Detroit Pistons: Is Trade Deadline Move on the Horizon?
With today being the NBA Trade Deadline, will the Detroit Pistons make another move following their acquisition of Tobias Harris?
The Detroit Pistons got a jump start on the NBA trade deadline by acquiring Forward Tobias Harris from the Orlando Magic on Tuesday. Since the actual deadline isn’t until 3PM ET today, is there a follow-up deal in the works for Detroit?
The most obvious scenario seems to point towards the Pistons acquiring a veteran point guard to fill the role of backup point guard behind Reggie Jackson. Jameer Nelson, Ramon Sessions and Ty Lawson are just a few of the names being tossed around.
Lawson probably wishes he would have never left Denver as his time in Houston has been nothing short of a disaster. The fact still remains he is only a year removed from averaging over 15 points and nearly 10 assists a game. He would be my top choice of the names being mentioned as I think he still is talented enough to work into a solid bench role and help down the stretch. Steve Blake is not the short term or long term answer, so backup point guard is a logical first place to look.
Another name that has been prominent in the rumors today has been forward Ryan Anderson with Detroit being mentioned in those talks as well. It seems highly unlikely that Detroit would entertain a deal for another forward as they just acquired Harris. Anderson is a stretch four that can knock down the three and provide some rebounding. He is cut somewhat from the mold of Ersan Ilyasova, who obviously Detroit didn’t think was the right fit for their team. I would be surprised if Anderson was acquired in a deal but if so, you would think potentially Marcus Morris would be on the move in that scenario.
The current makeup of this Pistons roster is solid, but is this a championship caliber team? It appears that Stan Van Gundy is comfortable playing his starters as many minutes as humanly possible as their bench has provided little this year. The return of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope will put Stanley Johnson back in a bench role and give them a bit more flexibility. This seems like a team that could really benefit from a veteran free agent that can be had on the cheap that would give them a little scoring punch off the bench.
Kevin Martin and David Lee are two names that come to the forefront in my mind. Martin is a member of the Minnesota Timberwolves and it sounds like he will be let go today to pursue other opportunities. Martin’s numbers this season are abysmal but he did average 20 points per game last season and has always shown the ability to get himself to the free throw line. He would be a great addition and give Detroit a capable scorer that could provide 20 minutes off the bench.
The decline of David Lee has been somewhat curious as this is a guy that averaged 18 points and 9 boards in 2013. He is still only 32 years old and seemingly would have a few solid years of production left. Boston has buried him on the bench this season while they continue to develop a young front court. Lee could be had for virtually nothing at this point and would be able to immediately step in and provide veteran leadership and toughness that has playoff experience.
If the Pistons were able to acquire all three veteran players they would have a new starting lineup of Reggie Jackson, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Marcus Morris, Tobias Harris, and Andre Drummond. A bench made up of Stanley Johnson, Ty Lawson, Kevin Martin, David Lee, Aron Baynes, and Anthony Tolliver. That is a team that I like from top to bottom and gives them a much better chance to not only make the playoffs but give someone fits in the first round.
The most likely scenario is that they make a smaller deal to acquire a backup point guard with Ramon Sessions leading the rumor mill at the moment. While Sessions would be a decent acquisition and give their second unit a scoring boost, I think the Pistons need to do a bit more and I think Van Gundy knows that too.
Next: Pistons Season Marked by Highs and Lows
Keep refreshing twitter as the rumors will continue to swirl all over the NBA today. Let’s all hope that the Pistons are a big time player today as well and they continue to build around the solid core they already have in place.