Troy Weaver has been one of the NBA’s most active general managers when it comes to the trade market. The Detroit Pistons have seemingly gone through an endless roster overhaul over the last three years. It’s safe to assume that Weaver will work the phones once again ahead of this season’s deadline, which is on Feb. 9. Even though the deadline is nearly two months away, it’s time to think trades again, as Thursday marks the official start of the NBA’s trade season — the first day that players signed during the past offseason are eligible to be moved.
However, the Pistons are in a much different position compared to 2020, before Weaver took over. They’ve drafted six first-round picks in the last three years, have talented veterans signed through the end of next season and money to spend this summer. Even with Cade Cunningham’s season-ending shin surgery, the team is inching close to making a leap toward playoff contention.
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There’s a chance this will be Weaver’s quietest deadline yet. At media day, he said the team is finally at “ground zero” and ready to compete. Cunningham’s injury doesn’t change the team’s belief that, after another active offseason and the addition of another top-five lottery pick, they will have the talent and experience to ascend the Eastern Conference standings. A priority-altering deal could come around, but the league-worst Pistons have incentive to angle for another high draft pick in 2023, hang onto their productive veterans and save most of their roster-remaking for the offseason.
But let’s break down the four vets who could appeal to other squads, and score the potential of a deal:
Bojan Bogdanovic
Stats: 21 points per game, 50.8% overall shooting, 43.7% shooting from 3.
It’s not a surprise, but the Pistons’ best performer this season is a player who has generated significant trade interest and will continue to do so through the deadline. Bogdanovic has been one of the NBA’s most efficient scorers. He’s a proven performer in the playoffs. Every contender in the league could use his services. And his contract, which was extended in October and will pay him up to $39.1 million through the 2024-25 season, is reasonable. The Pistons could certainly find a future-minded trade for the veteran, if that becomes a priority.
But it’s hard to see a worthwhile Bogdanovic trade materializing for Detroit, largely because Bogdanovic is the exact type of player the Pistons would want to trade for. Beyond his contributions on the floor, he has been a strong voice in the locker room and in team huddles. He’s committed to helping the Pistons become a playoff contender. They extended him because they want him in Detroit beyond this season. That’s not to say there isn’t a deal the Pistons would say yes to — there’s always a price. But Bogdanovic’s price will likely be high.
Confidence level Bogdanovic returns: 80%.
Saddiq Bey
Stats: 14.8 points and 4.4 rebounds per game, 40.2% shooting, 29.9% from 3.
Bey’s likelihood of being traded has been a hot topic for Pistons fans since Yahoo Sports reported in November that the team has been entertaining calls on the third-year forward. That report also noted the Pistons are likely to evaluate Bey further, rather than move him.
That’s my sense as well. To date, the Pistons have been committed to developing their first-round picks. Bey has developed in some areas — he’s having a career-best season as an inside-the-arc scorer — but is experiencing a long shooting slump for the second year in a row. Detroit has a go-to forward in Bogdanovic, and Bey’s frame and prior track record as a shooter makes him appealing across the league. But if Bey’s shooting comes back around, he should be one of Detroit’s top options this season. They’re not going to trade him simply because he’s slumping. Like Bogdanovic, it would take a very strong offer for the Pistons to move Bey.
Confidence level Bey returns: 80%.
Alec Burks
Stats: 13.5 points per game, 43.2% shooting, 38.2% from 3.
It took longer than expected for Burks to return from foot surgery, but his first month with the Pistons was worth the wait. He’s a big reason why Detroit’s second unit has become one of the league’s more productive since his debut on Nov. 11, after starting the season as one of the least productive. Because of how his contract is structured, the Pistons have reason to bring him into the offseason rather than flip him at the deadline.
Burks is on the books for $10 million this season and has a team option worth $10.5 million this summer. The Pistons are unlikely to get better offensive production for the price, as Burks has been one of the NBA’s best backup guards. Maybe a team will value him enough to give Detroit a young player or draft pick, but the safer bet is that Burks is still in Detroit after the deadline.
Confidence level Burks returns: 70%.
Nerlens Noel
Stats: 1.8 points and 3.2 rebounds in 10.3 minutes per game.
We haven’t seen much of Noel this season. The Pistons have used him strictly as a fourth big man, and he has appeared in only six games. Isaiah Stewart, Marvin Bagley III and Jalen Duren are Detroit’s preferred big men and the players the franchise is invested in longterm. It’s tough to see Noel’s role expanding unless injuries thrust him into the rotation. I think he’s the most likely Piston to depart before the deadline.
Confidence level Noel returns: 40%