The Detroit Pistons didn’t have the splashy trade deadline some fans were hoping for, but they did trade Jaden Ivey to the Chicago Bulls for Kevin Huerter in what could be the rare win-win trade, at least according to LeBron James.
LeBron was chatting with Steve Nash about the trade deadline on a recent episode of “Mind the Game” and the two agreed that the Ivey/Huerter trade could work out for both teams.
Let’s be honest, most fans were hoping for a bigger return from Jaden Ivey than Kevin Huerter, but that wasn’t going to happen, as Ivey hadn’t gotten back to form and will be a restricted free agent.
The Bulls were in a position to take on such a player, and he’ll get a better chance to thrive in the Windy City than he would have in Detroit.
Huerter is a more accomplished scorer and movement shooter who can also attack close outs, so will hopefully provide an offensive boost off the bench.
You can argue the merits of this trade or if it was even worth it for the Pistons when it comes to the players involved, but there were bonus additions to the trade which made it more palatable for Detroit that LeBron and Nash didn’t mention.
The Pistons didn’t want the cap hold, headache and landed a better pick
Jaden Ivey would have had a $30 million cap hold this summer, which is a headache the Pistons didn’t want to deal with, as they already have to give a raise to Jalen Duren, and it will be a hefty one after he made the All-Star team.
Ivey’s demands will likely be less after the lackluster season he’s had so far, but he’s still looking for a big raise befitting his potential as a top five pick. Considering the Pistons are getting more production from Daniss Jenkins, it was an easy choice to walk away from the financial burden Ivey represented.
And as I have mentioned previously, the Pistons were able to land a pick swap with Minnesota that would currently move them from the 30th pick to the 21st, which is a nice leap in a deep draft.
The Pistons may be able to find a player in that range, perhaps even one who is ultimately better or at least a better fit with what they are building.
But I do agree with LeBron here, as Ivey was a risk worth taking for the Bulls, as long as they don’t botch it too badly this offseason by overpaying him, something they’ve been prone to do in recent years with guys like Patrick Williams.
It was the rare type of trade in the NBA, as it can help both teams, and there isn’t a clear winner or loser, though I do like the potential future payout for the Pistons in terms of cap flexibility and draft pick.