The Pistons made a controversial move to trade Jaden Ivey at the deadline for Kevin Huerter and a pick swap, which they might have come to regret in light of some other trades around the league. In particular, the Cavaliers' move to grab guards Dennis Schroder and Keon Ellis from the Kings has paid dividends. The Pistons themselves have been left with questions about their guard depth since the trade, while the Cavs got two valuable rotation pieces.
The Pistons missed out on a better trade return
Keon Ellis was widely recognized as an ideal under-the-radar trade target before he was dealt. Despite inexplicably finding himself on the bench in Sacramento, he has all the makings of a great 3-and-D shooting guard. The Cavaliers recognized the Kings' mistake and swooped in to grab both him and Schroder, a dependable veteran point guard, for the price of just Deandre Hunter and some second-round picks.
Since making the trade, the Cavaliers have been rolling; they are 14-6 with either of the two new guards in their lineup. It's not exactly surprising, since these new acquisitions have all the right attributes for role players in today's NBA. The Pistons have been missing a solid defensive wing with 3-point shooting since losing Tim Hardaway Jr last summer. And they have also missed Dennis Schroder himself as a backup point guard.
The Pistons have still done well since acquiring Kevin Huerter. They are 15-7 since making the trade, which is nothing to scoff at. But Huerter himself has not consistently established himself in the rotation, including some DNP-CDs in that time. He's also been an abysmal shooter for the Pistons, hitting just 19% of his threes for Detroit. The Pistons were hoping for a much better shooter when they acquired him.
What more would Ellis and Schroder have cost?
However, one undeniable truth remains lingering over any trade deadline regrets: Jaden Ivey had extremely low trade value. The fact that his eventual return was just Huerter and a pick swap goes to show how poorly he was valued around the league. If the Pistons wanted to trade for Ellis and Schroder, they would have likely had to give up more than just Ivey.
Now that Cade Cunningham is injured, the Pistons' lack of steady point guard play outside of him has been exposed. Schroder certainly would have helped in that regard, just like he did last year after the Pistons traded for him. But the logistics of trading for him add complexity. Considering Schroder's large contract, the Pistons would have had to give up another solid contributor like Tobias Harris to take him back. For that cost, the Pistons are better off trading for Huerter or just keeping Ivey.