The Detroit Pistons look like one of the best teams in the NBA, and certainly in the Eastern Conference.
With the trade deadline a week away, the Pistons have decisions to make, though. And they face a risk either way they turn.
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst and Tim Bontemps released a new article on Friday summing up some of the major teams’ trade questions, and they make a compelling case on both sides for Detroit.
They point out that the Pistons are second in the league in net rating and led by an MVP candidate, Cade Cunningham.
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They also point out that Detroit doesn’t have a secondary perimeter star with Cunningham, and that these Pistons haven’t proven yet that they can win in the playoffs.
So on the one hand, you’ve got the strategy of being patient.
“The Pistons have continued to convey patience, sources have reiterated, with the belief that Detroit is more likely to be a facilitator at the deadline than pursue a seismic move to expedite the team’s timeline,” ESPN writes. “That outlook is understandable because Detroit’s core hasn’t reached its prime, and big contract decisions loom for Jalen Duren (restricted free agency) and Ausar Thompson (extension talks) this summer.”
The risk there, of course, is missing out on an opportunity right in front of them.
“There is, however, time to change that stance and turn the young Pistons into truly prohibitive conference title favorites for the first time in a generation,” ESPN writes.
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That could be, in part, referring to the potential of a trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The risk on that side of the coin is that the Pistons accelerate the timeline and come up short, making a bold move for naught.
Detroit will be one of the most fascinating teams to watch as the deadline approaches because there isn’t necessarily a bad move for them to make, just two directions that each come with their own upsides and risks for the present and future.
