The Detroit Pistons have all of the red flags for a busy NBA trade deadline.
They stink. They have as many as seven expiring contracts, eight if you count Bojan Bogdanovic's partially guaranteed deal. They have veterans who aren't part of the future and young players they could use as trade assets.
There's also the fact that their roster needs a big-time shake-up after an epic losing streak whose stench won't be easy to wipe clean.
So the Pistons are very likely to make moves before or at this year's trade deadline. We've ranked the players by the chances they are traded, from the semi-untouchables to the guys who should probably start looking for real estate agents.
Ranking every Detroit Pistons' player by trade likelihood
#15: Cade Cunningham
I have a few extremely angry and vocal readers on Facebook (why is it always Facebook?) who tell me how the Pistons should trade Cade Cunningham daily. Luckily they are not the GM of the team, though at this point I'm not sure it would matter.
Cunningham has been unable to carry the worst roster in the NBA to a winning record, so it turns out he is not an infallible god. Regardless of how this season progresses, the Pistons are still building around Cade. I just wish they'd start acting like it, as none of their moves have complemented him.
Trading Cunningham now would be the height of stupidity, as you'd never reap equal value for a guy putting up 22 and seven on a rookie deal.
Is he 100 percent untouchable? Of course not, but he's close.
#14: Ausar Thompson
Thompson is also not untouchable, but he's shown enough for the Pistons to think he can and will be a big part of their future. The Pistons have lacked an elite defender on the wing since the Tayshaun Prince days, and Ausar has looked every bit the part of a guy who will make multiple All-Defensive teams and potentially compete for Defensive Player of the Year.
Could he be had in the right deal? Sure, if a superstar were coming back, but barring that, Thompson is going to be a Piston for the foreseeable future.
#13: Jalen Duren
Duren is barely 20 and already looks like one of the best centers in the Eastern Conference. He's a better passer than advertised, a great rebounder and his defense has improved, though he does still need a lot of work in that area. The only troubling thing with Duren so far has been his ankles, which he can't seem to stop spraining.
If the Pistons needed to include him to make a blockbuster deal, it's possible they would, but it's hard to imagine what that deal might be, so Duren is likely not going anywhere.
#12: Isaiah Stewart
There have been teams calling about Stewart, but it's hard to see the Pistons moving him after signing him to an extension. Fans have been hard on Beef Stew this year, but he has proven himself to be a quality role player, which is why teams like Boston want him.
Is Stewart a starting power forward? Probably not, but that's okay, the Pistons need role players too. They have given away too many for nothing, which is part of the reason they are in this mess. Stewart can be a very important part of a good team as a do-it-all big off the bench, so it's unlikely he'll be moved, especially on his own. The only way it happens is if Stew is a sweetener in a bigger deal.
#11: Monte Morris
We have entered the portion of the list where the likelihood of a trade increases exponentially.
It may seem odd to put a veteran on an expiring deal this high on the list, as usually, they are the types that do get dealt at the trade deadline. But Morris has yet to play, so what value would he really have? Also, he is from Michigan, wants to play for the Pistons and they are in desperate need of a veteran point guard.
There is likely mutual interest in a new contract, and I wouldn't be surprised if Morris gets a reasonable one at the end of the season. Of course, if the Pistons need his $10 million expiring deal to grease the wheels of a trade, Morris is gone.
#10: Marcus Sasser
It's difficult to trade players on rookie deals, as it is almost impossible to get equal value unless you are trading for another young player on their first contract.
Sasser has shown enough to think he can be part of the future as a lightning-in-a-bottle scorer off the bench. He could definitely be moved as part of a bigger deal but it would probably have to be with another rebuilding team looking for a young piece.
It could happen, but I wouldn't bet on it.
#9: Isaiah Livers
The only reason he is this high is that he has been terrible this season and it's hard to imagine anyone wanting a 25-year-old on a rookie deal who is shooting 24 percent from 3-point range and has been unable to stay consistently healthy.
