Because they are into the second tax apron, the OKC Thunder are a trendy team to throw into trades for their surplus of talented guards as a way to cut payroll. The Detroit Pistons are in the market for scoring and ball handling, so could be the ideal trade partner.
We’ve talked about some possible ways to exploit the Thunder’s biggest problem, but Sam Presti is not going to get robbed, so a more modest deal is likely if the Pistons can get something done with OKC.
One player to watch is Aaron Wiggins, as the Thunder have Ajay Mitchell and Jared McCain on lower contracts ready to take his place, and he has a contract the Pistons could likely absorb without sending back another player.
And the timing for getting Wiggins may be perfect.
Aaron Wiggins may be on the verge of blowing up
Sometimes players just need a larger opportunity to thrive, and Wiggins may be one of those guys, as he is on a team that has nine guards, one of whom happens to be the 2-time MVP.
But there is precedent for players like him taking off in a new environment. Wiggins reminds me of a Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Nickeil Alexander-Walker type, a long wing player who can defend multiple positions and may just need to be on the right team to thrive.
KCP was a valuable role player for the Nuggets’ championship run, and NAW went off this year for Atlanta after both guys landed in the perfect spot.
Playing between Cade Cunningham and Ausar Thompson could be that spot for Wiggins, who is a plus shooter who has averaged 49 percent from the floor and 38 percent from long range for his career.
He’s a rangy wing who doesn’t need the ball in his hands to thrive and would benefit from playing with Cunningham and having more opportunities.
Wiggins would not satisfy the Pistons’ need for a second creator, but he’s the type of 3-and-D wing they should be loading up on until they can find that guy. If the Pistons can’t land the second “star,” they just need to add as much ball handling and shooting as possible without messing up their defense too much, and trading for Wiggins would be a step in that direction.
If you look at OKC and San Antonio, both teams are loaded with wing players who can shoot, which is something the Pistons do not have. They could pounce on Wiggins this summer before the rest of the league figures it out and have a guy who could blow up in a bigger role on a team friendly deal that pays him just $25 million over the next three seasons.
If the Pistons could steal Wiggins for a couple of second-round picks, they’d be crazy not to. He'd give them more shooting without hurting their defense and may be on the cusp of a breakout.
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