Laughable trade proposal includes dealbreaker for the Pistons

The playoffs haven’t even started, but already the trade proposals are flying, and one in particular completely miscalculates what the Detroit Pistons are building. 

The consensus outside of Detroit is that the team needs another scorer/playmaker, though the Pistons’ 60 wins and top seed in the Eastern Conference don’t gel with that narrative. 

Trajan Langdon has been patient with his group and there is no reason to think he won’t continue, so as much as some fans might not like it, the big star move may not be in the cards for Detroit, especially if they make a deep playoff run with a young team that is only going to get better. 

This trade from our friends at Bleacher Report tries to speed up that timeline, but does it at a steep cost to the Pistons’ depth and culture: 

Good god, is there anything else the Pistons could add? No offense to B/R, but the Pistons would laugh heartily at this proposal before hanging up the phone for many reasons. 

Michael Porter Jr. is not the guy 

Even if the Pistons were willing to trade two of their best three defenders AND a decent first-round pick in a deep draft, it’s not going to be for Michael Porter Jr. 

His gaudy numbers on a tanking team can’t make up for the fact that he’s on an expiring contract and is the exact type of player the Pistons have shown they don’t want to deal with. 

The Pistons just traded away Jaden Ivey, and even though they didn’t air it, his locker-room presence was part of it. MPJ has caused plenty of off-the-court distractions himself with endless controversial comments, something I highly doubt the Pistons want any part of given their strong chemistry and team culture.

It’s a lot of cost and risk for a guy who will be an unrestricted free agent after next season and could just walk. No thanks. 

I’d rather the Pistons just run it back than to give up the heart and soul of their team for a flaky player who could leave in a season, but there are other reasons. 

The Pistons aren’t trading Ron Holland II 

These last few weeks have given us a glimpse of what Ron Holland II can be, which is a two-way wing who is impactful all over the floor. AND HE’S 20! 

To all of the Pistons fans already loading Holland into their trade machines, did you learn nothing from Jalen Duren? Holland played critical minutes for a playoff team as a teenager and has already shown flashes of stardom. 

At the very least, he’ll be a productive role player, and did I mention HE’S 20 YEARS OLD? He’s younger than many of the players in this year’s draft and already has two years of NBA experience under his belt. 

I’m not saying the Pistons wouldn’t trade Holland, but it would have to be for a more enticing player than MPJ, or he’s definitely a dealbreaker. Detroit isn’t going to give away Holland or Stewart unless it’s in a trade that is too good to pass up. 

This one doesn’t qualify. 

A deep run in the playoffs will change how people view the Pistons’ offseason, especially if Holland is a surprise X-factor, but until then, the fake trades aren't going to stop. 

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