Given he's on a deal that pays him $1.8 million, his contract isn't big enough to use in a matching deal and who would want him?
#8: Kevin Knox
You can say almost all of the same things about Kevin Knox that you said about Livers, but add that he's not even able to crack the rotation of the worst team in the NBA.
There is a reason he was available for the Pistons to sign as a free agent. The Pistons wouldn't even get a single second-round pick for Livers or Knox, so what is the point in trading them?
#7: Marvin Bagley III
I think the Pistons would trade MBIII today if they could find a single taker willing to offer an expiring deal.
Bagley III could be a nice third center on a good team, a guy who can come in and get you buckets in a hurry but has severe limitations defensively.
Unfortunately, he's not getting paid like a third center and has another year on his deal beyond this one, which is going to make him hard to move.
This is why you don't outbid yourself for players that no one else is pursuing, which was the case with MBIII.
If the Pistons can get literally any expiring deal for him, they should.
#6: Jaden Ivey
Ivey is the most likely member of the "Core Four" (is there such a thing when you lose 24 straight and counting?) to be traded. His fit with Cade Cunningham is suspect and he has the most value of any of their young players not named Cade, Ausar or Duren.
Ivey and a pick or two is a decent enough package to bring back talent and I do think the Pistons would move him in the right deal. Is that deal likely to come? No, which is why he's only sixth on the list. The Pistons aren't actively shopping Ivey but know he's their best trade asset right now.
#5: James Wiseman
Unlike Livers and Knox, Wiseman is still young enough that some team will bite on his potential as the Pistons did. He has played better of late, which will hopefully boost his trade value somewhat, and it's hard to see the league just giving up on a 22-year-old seven-footer with his athleticism.
He's also an expiring deal that they will need in any big trade, so if they make one, Wiseman could very well be a part of it just for contract purposes.
#4: Killian Hayes
Hayes doesn't have a ton of value on the trade market but he's shown he can be a steady backup point guard and there are enough teams that need one to think he could be included in a trade, especially since he's on an expiring contract.
The Pistons might consider bringing him back, which would drive half the fanbase crazy, but if they don't see him as part of the plans, it's hard to see him on the team past the trade deadline.
The Pistons' guards have too many overlapping skills and they need a veteran and someone who can shoot to complement Cade.
#3: Joe Harris
The only reason he is this high is that he has a big expiring contract, as it's hard to see anyone wanting Harris after how he has played this season.
But he's a $20 million expiring deal, so will almost have to be included in any multi-player trade for the Pistons. Detroit would be happy to give him away at this point, which reinforces how bad that trade was in the first place.
Trading for Joe Harris instead of trying to add a useful player to the roster will go down as one of Troy Weaver's worst decisions.
#2: Alec Burks
Burks would have been a nice trade asset at the deadline except for the fact that he has been terrible since returning from injury.
Burks has averaged just 7.8 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.3 assists over his last 16 games while shooting a woeful 29 percent from the field and 26 percent from long range.
So just like the guy at #1, the Pistons waited a season too long to move Burks, who looked like one of the best bench scorers in the NBA at the start of the season but has been in a freefall.
Hopefully, he'll get back to form by the deadline so that he is an asset and not just a guy the Detroit Pistons have to give away.
#1: Bojan Bogdanovic
The Detroit Pistons should have traded Bogdanovic last season but neglected to because he would help them "win games." How has that worked out?
There is a chance the Pistons will still get a decent return for Bogdanovic, whose partially-guaranteed deal next season will be attractive to contending teams that don't want to make a long-term commitment.
This proposed 3-team trade is probably the best the Pistons can hope for and it's a bit of a pipe dream.
But the Pistons need to get an extra first-round pick in 2024 if they want to make a big move, as right now they are hampered from adding multiple first-rounders by the pick they owe the Knicks. If they could get even one first-round pick for Bogdanovic (without taking on salary past this season) it would be malpractice not to do it, as it would open up more possibilities for bigger deals.