The forecast isn't calling for a busy NBA trade season in Detroit. Maybe the Pistons drum up a Jaden Ivey deal. Perhaps they move around the margins and add a sharpshooter to their perimeter core. Based on reported rumblings, Detroit fans shouldn't expect anything much splashier than that.
But why not? The Pistons' rise to contending-level relevance might be ahead of schedule, but that doesn't make it any less important to react to. Especially when Cade Cunningham still doesn't have the co-star history says he'll need to navigate the championship race. And especially especially when an ideal fit—who has a connection to the state—just might find his way to the trade market soon.
Jaren Jackson Jr., former Michigan State standout, would be a dream deadline get for Detroit.
While Detroit's ninth-ranked offense has more room to grow than its second-ranked defense, per NBA.com, this franchise probably doesn't want to splurge on anyone who would dramatically change its identity.
That might be one of the strongest arguments for betting big on Jaren Jackson Jr. Because while he'd address lingering concerns regarding star power, second-option scoring, and three-point shooting, he'd do all of the above without costing this club any length, strength, or defensive disruption.
In fact, as scary as this sounds, the Pistons could be stingier than ever with Jackson added to a power rotation already featuring Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart. That trio alone would hold immovable-object potential—and that's without factoring in Ausar Thompson—and there are enough differences between the three to mix and match them in ways that maximize their utility.
Jackson would be the biggest key for making it work. Because while he can be an intimidating interior anchor on his own, he can also pester perimeter players on switches or wreak off-ball havoc as a weakside helper. While he has played more center than power forward over the course of his career, the split has typically been pretty close, and this is the third season in which he's playing more 4 than 5 (as he would be in Detroit).
The Pistons wouldn't have to change who they are to accommodate Jackson, in other words. They'd just be a better version of themselves. While that may not sound like much for a team already perched atop the Eastern Conference standings, it's the kind of upgrade that might wind up meaning everything given the sky-high difficulty of navigating a title run.
On offense, Jackson could sort of function like a turbo-charged version of Harris. The latter has a slightly better career three-point percentage (though the former has been more accurate this season), but Jackson usually has the edge in three-point volume. He's also a more dynamic finisher near the basket and a more capable self-sufficient scorer in general.
The one possible hang-up here is compensation, though that's not the Pistons' concern. The Grizzlies have to see this as a rich enough return to part with Jackson, and who knows whether there's enough heading back to Memphis for that to happen.
That said, maybe the Grizzlies see Ivey flourishing alongside his former Purdue teammate, Zach Edey. Maybe they'd appreciate the flexibility that would come in the form of the nearly $37 million in expiring contracts held by Ivey and Harris. Or maybe the draw of these draft picks would drive this deal, since Detroit's breakthrough is guaranteed to sustain for the long haul.
Either way, there are reasons to believe the Grizzlies might be on board with the idea—or could at least get there after Jackson potentially forces their hand a bit with a trade demand. If the Pistons can get their hands on him, they should. Between filling a number of concern areas and being a perfect timeline fit for Cunningham, Jackson should arguably be No. 1 on the Pistons' (remotely) realistic wish list.