Once December 15th hits, we know the fake trades are going to start flying, and for the 4th season in a row, the Detroit Pistons will be heavily involved in the rumor mill.
Detroit has lost so many games in a row I've lost count (and it's just too depressing to keep mentioning) and has a roster that clearly needs a shake-up, not to mention an influx of talent.
But what exactly are the Pistons going to trade to get better?
Pistons are lacking trade assets to make a big deal
As of right now, the Pistons can only trade one future first-round pick because of the one they owe the Knicks. Since it will be in the distant future, this pick barely counts as an asset to teams who want something tangible before 2029.
That leaves a bunch of expiring contracts and some young talent for Detroit to trade.
Expiring contracts can only get you so far when the players they are attached to aren't very good or are injured, which is the case with Joe Harris, James Wiseman, Alec Burks, Monte Morris, Killian Hayes, Kevin Knox and Isaiah Livers.
That leaves just Bojan Bogdanovic among "expiring" contracts, though his isn't technically expiring, it can be bought out next season for $2 million.
Is there a way to flip Bogdanovic for a trade package that makes sense for the Pistons and actually helps them? There was recently an interesting idea presented from an unlikely source.
Bill Simmons' 3-team trade makes sense for the Pistons
Bill Simmons loves his fake trades and usually, I nearly go blind rolling my eyes when I see them, especially if they involve the Pistons.
But the one he came up with on a recent episode of the Bill Simmons Podcast got my attention, as it would help the Pistons in a multitude of ways. Simmons called it his favorite "dumb" trade idea, but it's not bad for Detroit.
I can't speak for the other two teams involved, but this would be a good deal for the Pistons that could help lead to an even bigger one.
How this trade helps the Detroit Pistons
The Pistons would be getting both Doug McDermott and Cedi Osman in the deal, two forwards they can insert into the rotation right away. While neither of them is as good as Bogdanovic, they are playable forwards whose shooting would replace some of what they would lose with Bojan.
Could it get worse? It's not like the Pistons are winning with Bogdanovic anyway. His return has helped Cade Cunningham but it hasn't helped Detroit win a game. Both of these players are also on expiring deals, so the Pistons wouldn't be making any long-term investment and will still have a ton of cap space in the offseason.
But the big part of this deal would be the two first-round picks the Pistons would get for Bogdanovic. The first would be their own pick back from the Knicks and the second a 2024 first-rounder from Dallas that is likely to be near the end of the first round.
The Pistons absolutely do not need to add two more rookie picks to their roster, but they could use those picks to make a bigger deal.
Right now, Detroit is hampered from making a big trade because they only have one pick to deal. If they made this trade, they would suddenly have two 2024 picks they could trade, including their own, which will likely be in the top five. Since they would still have one in this draft, it would also allow them to trade their 2026 pick.
One of their young players and three potential lottery picks is not a bad trade package and may be able to net the Pistons the talent they need.
Because that owed pick is holding them back, the Pistons would be smart to try and deal Bojan to the Knicks to get it back. If they could pick up an extra one in the process, even better, as it would make Detroit players on the trade market.