Latest NBA rumors: Will the Detroit Pistons trade another center?

Detroit Pistons trade of Isaiah Stewart to the OKC Thunder

As I said, it's hard to imagine the Pistons trading Stewart after extending him, as Troy Weaver is obviously fond of Beef Stew.

Stewart has improved his shooting and is easily the best defender they have of their big men. Stewart isn't elite, but he's very solid on the defensive end. Just look at how the Pistons' defense went from terrible to catastrophic with him out.

But if the Pistons want to better balance their roster, adding a big wing like Dieng could help and he has a ton of upside on both ends even though he's not played much for the Thunder.

He's appeared in 22 games this season but only for 11 minutes at a time, putting up pedestrian numbers on bad shooting splits. Dieng is a project, there is no doubt, but he was the 11th pick in the draft for a reason, as he has great skill for his size at 6-foot-10.

There's also the fact that the Thunder drafted him, and they have been astute talent evaluators and developers over the years, which is how they are a title contender this season even though they are the second-youngest team in the league.

The Pistons would also get a 1st-round pick this year, which would open up a lot of possibilities for them, as they currently can't trade this year's pick until draft day because of the one they owe the Knicks. So this trade would be as much about future trades as the players involved.

It may seem like a lot for OKC to give up, but they'd get a versatile rotation player who is not making that much and can strengthen some of their weaknesses. This would be an upgrade without "going for it" for OKC, and they have too many picks to use this year anyway.

If the Pistons could get Dieng and a pick, they would have to consider it, as Dieng has two-way upside and the pick would allow them to make additional, bigger trades.

But "upside" is just a word until it is proven on the court, so it's also questionable if the Pistons should be giving up a known commodity for more future hope.