Fans of the Detroit Pistons have been hoping for news of some kind of move amidst their epic losing streak.
The first big move of the trade season happened today, but the Pistons were only involved tacitly, as a 2nd-round pick they owe the Knicks was sent to the Raptors as part of a deal for OG Anunoby.
The Toronto Raptors are finalizing a trade to send OG Anunoby to the New York Knicks for a package including RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley and draft considerations, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/Z81TH1EexF
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) December 30, 2023
RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley will be headed to Toronto, which seems like a fair deal for both teams.
The first domino has fallen, but does it mean anything to the Detroit Pistons?
One possible free-agent target gone for the Detroit Pistons
OG Anunoby can still enter free agency after this season and undoubtedly will, but it's hard to imagine the Knicks would trade two good young players for him if they didn't think they had a solid chance of re-signing him as a free agent. They will have the inside track, so you can likely check him off the list of potential free-agent targets.
The Pistons aren't exactly a free-agent destination anyway, so it's not like they had a great chance at Anunoby, but this probably removes whatever slim chance there was.
Are the Raptors finished?
Toronto has another forward in Pascal Siakam who might interest the Pistons, and with Anunoby gone, you have to wonder if he is next.
He will also be a free agent after the season, so trading for him would be a risk. Depending on what Toronto is asking for, it's also unlikely that the Pistons have the right combination of players and draft compensation to send back, but he'll be the next name to watch in Toronto.
What about the Knicks?
The Knicks managed to make the trade for Anunoby without giving up a first-round pick, so they still have several in the chamber for another trade.
The Pistons have stated that they don't want to trade Bojan Bogdanovic, but if they can get their pick back from the Knicks or even grab one of their later first-rounders in 2024, it might be worth it, as it would then allow the Pistons to trade this year's projected top-5 pick.
This trade could set off a flurry of additional moves around the league now that one of the most sought-after trade targets is off the market.
The best news for the Pistons might be that Anunoby won't be playing tonight, which gives them a fighting chance to break this embarrassing losing streak.