The Detroit Pistons lost a tough one to the Golden State Warriors last night with the veteran Warriors getting a little boost from the referees.
The game wasn't important for the standings (at least not for Detroit) but featured several players who could be on the move before the trade deadline this season.
Recent reports from The Athletic (SUBSCRIPTION) indicate that both Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody are not happy with their playing time with the Warriors, though Kuminga did play a team-high 36 minutes last night, which may have been Steve Kerr's way of dampening those rumors.
Both of those players are guys the Detroit Pistons could use, and the Warriors could also look to upgrade with the Pistons' veterans, but is there a deal to be made?
Trade between the Detroit Pistons and Golden State Warriors
On paper, players like Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks are the type of win-now veterans the Warriors might seek to bolster their roster for a playoff run.
On paper, Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody are the types of high-upside players the Pistons might seek as they re-tool their roster around the young core.
But as I wrote recently, trading with the Warriors won't be easy without a third team involved. The Warriors payroll is very top-heavy, and once you get past Draymond Green, there is a steep drop-off in salaries, making it hard for the Pistons to match up.
A Kuminga for Bogdanovic swap might work for both teams, but the Warriors can't take on any extra money, so it's hard to make the trade work without including either Andrew Wiggins or Draymond Green, which is far too much to give up for Bogdanovic unless the Pistons threw in other pieces, which then throws the salary alignment off again.
There is one trade that would work, but would either team be interested?
That is a lot for the Warriors to give up, but would give them two proven shooters, though neither of them was very impressive last night and both are terrible defenders. The only real motivation here would be to get off of Green's remaining salary and clear some future cap space, as both Bogdanovic and Burks are expiring deals (Bogey is partially guaranteed).
The Pistons could use someone with Green's toughness and defense, but he obviously comes with other red flags including three years of additional salary after this one.
With a third team involved (the Bulls?), the Pistons might be able to pull something off here, but it's difficult to make the salaries work without the Warriors potentially giving up too much or the Pistons having to take on a bunch of extra salary.