The Detroit Pistons entered the offseason fresh off a heartbreaking playoff trip, and with some clear priorities for their roster. They needed a floor-stretching forward who can create his own shot and knock down shots from beyond the arc.
While signing John Collins was a major upgrade over Tobias Harris, he doesn't necessarily address that need. That's why Michael Porter Jr. looked like a no-brainer trade target, especially given his current contract situation.
Porter Jr. is about to enter the final year of his contract. He'll make $40.8 million, and the Brooklyn Nets don't seem too eager to give him the type of big-money contract extension he could get elsewhere.
The Pistons must consider trading for Michael Porter Jr.
The former Denver Nuggets draft pick recently claimed to be happy in Brooklyn. Even with no new deal and without championship expectations, Porter Jr. won't force his way out of his second team in the pros.
Then again, with his three-level scoring skills and with his expiring deal, the Pistons should ignore his pleas and just try to get him. Even if he doesn't fit their tough and gritty defensive identity, he'd be an instant 25+ PPG scorer next to Cade Cunningham.
Porter Jr. took a big leap in his first season as the team's primary scorer. He averaged a career-best 24.2 points and 7.1 rebounds per game, and there's no reason to believe he couldn't replicate that type of production in Detroit.
Injuries made him slip in the NBA Draft, but he was once considered the best player in his class, drawing Kevin Durant comparisons for his rare combination of size, three-level shooting, and handles, though he's never been as good a defender as Durant was in his prime.
Porter Jr.'s shot selection, basketball IQ, and passing -- or lack thereof -- will scare some people away, but that has rarely hurt his team. He's a bucket-getter, and while everyone knows the possession will end with him, he can still shoot over almost every defender in the league, and, more often than not, he'll make the shot.
The Pistons are knocking on the door of championship contention, and they just need to make the right tweaks to get to the next level. If that means giving up valuable draft capital to get Michael Porter Jr. on a rental deal, so be it. Teams have to take risks to get to the next level.
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