Pros and Cons of trading for Zach LaVine for the Detroit Pistons

Pros and cons of trading for Zach LaVine for the Detroit Pistons: Money

Pros

Zach LaVine is owed $43, 45 and 48 million in the next three seasons after this one, which is a lot of money, but is it? This will be the going price for a quality NBA starter soon, and though LaVine is no longer an All-Star, he's very close when healthy. This is in the range of what Tobias Harris and Pascal Siakam will get in free agency and LaVine is younger than either of them.

It's only three more seasons, so even if LaVine isn't lights out, they won't be overpaying for his services and will get his last prime years.

There's also the issue of 2024 free agency, which is grim. Look at this list of players and tell me who the Pistons are going to sign that is better than LaVine. I'll wait.

The Pistons could trade for LaVine and still have the cap space to sign the role players they need in the offseason. It's not a great contract but it's not catastrophic and if the Pistons don't sign LaVine, what are they going to do with all of that cap space? Would you rather have Lavine or vastly overpay for a free agent who isn't as good and will be on an even longer contract?

The final year of his deal is a player option that he will almost certainly exercise, but the Pistons would still be able to move him a massive expiring contract if it came to that.

Cons

When you factor in Cade Cunningham's inevitable rookie extension, the Pistons would have a ton of money tied up in a backcourt that has health issues and can't play defense.

If LaVine were to get hurt again, $45 million would be a massive sunk cost that the Pistons have no way of getting out of, as there isn't much of a trade market for LaVine now, and there will be none if he suffers another serious injury.

This would be a risky move for the Detroit Pistons, but one they will have to consider if the price is right. If they can get LaVine with just expiring deals, he might be too good to pass up, but if it costs them one of the "Core Four," then his flaws become more troubling.