The Detroit Pistons are being named as a possible landing spot for just about everyone, including forward Lauri Markkanen.
We’ve heard names like Naz Reid, Myles Turner and even Julius Randle, so it’s clear the rumor mongers think the Pistons could pursue an upgrade at power forward or center.
Markkanen is a guy Pistons fans have been talking about for years, as he’s the type of sharpshooting four who would fit perfectly with Cade Cunningham, Ausar Thompson and Jalen Duren.
Pairing a star guard and power forward was part of Indiana’s recipe for success and the NBA Finals could have a big impact on how teams like the Pistons go about their business.
Bleacher Report (king of fake trades) came up with a trade that brings Lauri Markkanen to Detroit, and it’s one that a lot of fans would probably jump on:
On the surface, this looks like a good deal for Detroit, as they’d be upgrading a key spot with a guy who is under contract for four more seasons. They’d be doing it without disrupting their young core, and both Harris and Fontecchio are on expiring deals that could be trade bait at next year’s deadline.
But it ignores a key part of what Trajan Langdon tried to do last offseason, so while it may be a clear win in talent, it might not make Detroit a better team.
Detroit Pistons rumors: Targeting availability
Langdon made availability a key attribute in the guys he added last season, as Tobias Harris, Malik Beasley and Tim Hardaway Jr. are guys who haven’t missed many games in their careers.
The Pistons enjoyed relatively good health for the first time in ages, which was a big part of their success, as that continuity allowed them to build chemistry, especially on the defensive end.
Markkanen has never played more than the 68 games he played in his rookie season and has failed to play 60 games in five of the eight years he’s been in the league. An Iron Man, he ain’t.
While his 3-point shooting and shot blocking are tempting, $46-53 million a season is a lot of money for a guy who is unlikely to give you 60 games judging by his career so far.
There’s also the fact that Markkanen’s numbers took a big dip in the 47 games he did play this season, putting up the worst field goal and 3-point percentage of his career. Whether it was injuries or just being on an awful team, Markkanen didn’t play much and when he did, he was not efficient offensively.
Harris was underrated for the Pistons this season, both in terms of his durability and production. His post game was one of the most consistent parts of the Pistons’ offense and he stepped up in the playoffs as a defender on Karl-Anthony Towns as well as on the glass.
And maybe most importantly, he played 73 games, which is right around the average games per year for his career.
While Markkanen may look like a substantial upgrade, it doesn’t matter if he’s not on the court and Detroit would have to think very carefully about what year four of that contract will look like when he’s 32-years-old and making $53 million.