The Detroit Pistons are now under a month away from the. NBA trade deadline. Detroit is in a strange situation because while they are just 3-35 and an obvious seller, there is a world in which the Pistons are buyers this deadline.
If Detroit decides to be sellers, they have a few assets that absolutely must be moved. Those assets being Alec Burks, Bojan Bogdanovic, and possibly Killian Hayes, Marvin Bagley III, plus a few others. However, if they decide that the roster is young enough, and they need proven players to fill the talent gaps, they can do so as well.
Acting as a buyer, if you can call it that, would mean that Detroit needs to pursue players who check the following boxes. The Pistons need someone who is 6-foot-7 plus, meaning they can primarily play the four position, but slide to the three if need be. They need to be a consistent threat from three, while also being athletic enough to put the ball on the deck and get to the basket. And finally, they have to be competent on the defensive end. Detroit is sorely missing a defensive presence at the four and five position, so when acquiring someone, they must keep this in mind.
So, with less than a month until the trade deadline, let’s take a look at some realistic, lesser discussed trade options for Detroit. The goal with each of these names would be to check as many boxes in the wishlist above. The first few options may miss a box, but would likely be easier to acquire. The final two would absolutely check all boxes and be a best case scenario. But, Detroit would have to really pay up to acquire them, if they are made available at all.