The NBA Trade Deadline is here!
Teams have until 3 p.m. ET to make trades and your Detroit Pistons are one of the teams to watch in the next few hours. They have desirable pieces, sure, but also may stand pat as they look to finally make a turn in their rebuild next season. The DBB crew dove into the trade deadline and what to expect from Troy Weaver today:
1. The NBA Trade Deadline has arrived. Reports say that teams are interested in trading for a few Pistons — namely, Bojan Bogdanovic, Alec Burks, Saddiq Bey and Nerlens Noel. Do you expect any of those guys to get moved today?
Lazarus Jackson: I expect Nerlens to be moved and the rest of the guys to stay. I have NO clue what that means for the 2023-24 version of the Pistons, and I can’t say if that’s a good thing or a bad thing.
Ben Gulker: Expecting is probably too strong a word, but I wouldn’t be too surprised if Noel or Burks is playing somewhere else. I would be very surprised if Bogey or Bey is traded though.
Brady Fredericksen: Noel is good as gone. He’s never really appeared to want to be here and the Pistons have never appeared to want to utilize him — even when they actually kinda needed him. He’ll fetch a second round pick, but I’m hoping he fetches a young player whose stock has diminished like Matisse Thybulle in Philly. I just want to feel something.
Justin Lambregtse: The only player I think gets moved is Nerlens Noel and it will be a very minor trade. I truly believe the Pistons want to keep Bogdanovic and Burks and will not get the necessary offer that blows their socks off to trade them.
David Fernandez: Perhaps the beatdown that Detroit went through in Cleveland last night might signify that this team is much further away than some previously thought, and that’ll spurt some sort of action, but I’m doubtful. Maybe Noel gets moved for a second rounder, but I don’t see Detroit moving anyone else.
2. While Noel does seem most likely, what would it take for you, if you’re Troy Weaver, to move off of Boganovic, Burks or Bey?
Lazarus Jackson: I would be willing to trade Burks for a low, protected first if it had a high chance of conveying soon; not to get more young guys in here, but to be able to trade a pick without running afoul of the Stepien Rule.
Ben Gulker: Reading between the lines, Weaver seems to be under pressure to win more games next season, and Bogdanovic will be important to that happening. Burks and Bey can help, too. Whether winning more games next season should be a goal of the franchise is a different and important question, but Weaver might not have the luxury of asking it. I would be shopping Burks and Bogey for assets that ripen in the next 2-3 seasons and holding onto Bey until at least restricted free agency. Like this season, focusing too much on winning next season is short sighted.
Brady Fredericksen: If I can get a two-way forward who fits the timeline for Cade, Ivey and Duren, I’d move any of them. Thing is, if you look at the roster — and read the rumors about who they may be interested in this summer (cough, Jerami Grant, cough) — you realize it’s all a bluff. Just because Weaver won’t move any of the B’s right now doesn’t mean he won’t in 4 months — in fact, I think it’s a matter of when, not if, he does. This roster is not good enough, period, but Pistons’ hands are tied by that 27.3% chance they have of landing either Victor Wembanyama or Scoot Henderson.
Justin Lambregtse: I think the only way I would trade any of those three is in a bigger deal for a better player. I think I am good on trading them for something like a 2029 first.
David Fernandez: I was going to say that I really wanted Detroit to get into the Jarred Vanderbilt conversation, but that’s no longer a possibility. Could Golden State be desperate enough (post Curry injury) to part ways with Jonathan Kuminga? I doubt it, but Troy Weaver should kick every tire imaginable to see what that would take. Detroit needs to improve defensively, so perhaps you take a swing on a guy like Matisse Thybulle.
3. Is this team just stuck the way it is? Or is there any solution that can take it from being horrendous to simply bad today?
Lazarus Jackson: Nope, team is pretty stuck. Waving a magic wand and turning A- Bogey into two B’s and a C+ doesn’t bring Cade back, doesn’t make the growth that they need from Duren happen any faster, and doesn’t help Stew regain his shot. They need to hope for QUICK progression from their vital young guys (Cade, Duren, Ivey) if they would like to not be stuck.
Ben Gulker: Yes, the team is stuck, and this season is lost in terms of wins and losses unless Weaver is willing and able to replace 40% of the rotation in a day.
Brady Fredericksen: It’s stuck. You’re not going to get equal current value for Burks or Bogdanovic and I don’t think an extra non-lottery rookie next year or the year after helps turn this around any faster. Weaver got this team in good financial shape, but he still has a lot to prove as he embarks on building a successful basketball team.
Justin Lambregtse: I don’t think the draft and a mid tier free agent does much to change the outcome of this team. It is going to have to be a trade of putting together some of the assets they have collected for a higher tier player. But I’m not sure what that trade is.
David Fernandez: I don’t think that there’s a singular move that makes this team better on-court this season. Everything rides or dies with Cade Cunningham, so until he is back, nothing will change.
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As always, let us know where you stand in the comments.
1. The NBA Trade Deadline has arrived. Reports say that teams are interested in trading for a few Pistons — namely, Bojan Bogdanovic, Alec Burks, Saddiq Bey and Nerlens Noel. Do you expect any of those guys to get moved today?
2. While Noel does seem most likely, what would it take for you, if you’re Troy Weaver, to move off of Boganovic, Burks or Bey?
3. Is this team just stuck the way it is? Or is there any solution that can take it from being horrendous to simply bad today?