The Detroit Pistons will head into the summer looking for a big splash.
After a busy trade deadline where they swapped out half of their team, the Pistons only have six players under contract for next season, a ton of cap space, a few assets and a GM that is trying to save his job, assuming he still has it once the offseason rolls around.
For Troy Weaver, there is a lot riding on these last 28 games; If the team shows out and looks to be headed in the right direction, he may get another shot at his mythic restoration this summer. Bomb, and we may see a new GM and the start of a new rebuild.
There weren’t any big names moved at the deadline, which means we might see another wild summer with multiple star names changing teams. This will largely depend on what happens in the playoffs, as there are teams that will decide their current experiment isn’t working, as well as teams that will need to trim payroll.
In a recent article for The Ringer, Howard Beck speculated about which stars could become available this summer based on the present and future context of their respective teams.
He said repeatedly that he doesn’t think all of these players will change teams, and there is a good possibility that none of them do, so remember, this is just speculation. Here are 12 of the names he mentioned and the chances that the Detroit Pistons might land one of them.
Stars who could be available this summer for the Detroit Pistons
LeBron James: Zero percent chance
Is there a number lower than zero? LeBron coming to Detroit is about as likely as me playing for the Pistons next season. Even if the Pistons were to draft Bronny James, it’s doubtful LeBron would want to spend his last few seasons on the worst team in the league.
LeBron can opt out of his final year and be a free agent, but the Lakers would likely orchestrate a sign-and-trade before letting that happen. I also think they would draft Bronny to keep the elder James happy.
Although if LeBron really wanted to solidify his GOAT status, helping to rebuild the Pistons to their former glory would probably do it, as even Jordan couldn’t do that with the Wizards.
But the best chance of LeBron ending up on the Pistons is if he eventually buys the team from Tom Gores, which would be great.
Trae Young and/or Dejounte Murray: Two percent chance
I’m lumping these two together, as one of them is likely to get moved this summer, Atlanta just has to decide which one.
Trae would get the bigger return but is also a marketable star who is good enough to keep the Hawks from being terrible.
The Pistons reportedly kicked the tires on Murray, who is a nice player but not a great fit in Detroit given that they already have three young guards they are building around.
But the Pistons are desperate to add someone noteworthy this summer, which is why I would give Murray a slim chance, mostly because the Pistons have already shown interest and they could probably put together a trade package to get him.
They shouldn’t, as Murray doesn’t address their biggest needs and likely just takes time from Jaden Ivey, who has taken a star turn of late.
My prediction is that Atlanta ends up trading Trae Young this summer and he ends up in San Antonio, who has the young players and draft picks to make the right offer.
Donovan Mitchell: Zero percent chance
It would be nice for the PIstons to undo one of their Holy Trinity of Draft Mistakes by trading for Mitchell, but it’s not happening.
Mitchell will be entering the final guaranteed year of his contract next season (he then has a player option that he’ll definitely decline) and all indications are that he won’t re-sign in Cleveland.
That makes trading him this summer a likelihood for the Cavaliers, who will be looking for a huge return for the superstar guard.
The Pistons don’t likely have that return to give unless they were to cough up Ivey and their 2024 pick (even if it were #1, it’s probably not enough), some other team (cough cough Knicks) would swoop in with a better deal.
Teams like the Knicks, Thunder, Spurs and Nets have been hoarding picks for this exact scenario, and the Pistons still owe one and can’t even trade this year’s until draft day. Giving up a pick to draft Isaiah Stewart may end up costing the Pistons dearly, as they've been hamstrung in trades by the protections on the pick ever since.
I’d say Mitchell ends up in New York, as the Knicks have the ammo to get him and he’s a nice fit with Brunson in the backcourt.
Jaylen Brown: .000000001 percent chance
It’s hard to see the Celtics trading Brown, but they are also in a payroll conundrum with a very expensive roster that is not gettting any cheaper.
Beck speculated that even if the Celtics won the title they’d have to ship out someone to make the money work.
Could it be Brown?
He’d be the ideal fit for the Detroit Pistons, but even if he did hit the market, the Celtics would be looking for a MEGA return that the Pistons don’t have. They are going to want a ton of picks, swaps and ready-made talent similar to what the Nets got for Durant and the Pistons don’t have that to give.
The only reason I gave Detroit a minuscule chance is that they could have the #1 pick, but in this draft, it still wouldn’t be close to enough to get Brown.
This shows how cap space doesn’t matter without assets to go along with it. The Pistons have the money to absorb Brown without sending a big salary back, which would help the Celtics, but they don’t have anything Boston wants, so who cares?
Kevin Durant: Hahahahahahaha
Dream on. If Durant decides to change teams again, he’ll be going to one that is already a contender.
