The Detroit Pistons have a future roster issue brewing that they will eventually have to address.
Two of their best young players, Ausar Thompson and Ron Holland II, are defensive aces who bring energy and intangibles but no shooting.
JB Bickerstaff has so far been reluctant to put the two on the floor together at the same time, as it causes the spacing issues that the Pistons have been dealing with for years.
With non-shooting bigs like Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart, this problem isn’t going to go away unless one of Thompson or Holland becomes a decent 3-point shooter.
I love the idea of having two wings like Thompson and Holland, and with the right addition, there is a world in which they can play together without grinding the half-court offense to a halt.
That would involve getting a center who can shoot, and the perfect player may be available according to a recent report from Bobby Marks on ESPN (subscription).
Detroit Pistons rumors: Trading for Myles Turner
Ideally, the Pistons could find a floor-spreading center who can protect the rim, but those aren’t easy to come by and every team in the NBA wants one.
The Pacers have exactly that in Turner, who is one of the best 3-point shooting bigs in the league and averages two blocks a game, which the Pistons know all too well, as he kills Detroit every time they play.
He’ll be an unrestricted free agent after the season, and the Pacers will have a hard time keeping him if they want to stay out from under the luxury tax. The Pacers are not a team that pays the tax often, so they will have to make some tough choices unless they are able to shed the contract of Obi Toppin.
That leaves potentially trading Turner before his pending free agency, something the Pacers may be loath to do given that they are firmly in the mix for a playoff spot in the vulnerable Eastern Conference after a rocky start to the season.
The Pacers could just play it out and deal with the Turner problem in the summer, as they’d still have options, including a sign and trade that might net them more than a half-season rental would at the deadline.
I also doubt the Pacers would be interested in dealing Turner within the division, so Detroit might have to just wait for his free agency, and if he makes it there, Turner should be one of the Pistons top targets.
However, Detroit could make Indiana an offer that would intrigue them by offering up a package based around Jalen Duren and a future first, which might be the best deal they are going to get given Turner’s pending free agency.
Marks offered up Rui Hachimura and a first to send Turner to the Lakers, a deal the Pistons could beat if it came down to it.
It would be risky to give up on Duren, but if you could pick one (non-superstar) center to play with Cade Cunningham, Turner might be the guy and trading for him now would give the Pistons the inside track on re-signing him for the long term.
It’s doubtful this goes down, but it is one to watch, as Turner would be an ideal addition that would allow the Pistons to play Thompson and Holland together and potentially have one of the best defenses in the NBA while still being able to function on offense.