The Detroit Pistons have been steadfast in their claim that they aren’t going to make a splashy move at the trade deadline, but there may be ways for them to add useful players without disrupting their ecosystem.
The luxury tax could prompt a flurry of moves at the deadline, as teams that are close try to get under and avoid getting hit with the tax.
Bleacher Report identified the teams that are close enough to the luxury cap to consider dumping players in the 76ers, Lakers, Rockets, Clippers, Magic, Raptors, Nuggets and Suns.
I'd also add the Celtics to this list, as they are $12 million into the tax and have players they could dump to the Pistons for free.
You can eliminate most of these teams because of the circumstances. The Lakers and Rockets are chasing a title and may look to make bigger moves or none at all in the case of Houston. Dorian Finney-Smith is an interesting name to watch, as the Rockets don’t really need him, and he’s only recently come back from injury. But he comes with extra years and is already 32, so doesn’t fit into the short-term ethos Trajan Langdon has practiced so far with veterans.
The Magic don’t really have the salary to dump and may also look to be buyers at the deadline even though they’ve been disappointing.
The Raptors, Nuggets and Suns are so close to being under that whoever they cut will be negligible, which leaves just two teams as possibilities among these tax dodgers.
How serious are the Philadelphia 76ers?
The 76ers are the 5th seed right now and likely one of those teams who feel they could win the conference if everything breaks right for them.
They are getting incredible play from Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe, and even their All-Streetclothes guys are contributing, as Embiid and Paul George are tentatively healthy.
They do have two players on expiring deals in Quentin Grimes and Kelly Oubre that they could trade to get under the tax, but both are contributing and will be needed if the 76ers want to make a run.
Both those guys would provide a little scoring pop off the bench for the Pistons, but they aren’t going to give up a first-round pick to get one of them and don’t really have the player to send back that would give Philly something and keep them under the tax.
The 76ers are a deadline wild card, but there is not a clear match for the Pistons.
The Clippers had the perfect guy but now he’s hurt
The Clippers seem like the most likely seller on this list, as they are terrible and surely don’t want to pay even more for this underperforming team, though their owner has plenty of cash to spare.
The Clippers are $6.8 million into the tax and may have had the perfect guy to send to the Pistons in Derrick Jones Jr., a tough 3-and-D wing who can run the floor, but he’s been diagnosed with a serious knee injury and is out for at least six weeks.
John Collins is a player who has been connected to the Pistons in the past and would provide them some shooting and depth at the power forward position. His overall numbers are down this season but he’s still shooting 54 percent from the floor and 38 percent from three-point range.
He’s on a $26 million expiring contract, so wouldn’t require any long-term commitment, but it would be tough for the Pistons to offset that amount without sending back something that matters. You could argue Collins is a better offensive fit than Harris in some ways, but Tobias is a team leader, and the Pistons value that.
There will undoubtedly be opportunities for the Pistons among the teams that try to dodge the tax, it’s just a matter of sniffing out the right one who can make an impact without disrupting the best team in the East.