Devin Booker: 5 percent chance
This would only happen if the Suns flame out in the playoffs and Durant demands to be traded. That is not outside the realm of possibility and if Durant asks out, Booker might not be far behind, as he isn’t winning anything with Bradley Beal as his sidekick.
Let’s say the Suns are bounced in round one. We know Durant is finicky and always sees greener pastures on the other side of the fence. He could demand a trade which would force the Suns could decide to move him for a huge trade package and if they do, Booker could be next.
I doubt any of this happens, especially with a new owner willing to spend money, but of all of the situations with superstars, this one is the most possible even if it is still a monumental long shot.
If Booker were to hit the market, the Pistons would have to do everything in their power to get him. They would probably still come up short, as All-NBA superstars in their prime don’t get traded often and every team would have interest.
Booker is from Michigan, a fan of all things Detroit, which might give the Pistons some advantage. It’s not going to happen, but I can dream about Booker coming home and pairing with Cade Cunningham.
Kyrie Irving: Zero percent chance
Dallas is going to be under pressure if they flame out again, as they still haven’t put a compelling roster around Luka Doncic.
Trading Kyrie would be their best option, as he’ll get a solid return that the Mavs could use to build a more cohesive roster around their superstar.
Doncic isn’t going to stay there forever if they don’t sniff a title, which puts Dallas in a tough spot. It reminds me of when Cleveland drafted LeBron and was so afraid he was going to leave that they reshuffled their roster with new veterans every season hoping to find the right combination instead of building their team with guys LeBron’s age that he could grow with. Is Dallas making the same mistake? Possibly.
The Mavericks have a lot of payroll invested for next season and few ways to add talent without trades, so Irving is one to watch, just not for the Pistons.
Zach LaVine: 15 percent chance
Ugh, I hate this, but the truth is that LaVine will be on the market again, and Detroit is one of the teams stupid enough to try and get him. We talked a lot about this one and I made it clear that I am not a fan. Hopefully, his latest injury would scare Detroit away from this terrible idea, but if they strike out everywhere else and the price is low, don’t be surprised to see the Pistons mentioned for LaVine again.
Zion Williamson: 2 percent chance
The Pelicans may be forced to trade one of Zion Williamson or Brandon Ingram to stay out of the luxury tax (which they never pay), but Ingram is the more likely of the two to be moved. If Zion hits the market, he’ll have suitors, even with all of his injury concerns, as the guys puts butts in seats and is a draw.
Bradon Ingram: 11 percent chance
The Pistons would have a much better chance at getting Zion’s teammate Brandon Ingram. I wrote in depth about Ingram yesterday, which you can read here. The bullet points are that he’s a great fit, but only has one year left on his contract, which could be good, as it might drive down the asking price since he could leave. The Pistons would probably have to sacrifice one of the Core Four plus their 2024 pick and at least one more with a few swaps to make it happen.
Given his contract and the price, the Pistons are one of the few teams in a position to make a move for someone like Ingram, but I do question whether they have the trade assets to even get him, which leads me to the guy who might be the best opportunity for the Pistons to land a star this summer.
Karl-Anthony Towns: 16 percent
The Timberwolves’ payroll will explode next season and they are not a team used to spending that kind of money, so they almost have to make a trade and KAT is the most likely to go.
KAT is having a fantastic season and was just named an All-Star, but he is owed a TON of money (around $220 million) over the next four seasons. Even with KAT putting up monster numbers of 22.5 points, 8.4 rebounds and 2.9 assists on outstanding shooting splits of 51.7 percent from the field and 43.7 percent from 3-point range on 7.7 attempts per game, there aren’t going to be a lot of teams lining up to pay out the rest of that salary.
Given how much he is owed, the price to get KAT won’t be as high as some other stars, especially when teams are well aware of his limitations on the defensive end.
Does he even fit on Detroit? I’m not sure. The two-big thing works in Minnesota because Rudy Gobert is an elite defender, which the Pistons don’t have. If Duren steps up into that role, then possibly, as KAT does play mostly on the perimeter and is jacking a ton of threes and making them at a high clip. He’d be the Pistons’ best shooter.
If Minnesota could clear KAT and bring back a couple of high-level players to replace his shooting, they might not miss a beat next season and will be in a much better place financially.
But if they make a deep playoff run and KAT is a big part of it, then who knows, maybe they will decide to ship out someone else.
Minnesota is a team to watch either way.
KAT would not be my preference, but if we are being honest with ourselves, he might be the best chance for the Pistons to get an All-Star and those chances are still very low.
As you can see, the Pistons aren’t likely to get ANY of these players regardless of the context, so even with all of their financial flexibility, it won’t be easy for them to add the sort of impact talent they need.