The Detroit Pistons are revamping the roster this summer after the disappointing end to their season in the playoffs. Coming to the realization that the team isn't good enough to contend, the Pistons are adding more offensive firepower. Moving up in the draft for Ebuka Okorie, trading for Isaiah Joe, and signing John Collins are all part of the desire to get better offensively.
However, this also meant that a few of the Pistons would get squeezed out. Isaiah Stewart was traded to the Grizzlies, and Tobias Harris signed with the Spurs. There may be even more departures, Duncan Robinson being a likely candidate. Jalen Duren's future remains unclear, but the chances of his return to Detroit are high.
An obvious trade candidate was Marcus Sasser. After the addition of Okorie and the emergence of Daniss Jenkins, there was simply no room for Sasser in the rotation. So, according to NBA insider Marc Stein, the Pistons are sending Sasser to the Dallas Mavericks.
This will be a part of a larger trade where the Mavs are also acquiring Santi Aldama from Memphis and giving up two second-round picks and a heavily protected first-round pick to the Grizzlies. Stein said that the trade will be confirmed when the moratorium is lifted on July 6, but failed to provide the details of what the Pistons are receiving.
The likely scenario is that the Pistons aren't actually getting in return. It may just be a salary dump, allowing the Pistons to create cap space to fit their other moves. Cap expert Yossi Gozlan pointed out on X that the Pistons could fold this move into their Collins and Joe acquisitions. Detroit needs to send out at least $20 million to fit Collins and Joe, which is accomplished by the departures of Stewart and Sasser.
This is hardly surprising. The Pistons have a crowded guard rotation, especially after Okorie's arrival. As an undersized guard, Sasser didn't have much of a path to playing time.
In Dallas, however, he will get plenty of opportunities. The Mavs lack ballhandlers and playmakers in the backcourt outside of Kyrie Irving. Sasser's off-the-dribble shooting and pick-and-roll ability will come in handy for a team that lacks shot creation chops.
Sasser's departure is more about where the Pistons are as a franchise than who he is as a player. Every chance Sasser got over the years, even last season when he was largely out of the rotation, he provided instant offense and scoring. He may not have lived up to the expectations following his rookie campaign, but Sasser will be remembered fondly by Pistons fans. It wouldn't surprise anyone in Detroit if he ended up being a quality rotation player in the league for years to come.
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