Coming into this season, the Detroit Pistons figured to be sellers at the trade deadline, moving veterans and expiring deals for much-needed draft assets.
But they are two games above .500 as January comes to a close, sitting in the 6th seed and outplaying even the most optimistic expectations.
Add in All-NBA level play from Cade Cunningham and you suddenly have a team whose deadline strategy may have pivoted towards adding talent instead of subtracting it.
It’s a tricky situation for Trajan Langdon and one he probably didn’t expect to find himself in after taking over the worst team in basketball last summer.
He doesn’t want to do anything to disrupt what the Pistons are building, but it has to be tempting to try to swing for the fences with Cade Cunningham playing like he is, which was the thesis for a compelling argument that Detroit should cash in to land Brandon Ingram.
The Brandon Ingram to the Detroit Pistons rumor won’t die
I’ve talked about Ingram plenty on this site, so anyone who reads it regularly knows where I stand. I like him, like his game, but have some questions about his fit with Cunningham and think he has deal-breaking red flags when it comes to injuries and contract.
Any Ingram talk has also been hampered by the fact that he is hurt right now and seems to be in no rush to get back, almost as if he is just waiting to be traded away from the last-place Pelicans.
Bleacher Report recently ran a piece that made an argument for Ingram as an ideal fit in Detroit, citing the fact that Cunningham needs help and the Pistons are actually contending for the playoffs, with just 2.5 games separating them from the 4th seed.
Cunningham does need help, as he has the 3rd-highest usage in the league and teams are increasingly throwing 2-3 guys at him every time he touches the ball, which is leading to some bad turnover nights.
Side note: I am sick of hearing about turnovers in regards to Cade Cunningham to be honest. No one would argue that committing 10 turnovers is a good thing, but the guy has the ball in his hands literally every play. All high usage guys have turnovers, including James Harden, Trae Young, LeBron James, LaMelo Ball, Giannis, Wembanyama, Anthony Edwards and De’Aaron Fox, who round out the top 10 in turnovers per game. Yes, Cade needs to cut out some of the unforced ones, but can we stop harping on it after the guy scores 30 points on 12 shots and adds 11 assists and two blocks in a win?Rant disengaged.
Getting Cade a reliable sidekick who can handle the ball and reduce his usage would certainly help.
The question is whether Ingram is that guy and whether he is worth the cost.
Bleacher Report suggested the Pistons send the Pelicans Jaden Ivey + salary filler, which would have to be either Tobias Harris or Tim Hardaway Jr. They also suggested that the Pistons would be lucky to “overpay” Ingram with a max deal with the most years.
This is where we part ways.
Ivey may be the Pistons’ best trade chip, I agree, but not while he is injured. Also, I want no part of a long-term max deal for Ingram, who is always hurt and hasn’t won squat in his career.
Look around the league, the single biggest killer of a team under the new CBA is having a max guy who either doesn’t play like it or who is always hurt, both of which apply to Ingram.
I agree that Cade needs help, but giving up Ivey to get a guy with so many red flags is a risky way to go about it. Luckily, Trajan Langdon knows exactly how frustrating Ingram and his injuries are, and I doubt he’ll want any part of him again if it means giving up Jaden Ivey.
I’d rather the Pistons go after Collin Sexton or even Zach LaVine, whose financial obligations look far less daunting than a 5-year deal for Brandon Ingram.