With the NBA in full offseason mode, all eyes are on the Detroit Pistons. One of the teams to watch this summer, the Pistons are expected to make a big splash in free agency and the trade market. Facing a ton of pressure to become contenders next season, GM Trajan Langdon has been aggressively pursuing upgrades.
The names at the top of Detroit's list are well-established: Kyrie Irving and Trey Murphy. Yet, their actual availability is unclear, and the asking price may be too high. There is speculation about alternative options if the Pistons can't land their preferred targets.
Tyler Herro is one of these names. NBA insider Marc Stein confirmed this in his latest column and added a few more names. Free agent Coby White and Oklahoma City's Isaiah Joe were among these names.
The most interesting name he mentioned, however, has to be Zach LaVine, whom Stein called "potentially available and said to interest Detroit."
Zach LaVine is a solid backup plan for the Pistons
LaVine has a player option for $49 million next season. He has until June 29 to activate it. After the down campaign he just had, it's difficult to imagine him turning it down. Betting on himself, playing on that expiring contract, and hitting the market next summer seems like the smarter move.
Which means that he will be a trade candidate. The 31-year-old shooting guard may not be the long-term solution the Pistons are looking for, but as a backup plan, the Pistons could do much worse.
LaVine has had his injury concerns over the last few years, but when he is on the court, he is a very good fit in Detroit.
The former two-time All-Star is one of the better off-ball scorers in the league. He is an excellent three-point shooter and a solid slasher, always finding ways to score even when he isn't creating on the ball. His gravity as a shooter is a great complement to Cade Cunningham in the backcourt. When Cade is on the bench, LaVine has enough shot creation chops to lead bench units.
LaVine is obviously not worth $49 million. But this is what makes him easily gettable in the trade market. As long as the Pistons can match salaries in a deal, they can bring him in without giving up any significant assets. They can use next season as an evaluation period, and if it doesn't work out, they can let him walk. They could also always re-sign him to a new deal with a lower annual salary.
Matching salaries in a trade is the real challenge. The Pistons would have to use a combination of Isaiah Stewart, Duncan Robinson, Ron Holland, Marcus Sasser, and Caris LeVert. Three of these players likely have to be included in the deal. As long as the Pistons don't have to include any of their draft capital in the trade, this could be a worthy flier.
Pistons fans will hope that the team can acquire one of their top trade targets. If that's not possible, there is still plenty to be excited about LaVine.
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