The Detroit Pistons refused to stay silent on night two of the NBA Draft, but not in a way most fans would want. According to NBA Insider Shams Charania, the Pistons have traded Isaiah Stewart to the Memphis Grizzlies for three second-round draft picks. Trading Stewart was expected, but the extremely cheap price the Grizzlies traded for him is what comes as a shock.
Netting only three second-round picks for a former first-round pick that proved to be a valuable piece for the Pistons' rotation this season is a major head scratcher, and the only thing that makes sense for a move like this is if Trajan Langdon has a bigger move lined up.
Pistons salary dumping Isaiah Stewart suggest splash could be on the horizon
Detroit has been aggressively searching for an answer to find Cade Cunningham's offensive help heading into next season. The Pistons have been linked to names like Trey Murphy III, Tyler Herro, and even Austin Reaves before the Los Angeles Lakers inked the star guard to an extension on Wednesday.
It was made known over the last few weeks that Stewart was on the trade block, and several reports suggested that multiple teams were interested in the defensive-minded stretch big, so offloading him for future seconds doesn't exactly make the most sense...unless something else is brewing.
Offloading Stewart's $15 million contract immediately frees up some space that the Pistons can work with to not only get aggressive on the trade market, but to make a run at a notable free agent, with Coby White specifically coming to mind.
Detroit clearly has a move in mind by moving on from Stewart unexpectedly, and if there's any hope that Langdon may actually be lining things up for a big move, this is about as big a sign as you'd get.
Hearing Detroit in the rumor mill repeatedly already confirmed that finding Cunningham a running mate was at the top of the to-do list, but making a precursor move like this suggests something behind the scenes could be brewing.
Is it Murphy III? Could Detroit be making a run at Herro after all? Maybe even a run at Jaylen Brown? Or are they lining up something expected, like pursuing LeBron James??
Although the James mention is mainly a joke, the Pistons have realistically freed up enough money that they could consider a bold move like this.
Regardless, it's clear Detroit is up to something, so Pistons' fans should keep their phones close by.
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