The Detroit Pistons aren’t there yet, but there will soon be a time when they are actively looking for another superstar to pair with Cade Cunningham.
And after the stunning Luka Doncic trade this weekend, anything suddenly seems possible, as I would have put Luka atop my list of players that were entirely untouchable, a word that no longer has any meaning in the NBA where literally anyone could be traded.
That made me wonder which superstar is going to be next, as there are several on underperforming teams that could soon be on the market.
Will the Detroit Pistons have a chance of landing one of them? That’s a different story. Here are the four superstars I’d say will be traded next and the chances they’ll end up in the Motor City.
Giannis Antetokounmpo
The Bucks are currently the 5th seed after losing three straight, probably not where they thought they’d be coming into the season.
Giannis has made it clear he wants to win titles, and he still might, as he himself is good enough to drag a team there, even if his supporting cast isn’t great, which his isn’t.
The Bucks have little depth, are getting old and are handcuffed financially to do much about it. It’s hard to see Milwaukee ever wanting to trade Giannis, but if this keeps up, he may ask out.
Or the Bucks could do what Dallas just did, which is trade him before it gets to that point, and if they flame out in the playoffs, that might be enough.
Chances of the Pistons getting Giannis: Extremely low
Every team in the league would be in on a Giannis trade unless the Bucks do it in secret and only deal with one team, which no one would ever do..... oh wait. Houston seems like the most logical destination with their combination of young talent and draft picks.
Without extra draft assets, it’s hard to see how the Pistons could put together the mega-package needed to get Giannis. I wouldn’t completely rule it out, but this one is beyond a long shot for several reasons.
Joel Embiid
How long is this saga going to carry on in Philly? Everyone knows Embiid’s issue, which is that he’s always hurt. He’s also owed huge money for the next four seasons after this one, so might be the most precarious superstar in the league.
When he’s healthy, he’s an MVP candidate, but when he isn’t, he’s just a guy eating up a huge chunk of your team’s cap space.
If Philly shopped him next summer, I am not even sure how many teams would be interested, as that contract is potentially a roster killer and is going to be even worse when Embiid is 34 making $67 million per year.
I could definitely see Philly shopping him and trying to reset around Maxey and whatever they got for Embiid, but at this point, the market may be limited because of his massive red flags that are not going away.
Chances of the Pistons getting Embiid: None
Trajan Langdon just came from a situation where an always-injured superstar derailed his team’s chances every year and it’s hard to see him wanting to go down that road again with Embiid, who is now on the wrong side of 30.
Kevin Durant
The Suns are currently the 8th seed in the Western Conference, only a half game better than the Pistons, who have the lowest payroll in the league while Phoenix’s is the highest.
If the Suns don’t do anything this season, I could certainly see Durant wanting out, as he’s never been shy about changing teams and has been traded for more assets than almost any player in NBA history.
The Suns could still get a boatload for him and could recoup some of the picks they no longer have, but it’s unclear if their owner has any interest in any kind of rebuild.
Chances of the Pistons getting Kevin Durant: Extremely slim
Adding KD to this current Pistons’ team makes them very interesting and it’s one that could even challenge for the Eastern Conference, but they’d have to give up too much of it to get him for that to be possible.
I don’t think KD would mind playing in Detroit if they were on the verge of a title, but they are not, so he’ll orchestrate his way to a team ready to win right now if he does ask out.
Devin Booker
If Durant leaves (this is already a double hypothetical), it’s only natural to assume Devin Booker might be next ,but again, it seems very unlikely the Suns would do this given their owner’s desire to compete for titles every year and not rebuild.
Booker is still in his prime, but trading him would clearly be the easiest way for the Suns to reboot with a ton of assets.
Chances of the Pistons getting Devin Booker: moderate
This is one to monitor, as Booker is from Michigan, grew up a Pistons fan, and wanted to come to Detroit, all of which the Pistons ignored when passing on him in the draft.
Booker and Cade is a premier backcourt and one that could immediately make the Pistons a contender in the Eastern Conference depending on what they had to give up to get him.
It would likely be painful, include Jaden Ivey, Ron Holland and a bunch of draft picks, but if Booker does hit the market, I’d be shocked if the Pistons weren’t interested, as he’d be a perfect complement to Cade.
Don’t stop dreaming Detroit, if Luka Doncic can be traded for AD and a first-round pick, literally anything else is possible.