The Detroit Pistons have a couple options on the trade market this offseason
With the summer upon us, the Detroit Pistons plan to use this offseason period to reload so that the team can make a charge past the Eastern Conference Semifinals next season. Though the second round is nothing to scoff at, especially for a team that hadn’t won a playoff series in nearly two decades, the Pistons expected a different result after winning 60 games in the regular season.
But in the second round, the Pistons ran up against a Cleveland Cavs squad that was determined to pack the paint and make life on offense very unpleasant for Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren. Usually an effective duo, Duren was stifled in the postseason, which meant Cunningham and Detroit’s other shooters (ie. Duncan Robinson) had to pick up the slack. Eventually, the Cavs pulled off a game seven victory in the Motor City, and sent the Pistons packing for the offseason with a desire to add perimeter shooters to the rotation.
Along those lines, the Pistons have been a frequent topic of trade discussions this offseason, and New Orleans Pelicans forward Trey Murphy III is one of the most popular names for a potential Motown connection. Standing at 6-8, Murphy can guard multiple positions on defense while possessing the three-point shooting ability to keep defenses honest on the other end. Last year, Murphy averaged 21.5 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game while shooting nearly 38% from beyond the arc, and his addition could come at a perfect time since Tobias Harris is entering unrestricted free agency.
From a fit standpoint, the Pistons could use Murphy’s secondary scoring, and the fifth-year forward would likely benefit from having an on-ball creator of Cunningham’s caliber with him in the lineup. Detroit needs to find their long-term answer at power forward, which Murphy could theoretically suit up as, but the Pistons would have to give up multiple first-rounders and a collection of talented role players to pull off the deal.
So, the Pistons ultimately need to decide how much they’re willing to offer up in order to bring in a dynamic wing like Murphy during the summer, but Detroit is not short on options. The Miami Heat have been another team that’s expected to remain active during the offseason, particularly on the trade market with Giannis Antetokounmpo potentially on the move.
But regardless of a potential Giannis deal, the Heat could look to move on from Tyler Herro for the right offer, and the Pistons are a squad in need of his services. Herro connected on three-pointers at a 37.8% clip last season while scoring over 20 points each night, so the guard out of Kentucky would provide some more perimeter gravity with his secondary scoring traits mixed in.
On a contractual basis, both Murphy and Herro are due in the ballpark of $30 million next season, so that means the Pistons would easily be able to match salary during trade discussions. In fact, Harris was making just under that amount last season, so Detroit absolutely has the pre-existing contract and cap space necessary to pull off either deal.
The only question that remains is: how aggressive will Trajan Langdon be this offseason? A move for Murphy could be considered a home run by offseason standards, though adding Herro to the lineup would certainly bolster a three-point profile that was in need of improvement as well. In terms of the squad's roster construction, the Pistons have fewer power forwards under contract right now than they do guards, so that balance would indicate that Murphy would mesh better with the group around him. Herro would have Robinson, Caris Levert and Daniss Jenkins to compete with at the two, although he would be the decided favorite entering that position battle, so each option would put Detroit in a little bit of a different situation depth-wise. If Herro is added to the mix, the Pistons still need to identify their long-term power forward, so it could be viewed as a move that addresses one need while leaving another wide open.
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