The Detroit Pistons are yet to reach the double-digit mark in losses with 34 games having passed, which is quite the feat considering how bad this team was two seasons ago. And the temptation for fast-rising teams is to further expedite the rebuild and continue their march towards contention.
Now, it is easy to take contending windows in the NBA for granted, thinking that they'll always be there for the taking for young teams such as the Pistons. But this is far from the reality in the NBA. A contending window can slam shut without prior notice, which is why they have been so prominently involved in trade rumors for quality players who are available on the trade market, such as Anthony Davis.
However, the Pistons may prefer to take it slow and be patient with their roster-building approach, echoing what the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs have done over the past few seasons. The Thunder have proven that patience is, indeed, a virtue that has borne fruit, while the Spurs are showing that they're not too far away from doing so themselves.
But that doesn't mean that the Pistons should avoid making trades that boost their chances of competing for a title altogether. Michael Porter Jr. is someone who shouldn't force Detroit to break the bank while being an incredible fit alongside Cade Cunningham.
Pistons acquire former NBA champion Michael Porter Jr. from Nets
Pistons acquire: Michael Porter Jr.
Nets acquire: Tobias Harris, Ron Holland, 2027 DET first-round pick
Porter is in the middle of a career year, thriving as the number one option on a talent-starved rebuilding Nets team. He's been one of the best high-volume three-point shooters in the NBA, putting up nearly 26 points per contest on over 41 percent shooting from deep on nearly 10 attempts per contest.
The 27-year-old forward thrives off the ball; all the years he spent playing alongside Nikola Jokic has made him ready to move off the basketball at all times coming off curls, pindowns, and other screening actions. He's going to be like a supercharged Duncan Robinson with better scoring pop off the bounce, and he adds some defensive utility as well by being 6'10” and by being one of the best rebounding wings in the association.
What makes Porter a bit affordable for any contending team to bring in is that everyone in the NBA who's seen the 27-year-old play over the past few years would know that he is simply benefitting from being the number one option in Brooklyn and that his numbers will inevitably drop the moment he latches onto a contending team.
But it's also worth mentioning that Porter's skillset makes him so much easier to fit than other stars who are available on the trade market, which is why he's the one who makes sense for the Pistons as their primary target.
Unlike Lauri Markkanen, Porter is not going to cost multiple first-round picks; Porter's extensive back injury history is a red flag, and he's making around $79.1 million over this season and the next. His contract is not team-friendly, he is not a 25-plus points per game scorer on a good team, and he doesn't have the long-term contract that Markkanen has that would make any team acquiring him feel confident about parting ways with a ton of assets.
This doesn't mean that the Nets are simply going to be giving Porter up for a pittance. They are still going to want to squeeze as many assets as they can for Porter, but the Pistons should stand their ground and say that they will only be willing to go as far as to give up one of their former lottery picks in any trade with the Nets.
Jaden Ivey is emerging as a likely trade piece for the Pistons; he has struggled to regain his footing in the aftermath of the broken leg that ended his 2024-25 season prematurely. Ivey's been stuck in a 20+ minute role as of late, and he's been posting meh numbers — 8-2-2 a night on 46/39/81 shooting splits.
He's only about to turn 24 years of age, so other teams should still be high on his potential as a scoring guard who can create for others as well — a poor man's version of Kyrie Irving. But the Nets drafted all the point guards in the world in the 2025 NBA Draft, and it doesn't quite make sense for Brooklyn to target Ivey as the main return in a Porter trade.
This is why the Nets will be asking for Ron Holland III instead.
Holland is a spark plug off the Pistons bench, and despite being only in his sophomore campaign, he's already emerged as an invaluable member of the roster and a crucial part of establishing the team's identity.
He brings some tenacious defense, incredible hustle, and some transition scoring for the Pistons, but he lacks a crucial skill that prevents him from being more than just a bench piece.
He's shooting just around 24 percent from deep this season, and opposing defenses would simply leave him open from beyond the arc. And at this point of his career, he's not making enough of them to warrant more respect from defenders, which would then force the Pistons to limit his minutes come playoff time.
Considering Holland's body of work from deep in his brief NBA career to this point, it's unlikely he ever becomes the caliber of shooter that the Pistons need alongside Cunningham. Detroit has Ausar Thompson anyway to fill the role of non-shooting, athletic, disruptive wing.
However, the Nets don't have too many prospects to develop on the wing, which should afford Holland the opportunity to spread his wings. Ivey, on the other hand, may simply get lost in the shuffle of the Nets' logjam at the guard spots.
This trade package certainly falls in line with the Pistons' reported desire to take a more patient approach to roster-building. The Pistons need more offense around Cunningham, and Porter provides just that. Losing Harris' leadership and Holland's tenacity would hurt, but having Porter around as a secondary scoring option would be so much more helpful to their title-contending dreams.
