Detroit Pistons: Pros and cons of trading for Zach LaVine

Detroit Pistons: Trading for Zach LaVine

Pro: The Pistons are financially flexible

I've made fun of Troy Weaver and his mythical financial flexibility for years now, as it doesn't matter how flexible you are if you never use it.

Eventually, he has to try and get an actual player with all of the money he's thrown around, right?!? In three offseasons, Weaver has taken no chances and instead has taken on useless salary dumps that have netted the Pistons next to nothing except losses.

I compared trading for LaVine to the disastrous trade for Blake Griffin, mostly because of the age, knee injuries, money and the limited ceiling they bring to the Pistons.

But this wasn't entirely fair, as the Detroit Pistons are in a much better financial situation than they were in the Blake era, and could absorb LaVine's deal without it being crushing even if it didn't totally work out.

LaVine has also been reliable over the last three seasons and doesn't play a bruising, physical style, so he's not as big a risk as Blake was at the time.

Eventually, Troy Weaver has to try and do SOMETHING, as he has done next to nothing other than draft players, take on low-risk busts and salary dumps for second-round picks. LaVine would be a big swing, and does carry risk, but the financial side isn't as bad as some fans are making it, especially as the salary cap continues to go up.

If you think LaVine's $45 million a season is bad, wait until you see the next round of max deals.