The Pistons were hoping Jaylen Brown’s trade to the 76ers could help them trade for Trey Murphy III, but it might have actually cleared the way for the Celtics to make that deal instead. Boston now has a clear need for an additional scorer on the wing and Murphy fits their shooting-heavy style very well. Now the Pistons have yet another lurking rival to deal with in the trade market.
Losing Murphy to the Celtics would be a disaster
The Pelicans and Pistons have gone back and forth over Murphy for years, with Detroit always unwilling to pay New Orleans’ high asking price. But the Eastern Conference is now heating up with multiple stars joining or switching teams, and it may be time to pull the trigger on a big move. Even if that means losing the trade on paper.
The Pistons have already lost one of their own key players to an ideal fit, when Tobias Harris left in free agency for the San Antonio Spurs. Allowing yet another contending team to pick up a perfect addition would be brutal, especially when the Pistons have been circling Murphy for so long.
In order to build a title team, most organizations have to make some “bad” trades at some point that can be excused when a championship banner is hoisted. Just ask the Knicks, who got a lot of flak for trading away 5 first-round picks to acquire Mikal Bridges and now have absolutely no regrets. After a 60-win season and nearly reaching the conference finals, the Pistons may be in a position to make a similar trade.
The Celtics are still a huge threat
The Pistons also can’t overlook the Celtics as a potential contender in the East. Boston finished 2nd in the standings behind Detroit last season with Brown leading the way, but Jayson Tatum missing most of the season with injury. Next season, Tatum should be back to full health along with other upgrades the Celtics have made across their roster.
For years, the Celtics have maximized their role players and even stars through a perfectly curated system with a high emphasis on shooting threes. Murphy already plays with that style, including hitting 38% of his 8.6 three-point attempts per game last season. If he was traded to the Celtics, Murphy would fit like a glove instantly and give head coach Joe Mazzulla even more ammunition to fuel his system.
Not only do the Pistons need to make big moves towards upgrading their own roster, but they also have to play some defense at a point. While many other East contenders have made big additions, they’ve largely stood pat. Even though the team is still young and developing, the Pistons can’t finish this offseason without at least one big addition.
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