It’s weird to say this as a fan of the Detroit Pistons, but it’s nice to have stability in the front office and coaching staff, unlike those losers in....um...Denver?
The Nuggets made a shocking move yesterday when they fired head coach Mike Malone and GM Calvin Booth in one of the most surprising moves in recent memory.
When you think of stability in the NBA, the Nuggets would come to mind, as Malone had been there for a decade, won the entire time and even brought a title to Denver.
This is the second shocking firing of a coach within the last weeks and the timing was just as inexplicable as the names involved, as we are talking about Malone and Taylor Jenkins, two of the most respected and successful coaches in the game.
It’s led to wide speculation about what this means for the Nuggets, who want to maximize the Nikola Jokic window but have challenges when it comes to improving the roster.
The only real way to improve their depth would be trading from the core of Jokic, Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon or Michael Porter Jr., all talented players on big contracts that extend for the long term.
Zach Lowe did an emergency podcast to discuss the Mike Malone situation and what it means for Denver and bandied around the idea that one of Jamal Murray or Michael Porter Jr. could be traded.
That’s an interesting development for the Detroit Pistons, who may look to fill a long-term need this summer.
Detroit Pistons rumors: Trading for Michael Porter Jr.
According to Lowe, trading MPJ isn’t going to be easy, as he’s on a big salary for a guy who has been the 3rd or 4th best player on his own team.
He’s due $38 and 40 million in the two years following this one, so even though the salary is big, it only goes for two more seasons.
On paper, MPJ fills Detroit’s biggest need, which is more size and shooting from the power forward position, especially considering Tobias Harris’ contract only runs through next season and the Pistons don’t have an in-house replacement.
Denver would be looking for depth, salary relief and guys who can play right now, as they aren’t about to start rebuilding around Jokic.
A package of Tobias Harris, Simone Fontecchio and a first-round pick would get the Pistons there financially and give the Nuggets two expiring contracts of rotation players.
Whether that would be enough is anyone’s guess and the Pistons would certainly have to consider if MPJ would offer more value than those two players combined.
Again, on paper, MPJ is an upgrade who gives the Pistons more size and a guy who is an elite shooter from long range.
Of course, this is all just speculation at this point, and Denver may not do anything drastic, but they are one of several apron teams that are going to have to make some tough decisions this summer if they want to improve their depth and financial flexibility.