Detroit Pistons: Players to trade or retain at the NBA deadline
By Bob Heyrman
What should the Detroit Pistons do with Delon Wright?
The Detroit Pistons added the five-year veteran combo guard, Delon Wright, to start as the teams’ two-guard alongside rookie point guard Killian Hayes.
Wright joined the Pistons after playing in the Dallas Mavericks backcourt with Luka Doncic a year ago but only averaged 6.9 points but the year prior in Memphis averaged a career-high 12.2 points per game and a touch over 30-minutes.
Wright joined the Pistons, reuniting with head coach Dwane Casey who he’d played for in the past with the Toronto Raptors. After trading Rose, Casey chose to shift Wright back to the point while Hayes continues rehabbing his torn labrum, but Wright himself found himself sidelined with a hip injury but is expected to rejoin the team after the All-Star break.
To start the season, the Pistons had a plethora of guards in their rotation, but after trading Rose, plus losing the aforementioned to injury, it opened the door for rookie point guard Saben Lee to show he belongs in the league and may become a vital piece to the Pistons’ rebuild.
Lee has stashed an impressive line over the past seven games after being asked to play a more prominent role in Casey’s rotation. Lee has averaged 12.6 points, 3.9 assists, 2.1 boards, and one steal playing 24 minutes per game. Overall, Lee is shooting 54.3% from the field and a stellar 66.7% from beyond the arc.
Lee’s recent success does leave a player like Wright expendable at the NBA trade deadline.
During the 2020-21 season, Wright is 10.7 points, 4.9 assists, 4.6 boards, and 1.4 steals per game while averaging just over 29 minutes of work. Although Wright is a much more proven player at this juncture of his career, Lee seems like a player that can play behind Smith Jr. for the remainder of the season and beyond.
Wright can slide to the two-guard primarily if the organization trades Ellington at the deadline, but if the Pistons can land a young prospect similar to Smith Jr. and a second-round pick or futures choice, it’s a deal that should be made.
One enticing thing about Wright is his team-friendly $8.5 million cap hit for next season.