The Detroit Pistons very obviously need to add offensive talent alongside Cade Cunningham this summer, but searching in free agency isn’t enough. They need to scour the trade market if they hope to adequately address their offensive needs. Nobody in this summer’s free agency class is good enough to solve the Pistons’ problems.
In an ideal world, the Pistons should trade for a secondary star alongside Cunningham, not just ideal bench pieces. And in order to do that, they have to hit the trade market. Not only because the Pistons don’t have a ton of money to spend, but also because the options are very limited.
Free agency won’t answer the Pistons’ biggest question, but the trade market could.
Pistons should focus on trade market, not free agency
There aren’t a ton of great options in free agency this year, especially for teams looking to add offensive firepower, which the Pistons should definitely be trying to do.
Austin Reaves and LeBron James are technically both free agents, but neither is a realistic target for the Pistons to consider. Reaves is likely to go back to LA, and James probably wouldn’t want to join Detroit.
After those two guys, there isn’t exactly a surplus of offensive talent available in free agency, especially not with the amount of money Detroit will likely be spending.
So, instead of focusing their efforts on free agency, the Pistons should seriously prioritize the trade market, because they could find an ideal co-star for Cunningham in doing so.
Obviously, in order to make a deal, they would have to find the right trade partner. And that won’t necessarily be an easy task. But it’s one the Pistons need to take on.
A guy like Kyrie Irving could be an intriguing target. The same could be said for Kawhi Leonard. However, both of those guys are on the older side with some lingering injury concerns.
Trying to snag Tyler Herro could also be a decent idea, especially if he gets shipped to the Milwaukee Bucks in a Giannis Antetokounmpo trade. He’d fit in nicely next to Cunningham.
What about Michael Porter Jr. or Trey Murphy III? Either would be a solid option, as they would provide quality three-point shooting and shot creation.
The point is, all the best targets the Pistons should be going after will be available on the trade market, not in free agency.
So, that’s where the Pistons should put their focus. They need to keep their sights set on potential trades.
Add us as a preferred source on Google