of NBA The trade season unofficially kicked off on Thursday, with the majority of players signed to free agency deals this summer eligible for trade.
The Seven-22 detroit pistons We’re at a place where logic says the organization will be a big seller by the Feb. 9 trade deadline. But that doesn’t seem guaranteed when talking to people around the league. A rebuild is in the business of getting better sooner or later, even if there are stars Cade Cunningham Opted to have season-ending shin surgeryMy feeling is that any move that could involve one of the Pistons’ above-average players is something Detroit should consider.
Now, we’re not saying the Pistons will be dormant throughout the trade season — things show up unexpectedly — but all signs point to a fairly quiet trading period at the Motor City. .
Here are some of the things I hear related to Detroit and the trade market.
A league source, who was granted anonymity so he could speak freely, said: athletic That the Pistons are trying to move the veteran big man. Both sides agree that the deal is best for both sides, and Detroit is already in talks with rival teams about Noel. Portland, sacramento, Miami When Dallas The 28-year-old was the most enthusiastic team when it came to signings.
Noel has played sparingly for the Pistons this season, averaging 1.8 points and 3.2 rebounds in just six games. He was an “emergency breaking glass” option for head coach Dwayne Casey. Detroit currently has three young 21-year-old frontcourt players. Isaiah Stewart23-year-old Marvin Bagley and newcomer 19-year-old Jalen Duren – As it tries to develop, there is little room for Noel, once one of the league’s top interior defenders.Noel was acquired on draft night Alec Burks in a salary dump deal with new york knicks.
athletic Shams Charania reported earlier this week: Bucket-handling veterans have been sought after in recent weeks He has provided future protected first-round picks by multiple NBA teams, including the Los Angeles Lakers. Added the value of good leadership for a young team. All players come at a price, of course, but with Detroit interested in a corner conversion next year, the idea of keeping Bogdanovic is appealing to the organization. Bogdanovic signed a contract extension earlier this season. I’ve always understood that Detroit wanted the veteran on a longer deal to keep him, rather than transfer him this season.
The Pistons took a call to discuss Bey, a third-year forward who has experienced the ups and downs of the season, league sources said. But the 23-year-old could be available at a fair price. Bay, who has 29.9 of his percent off his career-low 3 batting average, was off the bench last month as Casey sought a better scoring balance between the two units while trying to improve the defense of his starting group. transferred to a role. Bey has made progress as an interior scorer this season, breaking his career-high 4.3 free-throw attempts per game, one of several small improvements he made from the Villanova product. Average. But his 3-point shooting woes so far have really clouded his overall progress in the third year. play with 2 natural giants It impacted Bey, who is probably best suited as a defensive power forward.
Alec Burks
12th year veteran A big help for the PistonsDetroit is probably 2-3 wins less this season without a scoring guard who has a career-best 58.8 true shooting percentage. Burks, 31, has his $10.5 million team options next season. Also, Detroit wants to be competitive sooner or later, and current signs point to Burks holding the position beyond the trade deadline. Just like Bogdanovic, every player has a price, but it seems unlikely the Pistons will get a scorer as efficient and diverse as Burks at that salary number on the open market next season. , it’s probably worth not taking Burks’ team option next summer than trading him in time to meet the deadline.
(Nerlens Noel top photo credit: Benny Sieu / USA Today)
