The Detroit Pistons have won seven in a row and sit atop the Eastern Conference, with a 1.5-game lead over the second-place Knicks. They have one of the best defenses in the league and have proven that they are on the brink of championship contention. Being this good this early comes with added pressure. GM Trajan Langdon needs to aggressively pursue additions for this roster, especially with the East looking wide open.
A potential trade partner for the Pistons could be the Dallas Mavericks. GM Nico Harrison, the architect of the infamous Luka Doncic trade, was fired on Tuesday. This suggests that the Mavs will likely pivot and head towards a rebuild. The new general manager will presumably attempt to balance out the roster, meaning that some valuable veterans may be available.
The Mavs are more likely to pursue trades to move on from a few frontcourt players. They have an abundance of big men, and it's safe to assume that they will be willing to listen to offers for Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively. If they are smart, they would also be open to moving Anthony Davis, but whether they are there yet is unclear. PJ Washington would be the best target for the Pistons, but he is ineligible to be traded until after the deadline.
Which Mavericks Could the Pistons Trade for After the Nico Harrison Firing?
The Pistons are unlikely to be interested in Gafford or Lively with how well Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart are playing. The rest of Dallas' rotation, however, could be intriguing to GM Trajan Langdon.
Klay Thompson, Caleb Martin, Naji Marshall, Max Christie, and D'Angelo Russell could all be a part of the rotation in Detroit, and wouldn't take a lot to acquire.
Thompson is nowhere near the player he used to be at age 35, but the Pistons are desperate for more shooting, and it's hard to find a better shooter. Russell could be a decent backup point guard to keep the offense humming when Cade Cunningham is sitting.
Yet, the other three are more interesting for the Pistons. Martin, Marshall, and Christie are all two-way wings that Detroit could use in the rotation. Christie is the best shooter of that group and fills a hole for the Pistons at shooting guard. He is also the youngest and least likely player for the Mavs to trade.
Marshall and Martin, on the other hand, are solid veterans who can do a little bit of everything. Their jumpers can be inconsistent, but they play both ends of the floor, can attack off the dribble, and fit JB Bickerstaff's gritty, defense-first style. Both players make around $9 million a year, making them easily acquirable in a package consisting of middling draft capital and matching salary.
It may not sound like the sexiest trade scenario in the world, but the Pistons don't need that much to take another step forward and establish themselves as an Eastern Conference favorite.