Omari Sankofa II | Detroit Free Press
General manager Troy Weaver said Tuesday that while the Detroit Pistons will remain aggressive through the 2021 NBA trade deadline, he didn’t anticipate a repeat of November’s frenzy, which left the Pistons with four returning players. That level of activity would be hard to top between now and the deadline. But it seems likely more moves will happen before the offseason begins.
Friday night’s trade for Hamidou Diallo, which sent Svi Mykhailiuk and a 2027 second-round pick from the Houston Rockets to the Oklahoma City Thunder, leaves the Pistons with one player from the previous regime — Sekou Doumbouya. No one on the roster is untouchable, and while it is tough to see certain players being traded within the next two weeks, it’s clear Detroit isn’t done remodeling.
“We don’t know what the outcome will be but we’re definitely going to be aggressive,” Weaver said. “Where we are, we have to be. I wouldn’t expect a bunch of fireworks, but we’re going to be aggressive and comb the league and look at things and see if we can get better.”
Here are three trade ideas for the Pistons ahead of the March 25 deadline:
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Trade 1: Pistons send Wayne Ellington to Los Angeles Lakers for Wesley Matthews, 2023 second-round pick
This one is straightforward. Ellington is in the midst of one of the best seasons of his career, averaging 10.6 points and tying his career-high with a 42.4% clip from behind the arc through Friday. He’s on an expiring veteran’s minimum contract, giving the Pistons incentive to find value for him.
Matthews, who is shooting a career-low 33.3% from 3, hasn’t given the Lakers much floor-spacing this season. Ellington would be an immediate upgrade, and the Pistons would add another second-round pick to their stock.
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Trade 2: Pistons send Delon Wright to Philadelphia 76ers for Mike Scott, Vincent Poirier, 2021 second-round pick (from New York), 2023 second-round pick
The Sixers look like a true contender this season, with an Eastern Conference-best 26-12 overall record. Losing MVP frontrunner Joel Embiid for at least two weeks might cause them to stumble down the standings, but they’re entering the deadline from a position of strength.
If there’s one hole they could look to fill, point guard makes sense. They don’t have much proven ball-handling experience behind Ben Simmons. Wright would be an immediate upgrade as their backup, especially considering his run of success at point guard before his groin strain Feb. 19. In his previous seven games, he averaged 16.7 points (61.8% shooting, 55.6% from 3), 6.1 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 1.4 steals. He’s also shooting 46% on catch-and-shoot 3-pointers this season, which could ease any spacing concerns about his fit in Philadelphia.
Of all of Weaver’s offseason acquisitions, Wright appears to be the most expendable. The Pistons will soon have a longjam at point guard when rookie Killian Hayes returns, potentially at the end of March. Hayes was the starter before going down with a torn labrum in his hip Jan. 4. It’s not clear how the Pistons will handle his return — will he immediately resume his place in the starting lineup, or be brought along more slowly off of the bench?
Either way, the Pistons will have to find minutes for Hayes, Dennis Smith Jr. and Saben Lee. Smith is finding his groove after arriving in Detroit from New York in February, and Lee appears to be ahead of schedule after being drafted 38th overall in last year’s draft and signing a two-way contract. Wright is the most experienced of the four, and coach Dwane Casey paired him alongside Hayes in the starting lineup at the beginning of the season to take ball-handling pressure off Hayes. But if the Pistons wish to add more assets, this could be a logical trade.
In lieu of one or both second-round picks, the Pistons could look to acquire Sixers wing Terrance Ferguson on an expiring rookie contract. Weaver is familiar with Ferguson, 22, as the Oklahoma City Thunder drafted him in the first round of the 2017 draft.
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Trade 3: Pistons send Rodney McGruder and 2023 second-round pick (less favorable from Cleveland or Golden State) to Charlotte Hornets for Malik Monk
The Hornets are 18-18 and in the thick of the playoff race. LaMelo Ball is the frontrunner for Rookie of the Year, Gordon Hayward is having his best season since he left Utah four years ago, and Terry Rozier has been a lights-out scorer.
Monk, the Hornets’ 2017 lottery pick, started this season outside the rotation. He re-entered toward the end of January and found his footing in February, scoring a career-high 36 points Feb. 1 against the Miami Heat. During a six-game stretch from Feb. 22 until March 3, he averaged 22 points on 50% shooting and a 40% from 3.
So why would the Hornets would trade him? Monk has had hot streaks before. He has yet to put together a full season of consistent play, and doesn’t offer much else when his shot isn’t falling. He’s in the last year of his rookie deal and becomes a restricted free agent this summer, meaning the Hornets have a decision to make.
If Monk cools off before March 25 and Charlotte decides to move on, he could make sense for the Pistons. Weaver isn’t afraid to gamble on players, and two other former 2017 lottery picks, Josh Jackson and Smith, are flourishing in Detroit after fizzling out at their previous stops. McGruder’s $5.4 million owed next season is non-guaranteed, meaning the Hornets could waive him this summer and preserve their cap space. A single second-round pick may be too low of an asking price for Monk, but it’s worth looking into.
Contact Omari Sankofa II at osankofa@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @omarisankofa. Read more on the Detroit Pistons and sign up for our Pistons newsletter.