NBA rumors: Knicks and Pistons could trade guards

Trade #1: The Pistons get a pick back

I wrote recently that the Pistons should consider re-signing Burks if they can make other big changes to their roster. Detroit has been talking about needing veteran shooters forever and Burks is one.

But keeping Burks to be your best bench player makes little sense for the NBA's worst team, so if the whole roster isn't upgraded, they may as well trade him, especially if they can get a first-round pick back.

Has Burks done enough lately for the Pistons to recoup the pick they owe the Knicks? The Knicks have four first-round picks in 2024, but it's hard to see them giving up the best of them (which would be the one the Pistons owe them) for a guy on an expiring deal.

Even though there are protections on the Pistons' pick that mean it may never be conveyed (it turns into a 2nd-rounder eventually), it's still worth the risk for the Knicks to keep it, as the protections lighten in the next three seasons.

So in this trade, they send their own first-round pick and Evan Fournier's expiring deal back to Detroit. The money comes up slightly short (867k) in this one, but I'll let the lawyers figure that out.

This is likely about as good as it is going to get for the Pistons, as a first-round pick in this draft would give them extra ammunition for a trade.

They would have to decide if the trade they could potentially make with that pick would bring back a player as valuable as Burks, who can still light it up off the bench.

Would the Pistons rather have a young player?