The Detroit Pistons are two games above .500 in the middle of January, which has likely changed how they will approach the trade deadline.
Before the season started, you would have pegged the Pistons for sellers, as they have two expiring contracts in Tim Hardaway Jr. and Malik Beasley, cap space and a need for draft picks, which had “salary dump” written all over it.
But the Pistons have outplayed that strategy and THJ and Beasley have been a big part of it, which could make Detroit buyers instead.
ESPN (subscription) proposed a trade yesterday that could split the difference, as the Pistons are able to garner a draft pick and two players who could help them. The question is whether it is really worth it.
Proposed Jimmy Butler trade and the Detroit Pistons
The Pistons have already been mentioned as a potential player in the inevitable Jimmy Butler trade, as some tried to send Bradley Beal (puke) to the Pistons, a deal Detroit is never going to make.
But this one is a bit more interesting:
I’m going to ignore the Butler to Kings part, as I don’t see the point. Would swapping DeRozan for Butler even matter? And would the Kings want to pay twice as much for a guy who scores fewer points?
They would get off of the rest of DeRozan’s deal but then would potentially be stuck with Butler’s which has a chance of being far worse. I don’t get it.
As for the Pistons, they give up Tim Hardaway Jr. and take on both Kevin Huerter and old friend Trey Lyles along with a 2029 pick swap from Sacramento.
On paper, swapping out THJ for Huerter doesn’t hurt the Pistons much, and they could use further depth behind Tobias Harris at the four, which they'd get from Lyles, who can play both big man spots in stretches and hit shots.
They also get a pick swap that doesn’t seem like much now but could be huge in 2029 if the Pistons are a playoff team and the Kings are not. Adding a high draft pick to a team that is already good is how you stay good for a long time.
On the flip side, games aren’t played on paper and Huerter has been terrible this season. If you are getting the 38 percent career 3-point shooter, ok, but if you are getting this year’s 30 percent 3-point shooter, ouch.
There’s also the loss of leadership, which has been a big part of THJ’s value this season. You might not lose a ton on the court, but THJ’s worth has gone beyond that for the Pistons.
I don’t know that this deal makes the team markedly better or worse, so you have to ask if that risk is worth taking just for a pick swap.
There’s also Huerter’s contract, which has another year on it at $17 million, a steep cost to pay for a one-dimensional shooter who can’t shoot.
The counter argument to that is that his contract would be coming off the books at the same time as Tobias Harris’, which could give them upwards of $40 million in expiring contracts to work with next offseason, so the timeline remains the same.
This is one of the most interesting proposals I’ve seen, as it walks the middle ground between being a buyer and seller. I’d probably still walk away, as I don’t want that extra year of Huerter, who isn’t producing right now and could be a sunk cost next season that could hold them back from improving further.