The NBA trade deadline is less than two weeks away now, and all eyes are on the Chicago Bulls to see if they are going to end up trading star guard Zach LaVine. Trade rumors have been swirling around LaVine for months now, and while several teams have been linked to him, it's beginning to sound like the Detroit Pistons, of all teams, are a serious suitor for his services.
The relationship between the Bulls and LaVine has been rocky all season long, and while he's obviously a good player, there are some concerns surrounding him that have largely kept interested teams at bay to this point. However, that hasn't stopped the Pistons, who, despite being the worst team in the league, have been engaging in discussions with the Bulls for LaVine.
“League sources tell The Stein Line that, while no trade is certain to be consummated, Detroit continues to maintain interest in LaVine. And talk between the sides, sources say, have by no means gone dormant. That, at the very least, keeps alive the possibility that the teams can find common ground on a deal between now and the league's annual in-season trade buzzer at 3 PM ET on Feb. 8.” – Marc Stein
Why would the Pistons want Zach LaVine from the Bulls?
This isn't the first time the Pistons have been linked to LaVine, but it is notable to see that they are seriously considering trying to swing a trade for a star ahead of the deadline. But why would they do that if they are currently the worst team in the league? According to reports, they believe that acquiring LaVine could help them get a jumpstart on their roster construction for the 2024-25 campaign since they already have nothing to play for this season.
“The Pistons, however, are in a different situation completely. They sport the league's worst record at 5-39, recently established a new single-season record for consecutive losses at 28 in a row and are well aware that they are bound to struggle this summer if they pursue free agents with their considerable projected salary cap space…Trading for an established player, rather than waiting for the summer to try to make upgrades on the open market, is a strategy that thus holds obvious appeal to the Pistons.” – Marc Stein
Detroit is taking a bit of an outside the box approach with their roster building, but it does make sense, as they can only accrue so much young talent before they try to build themselves back into a contender. LaVine could help them fast track that process ahead of the upcoming offseason, and while it seems far-fetched, the Pistons are a serious team to watch in the LaVine trade sweepstakes.
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