Pistons Must Decide If They Are A Playoff Team Before NBA Trade Deadline

The Detroit Pistons franchise has come to a crossroad and the decisions made over the next eight days will shape the franchises future.  With the NBA Trade Deadline approaching on February 19th, Stan Van Gundy needs to decide whether or not his current roster has a shot to make the playoffs.  It is this decision that will drive all the others.

Where They Stand

The Detroit Pistons are  in the 10th spot in the Eastern Conference 2 1/2 games behind the Charlotte Bobcats for the 8th and final playoff spot.  That is after the Pistons 28 point victory over the Bobcats on Tuesday night.

2 1/2 before the all-star break doesn’t seem like an impossible task at the all-star break but that is a bit deceiving.  The NBA All-Star break comes well after the mid way point of the season meaning the Pistons only have 29 games in which to secure their spot in the playoffs. Barring a big winning streak (like the one they experienced after Josh Smith was traded) that may be a tall order to fill.

So now the ball is in Stan Van Gundy’s court as he must make some tough decisions about the immediate and distant future of his franchise. He must decide if this team can make the playoffs and what to do about Greg Monroe who would most certainly be in demand on the trade market.

If They Are A Playoff Team…

…the Pistons have to make a trade to acquire a player that can help on the defensive end.  Although the Pistons have shown at times that they can play solid team defense, they lack committment to it on a nightly basis. Getting a defensive specialist, preferably in the backcourt, that can come off the bench and provide a spark could help move the Pistons forward.

The Pistons have some tradeable assets to offer in exchange for the right player.  Other than Greg Monroe , the Detroit Pistons have 4 players with expiring contracts worth over $10 million.  Greg Monroe’s deal adds nearly $5.5 million to that total.  That is some serious cap space that could be made available for the right deal.

But even if the Pistons are able to make the playoffs is doing the cap space tango worth a likely first round exit?  For an owner who is hungry for a playoff run (no matter how short-lived) it could be.

If They Are Not A Playoff Team…

…then the Detroit Pistons must do a cannonball into the deep end of the NBA trade deadline pool party. Greg Monroe is the biggest trade chip the Detroit Pistons have on the roster.  The return on a trade involving Monroe would be excellent and could include a solid young player, draft picks or both.  It is the kind of deal that could set the Pistons up for the next couple of seasons.

That said trading Monroe could effectively end the Pistons chances at the playoffs as well as fan interest in the product.  Monroe would also have to agree to any trade before the deal is finalized, adding another layer to the complexity of any deal involving the Detroit Pistons big man.

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