The Detroit Pistons are likely to stand pat in the final moments of the NBA Trade Deadline
Over the last 24 hours, a flurry of trades prior to the deadline have significantly shaken up the pecking order in the Eastern Conference. With James Harden heading to Cleveland, Nikola Vucevic moving to the Celtics and Anthony Davis switching to a Wizards uniform, several teams in the East will have a completely different makeup moving forward.
The Chicago Bulls are in the midst of completing an exodus in order to prepare for the future, and their fire-sale brought Kevin Huerter and Dario Saric to Detroit yesterday in exchange for Jaden Ivey. Though Huerter is yet to suit up for the Pistons, early reports indicate that Detroit picked up a dangerous perimeter threat who can serve as a secondary playmaker that actually attacks the glass well for a 6-6 wing.
In fact, Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady were breaking down the Trade Deadline last night, and VC took an opportunity to praise Huerter for how well-rounded his game is. As a career 37% three-point shooter, sometimes Huerter’s long-range shot draws much of the focus, but he’s a competitive two-way player that relishes the opportunity to mix it up on the defensive end as well.
Carter has been around the game long enough to know when he sees a quality basketball player, so Huerter’s ability to earn VC’s seal of approval speaks volumes for the type of player that he is.
Outside of that three-team trade, the Pistons are not expected to make another blockbuster deal before the Trade Deadline passes. Once Detroit picked up Huerter and Saric, the Pistons actually had 16 players signed to the roster in addition to Daniss Jenkins, so the front office quickly pivoted to roster-clearing mode by waiving Isaac Jones as a result.
While Jones’ departure brought the Pistons down to 15 players, which aligns with the league’s roster limit, Jenkins is still quickly running out of time to continue on his two-way deal. With 49 games under his belt, the Pistons can only use Jenkins for one more game this season before he must be converted to a standard deal, so Detroit opted to place a G-League designation on the up-start second-year guard for tonight’s game against the Washington Wizards.
If the Pistons do not pursue another trade in the eleventh hour before the deadline passes, Detroit will be forced to waive another player in order to make room for Jenkins to play for the remainder of the regular season, which is all but a formality according to Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff.
But as for the veteran sharp-shooter, Huerter is excited about his opportunity to contribute on a Pistons squad that is flush with championship aspirations. This season, Huerter averages 10.9 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game, but he should see an increase in open looks on the outside with Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren attracting significant defensive attention on their own. So, look for Huerter to see an increase in shot quality in Detroit now that he's playing alongside a pair of All-Stars in the Motor City.
Later tonight, the Pistons host the Wizards for a 7 pm tip-off for the Eastern Conference showdown.
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