Leading up to Thursday’s NBA trade deadline, league sources maintained the Detroit Pistons were unlikely to part with their core players. It would’ve taken a deal the organization couldn’t say no to.
In the end, one trade ended up meeting the Pistons’ asking price — and it cost them one of their recent first-round draft selections. Saddiq Bey, the 19th pick of the 2020 draft, and Kevin Knox were traded in a multi-team deal that landed the Pistons the second overall pick in 2020, James Wiseman. Bey was initially traded to the Golden State Warriors and then rerouted to the Atlanta Hawks, and Kevin Knox was also traded to the Warriors and, per reports, flipped to the Portland Trail Blazers.
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Veteran scorers Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks, whom the Pistons took calls in the weeks and months leading up to the deadline, remain on the roster. It seemed likely Detroit would carry both players into the offseason, rather than sell high on them now, and sources told the Free Press as recently as Wednesday afternoon the chances of a deal for either player were slim. One source, granted anonymity because they are unauthorized to speak publicly, said the Pistons continually refused offers for them.
In all, the deadline marks one of the most significant gambles of Troy Weaver’s 2½-year tenure as general manager. Bogdanovic and Burks have been among the league’s most efficient wing scorers, but the former is 33 years old and the latter is 31. Detroit’s front office believes their value will hold through the offseason, and that they can still contribute at a high level next season.
That was expected. As coach Dwane Casey said after Wednesday’s loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Pistons view them as a “perfect fit” for the rebuild. The bigger surprise is not only seeing the organization part with Bey, a fan favorite with some previous standout offensive performances, but also who he was traded for.
Wiseman a high-upside, risky swing
Weaver has long been a big fan of Wiseman. The 7-foot Memphis alumnus sat atop Detroit’s draft board in 2020, and the Warriors pounced on him well before he fell to the Pistons at seven. On paper, Wiseman was supposed to give Golden State the size and athleticism at center it had lacked during its championship era. But as this trade makes clear, that didn’t happen.
The trade is a big upside swing that could pay off for Detroit. Wiseman has not lived up to his draft status, but he remains an athletic big man who has flashed potential as a rim-runner, post scorer and even as a perimeter option with elite defensive tools at 21 years old. He was universally considered a top-five prospect in the draft, with several reputable mock drafts listing him as the top player. Bey has had the far stronger NBA career, but the Pistons are gambling on Wiseman being better down the road.
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Wiseman played just 60 games with Golden State. The top-ranked high school recruit of 2019 suffered a torn meniscus toward the end of his rookie season, and then a setback in his rehab last season. It caused him to miss his entire sophomore campaign, before he returned during 2022’s Summer League. This season, he has spent time with the Warriors’ G League affiliate, the Santa Cruz Warriors, and played 21 games off the bench for the Warriors. He averaged 6.9 points on 62.8% shooting and 3.5 rebounds in 12.5 minutes per game.
Due to having a small role on a championship team, injuries and Wiseman’s ineligibility in college — he played just three games at Memphis before being suspended following reports that head coach Penny Hardaway helped pay for his moving expenses in high school — Wiseman hasn’t played much basketball the past four years. It makes it harder to evaluate what the Pistons will be getting. But despite their depth up front, they are positioned to give Wiseman extended playing time that the Warriors were not.
Like his fellow 2020 draft classmate Bey, Wiseman will be extension-eligible this offseason and will enter restricted free agency in 2024 if a deal isn’t reached by the fall. It gives the Pistons some time to evaluate his fit — time they will need, considering their recent investments at the center position. They traded for Duren with the No. 13 pick in 2022, drafted Stewart 16th overall in 2020 and signed Marvin Bagley III to a fully guaranteed three-year, $37.5 contract last summer. Duren is the only pure center on that list, and Casey will have to toy with lineups to maximize playing time for the group. It helps that Stewart has spent significant time at power forward this season, thanks to his developing outside jumper.
Bey was one of Weaver’s initial three first-round picks in November 2020 after he was hired as GM that June. Bey’s growth during his 2½ seasons in Detroit came in starts and fits, but his highlights teased a player who could be an offensive focal point. He scored 51 points against the Orlando Magic last season, and was averaging 19.2 points on 43.5% overall shooting and 41.5% on 3s in 12 games leading up to the trade.
But Bey’s consistency hasn’t been there. Before his recent improved play, his numbers slumped across the board this season. Through his first 40 games, he shot 39.3% overall and 31.8% from 3. His improvements as a passer last season also weren’t present this season, all while he remained a poor defender.
The 23-year-old’s role also shifted between the first and second units after starting all 82 games last season, largely because of Bogdanovic’s presence. But league sources told the Free Press that Bogdanovic, who signed a two-year extension Oct. 30, didn’t make Bey more expendable. The front office simply decided Wiseman was a better investment moving forward.
The trade could backfire. Bey is an NBA-caliber wing who can score points in a hurry. There will always be a need for his skill set. Wiseman has to prove he can contribute. The Pistons will have a lot of mouths to feed in the next few seasons, as Stewart and Killian Hayes are also extension-eligible this summer, and Cade Cunningham will be after next season. Wiseman has little time to show what he can do, but will have an expanded role. The Pistons believe in his potential.
Upside swings have been a fixture for Weaver, who has gotten looks at several former lottery picks and/or five-star recruits in Bagley, Knox, Jahlil Okafor, Dennis Smith Jr., Trey Lyles, Josh Jackson and Frank Jackson. But Wiseman might be his most significant investment yet, given it cost him one of his own former first-rounders. It speaks to his confidence, but also makes the trade one of his riskiest.
Deadline sets up big 2023 offseason
The Pistons, who fell to 14-42 on Wednesday, have long viewed this summer as a turning point for the rebuild. They are on track to secure a top-five pick for the third season in a row, and could have around $40 million in cap space.
That, coupled with two valuable assets in Bogdanovic and Burks, will give Detroit a lot of tools to remake the roster and make a playoff push next season. Bogdanovic is averaging 21.3 points, shooting 48.6% overall and 41.6% from 3, and Burks is averaging 13 points while hitting 43.9% and 42.1%, respectively. Barring injuries, both players would give the Pistons two great scoring options to flank Cunningham — assuming one or both aren’t included in a deal over the summer.
Bogdanovic will earn $20 million next season, but only $2 million of his $19 million in 2024-25 is guaranteed. Burks is also on a team-friendly deal, with a team option worth $10.5 million this summer.
Weaver will have work ahead to turn the Pistons around, but the deadline illustrates his confidence not only in the roster he has built, but in his draft evaluations as well.
Time will tell if it pays off.
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