch as much as just about any player in the league. 

If Ball can be had for the cost of a first-round pick and a good role player, then hopefully Troy Weaver will come to his senses and realize no one is going to give him four first-round picks for Trey Murphy III or two for super role player Herb Jones. 

We may also see teams putting a higher value on future swaps with the new lottery odds making certain spots more appealing.

The Pistons may be out of the New Orleans quest anyway, as Troy Weaver has a bad habit of setting unreasonable prices for his players and then watching as they deteriorate in value, but I do think the Ball trade may lower the price of any fringe All-Star. 

If that’s all it takes to get Ball, then how much for Tyler Herro? It’s a good negotiating floor for the Pistons to have and one they should be pointing at any time a team tries to squeeze them. 

It may not change anything for Detroit, but I was somewhat surprised at how cheap Ball was to trade for. 

There’s another competitor off the market 

Just like Cade Cunningham in Detroit, the Timberwolves were under pressure to get their superstar Anthony Edwards some help and they just did, which likely puts them out of the running for other players that might come up. 

That’s good news for Detroit, as the T’Wolves were under even more scrutiny than the Pistons after flaming out in the playoffs several years in a row. 

Detroit wasn’t involved in the LaMelo trade, but there could be some positives effects coming their way in the form of a corrected market and less competition for impact players. 

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