There have been a number of trade rumors involving the Detroit Pistons as the deadline approaches, but so far, no action.
The Pistons are lingering around the playoff picture with Cade Cunningham playing at an All-Star level, which may prompt them to be more aggressive at the deadline, especially after the injury to Jaden Ivey that could keep him out for the season.
Last night’s loss against Indiana was the first where Ivey’s absence was really felt and it’s clear the Pistons could use another scoring option who doesn’t need Cade to constantly set him up.
Bleacher Report recently suggested a “realistic” trade target for the Pistons who could be a short-term replacement for Ivey while providing some much-needed scoring and guard depth for next season.
Detroit Pistons rumors: Trading for Collin Sexton
B/R named Collin Sexton as a realistic trade target for the Pistons and it does make some sense, as he is averaging 18 points per game and would provide some of the things they are missing without Ivey.
Sexton isn’t as good a playmaker as Ivey, but he can get his own shot, and is a better 3-point shooter, knocking down 42 percent of his attempts overall and 44 percent of his catch-and-shoot 3’s.
He’s not a real point guard, but he could take over some of the ballhandling duties with Cunningham on the bench, the same as Ivey was.
He’s also on a fair deal that pays him $18.3 million this season and 19.1 in the next, so the Pistons would have no long-term obligations and his number would be coming off the books at the same time as Tobias Harris, giving the Pistons two big expiring deals to use in a possible trade.
When Ivey comes back, whether that is this year or next, the Pistons have more depth and scoring around Cade Cunningham, regardless of who starts.
The downside of trading for Collin Sexton
There are two clear red flags when it comes to Sexton. The first is that he isn’t very big and the Pistons already have a trio of small guards.
The second is the cost, as Danny Ainge is going to ask a premium for Sexton, and he’s not a guy who loses trades very often. My guess is that a first-round pick would have to be involved or that Sexton would have been traded by now, as there are plenty of teams who would give up 2nd-round picks for him given his age, production and contract.
The Pistons could potentially send Utah a package based around Sasser and a 1st-round pick, but there are very real questions about whether a shoot-first guard who isn’t a great defender (Sexton) is really worth that cost.
Could the Pistons potentially send them multiple seconds instead? Could he be rolled into a bigger trade with someone like John Collins or Walker Kessler? There are options to explore but it is always buyer beware when dealing with the Jazz.
Sexton is an interesting name to watch, and would fill some immediate needs, but the cost could be prohibitive, in which case the Pistons should explore other options.