The Detroit Pistons don't have to be aggressive at the trade deadline, but could benefit from minor upgrades that would provide them more versatility and offensive firepower. Two glaring weaknesses on the team are the lack of true three-and-D players and power forward depth. Detroit can hit two birds with one stone by trading for former Pistons forward Saddiq Bey at the deadline.
Pistons Must Consider a Potential Saddiq Bey Reunion at Trade Deadline
Bey is having one of the more underrated years in the NBA. Lost in the disastrous New Orleans Pelicans season, Bey is having a resurgence after missing the entire 2024-25 season with a torn ACL. Not only did the veteran forward not miss a beat upon his return, but Bey is in the midst of the best season of his career.
Averaging a career-high 16.5 points per game, Bey has never been as efficient as he has been this season. Putting up a career-best 57.6 True Shooting on a 20.6 percent usage rate, Bey has had a larger-than-expected role for the Pelicans. He has been healthy all season, started 36 games, and is playing over 30 minutes per game.
The 26-year-old versatile forward is the backup wing the Pistons desperately need. He has the size and strength to guard multiple positions and is a good rebounder. He is not an elite shooter, but is in line with his career average of 35 percent from downtown this season. He gets guarded out there and can knock them down when left open.
The most appealing part of Bey as a Pistons target is that he only makes $6.1 million this season and $6.4 million next season. Since Detroit has a trade exception of up to $14.3 million, it can trade for Bey without sending any players back. It would likely take a first-round pick for the Pelicans to part ways with Bey, but given how full the Pistons' asset coffers are, it may be a worthy swing.
The Pelicans are stuck at the bottom of the Western Conference and don't have a pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. They also don't have a second-round pick until the 2030 NBA Draft. The Pistons could make it worthwhile for the Pelicans by giving up their own first-round pick in the upcoming draft, which will be at the end of the round.
This potential trade would reunite the Pistons and Bey after three seasons. Detroit had traded the former Villanova standout in a multi-team deal for James Wiseman in February 2023, a trade that has completely backfired. Since then, Bey spent time with the Hawks and the Wizards before getting traded to the Pelicans in the 2025 offseason. His unexpected rise should help him land on a contender, and the Pistons shouldn't miss the opportunity.