The Detroit Pistons should be a busy team at this year's trade deadline one way or another.
Most expect them to be sellers, as they have seven expiring contracts and two veterans in Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks that contending teams might covet.
But one recent report indicates that the Pistons have been aggressive in trying to add talent to their roster via trade. According to Jake Fischer of Yahoo News:
"But the chatter among NBA executives surrounding Siakam’s potential landing spots has now centered on Indiana, Sacramento and Detroit. Yes, the Pistons keep signaling to opposing executives an interest in buying, sources said, instead of selling off veterans from the league’s lowest team."
Troy Weaver talked about "being aggressive" during his propaganda campaign on a recent Woj Podcast, but also added "Does it mean we're going to make big deals? I don't know. But we're going to be aggressive in trying to improve this roster.”
Hahah, this cracked me up. Adding the word "aggressive" in front of a futile promise doesn't make it any more likely to happen. It's like me saying I'm going to "aggressively" sit on the sofa, or a kid telling his parents that he is going to "aggressively" try to clean his room, but then adding "Will it get cleaned? I don't know, but I am going to aggressively pursue cleanliness."
All of this may be delusion anyway.
Do the Detroit Pistons even have what it takes to trade for Pascal Siakam?
The Pistons saying they want to be "buyers" is like me walking into a Rolls Royce dealership and declaring myself a buyer, which is great until they look at my bank statement and credit rating.
The Pistons simply do not have the assets to make a big move. What are they going to give up for Siakam? Their expiring contracts are useless to a non-contender. They don't have extra draft picks to deal. There is only one way to get it done and it would be a massive risk.
Will the Pistons break up the "Core Four"
I've said many times that the Pistons don't have a "core," as they only have one player who is anywhere near untouchable and that's Cade Cunningham.
But would they break up their young group for a half-season of Siakam and a shot at re-signing him?
Without offering up one of Jaden Ivey, Jalen Duren or Ausar Thompson, it's hard to see how the Pistons would be able to put together a package for a player like Pascal Siakam.
However, the price for Siakam will likely fluctuate depending on his willingness to re-sign with his new team. If he indicated that he'd be willing to sign an extension in Detroit, it might be worth giving up Ivey to get him. But if he is unwilling to do so, there is no way the Pistons can give up one of their best young players for a guy who could leave after this season.
So the Pistons may try to be buyers at the deadline, but with their meager assets, it's more likely they'll be shopping at the Dollar Tree.