General manager Troy Weaver has already made it clear that the Detroit Pistons are unlikely to be as active in the trade market as they were last season. It would be nearly impossible to accomplish that feat anyway, given that Weaver overturned nearly the entire roster last fall. The checklist is much smaller this summer, as the front office believes internal development is the clearest path to the playoffs next spring.
But the Pistons own three second round picks in the 2021 NBA draft, which will take place on July 29. Since they also have the No. 1 pick, it’s unlikely that they will add four additional rookies to the roster, as they did in the 2020 draft. They likely won’t have enough spots after taking care of their free agents, and the roster is already young. It wouldn’t be surprising to see the Pistons consolidate their second-rounders to move up and acquire an additional first-round pick.
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It’s common for contending teams at the bottom of the first round to move down, due to the increased flexibility that comes with second-round picks. (All first-round picks receive guaranteed deals; second-rounders don’t.) They can sell the picks, use them to sign players to two-way contracts or minimum deals, or select draft-and-stash overseas prospects.
Weaver has already signaled that the Pistons will be open for business on draft night. And Weaver was aggressive on draft night last year, finding Isaiah Stewart, Saddiq Bey and Saben Lee outside of the lottery. There’s no reason to think he’ll be more conservative the second time around, even with fewer holes to fill. Here are three trades the Pistons could pursue to net an additional first-rounder.
Trade 1: Pistons receive No. 29 pick; Phoenix Suns receive Nos. 37, 42
This one is pretty straightforward, as it doesn’t involve any players, and thus no salary numbers to crunch. The Phoenix Suns are in the NBA Finals, but they need have some maneuvering to lock in their core beyond next season. Chris Paul has a player option worth $44.2 million, but he’s reportedly angling to opt out and re-sign for a longterm deal worth about $100 million. Deandre Ayton and Mikal Bridges are both eligible for rookie extensions. And two of the Suns’ key role players, Cameron Payne and Torrey Craig, are entering unrestricted free agency.
Rather than keeping a late first-rounder, it could be more beneficial for the Suns to acquire a couple early or mid-second-round picks to fill out their roster, especially with any second-rounders right now. They have a clear need for a big man, particularly after losing Dario Saric to a torn ACL. Auburn’s JT Thor and North Carolina’s Day’Ron Sharpe are logical targets.
Trade 2: Pistons receive No. 30; Utah Jazz receive Josh Jackson, Nos. 42, 52
Like the Suns, Utah is in win-now mode. Unlike the Suns, the Jazz have a simpler offseason ahead. Retaining Mike Conley, who is entering unrestricted free agency and made $34.5 million last season, appears to be a priority. Otherwise, their main goal should be filling out a roster that already has its key pieces. Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert have inked extensions, and Jordan Clarkson, Joe Ingles, Royce O’Neal and Bojan Bogdanovic are all under contract until at least 2023.
Josh Jackson arguably had the strongest season of his career last year, thriving as a wing defender and secondary scoring option. He would fill a need for Utah as a multi-positional defender who can score, and the Jazz would move down seven spots in the draft and pick up an additional second-rounder to go with a year of Jackson’s services. Jackson and Diallo filled similar roles for the Pistons last season; with Diallo potentially signing a long-term contract this offseason, it makes sense to explore the market for Jackson.
Trade 3: Pistons receive Nos. 27, 44 and DeAndre Jordan, Brooklyn Nets receive Mason Plumlee, Nos. 37, 52
Injuries hurt the Nets’ bid to make it to the Finals this year, with only Kevin Durant making it to Game 7 of the Eastern semis, but James Harden and Kyrie Irving likely will be healthy going into 2021-22. The Nets need to improve their depth around the superstar trio. Blake Griffin will be an unrestricted free agent and might’ve earned another long-term deal after a strong showing this past season, and DeAndre Jordan isn’t quite the All Defense Team-caliber player he used to be.
Brooklyn has a strong need for a center. Plumlee is a clear upgrade over Jordan and, along with Nicolas Caxton, would give Brooklyn a solid rotation in the middle. The Nets would also save a little money. In exchange, the Pistons would move into the first round and gain an additional second-rounder that could itself be packaged with No. 42 to move up again. It would also clear the way for Isaiah Stewart to become a full-time starter at center.
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.