The Detroit Pistons were expecting to be one of the most active teams at the trade deadline, but ultimately opted against making any major moves. With pieces such as Jerami Grant supposedly available ahead of the Feb. 10 deadline, the Pistons had a flurry of interest in their winger. One of the teams the Pistons were rumored to be in discussions with was the Dallas Mavericks, from whom Detroit was targeting point guard Jalen Brunson. The Mavs, clearly unwilling to part with Brunson, responded with a wildly unrealistic asking price, another way of saying “there's not a chance we're dealing him,” via SI.com.
The Mavs reportedly demanded Pistons prized rookie and former No. 1 overall pick Cade Cunningham from the Pistons in return for Brunson. It was an offer that was never going to be entertained by the Pistons, but this was Dallas' way of telling them that Brunson was firmly unavailable ahead of the deadline, even if the likes of Jerami Grant were being dangled in a potential swap.
Of course, the Pistons plan to rebuild the franchise with Cunningham as a key cornerstone, so there was absolutely no way they'd even consider trading him at the deadline. The rookie is averaging 15.7 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 5.2 assists on the year, while knocking down 2.0 3-pointers per game at a 33% clip.
Brunson has proven in the past to be a more than capable replacement for Luka Doncic, having stepped up with consistency during times when Doncic was sidelined. On the year, Brunson is averaging a career-high 31.9 minutes per game, having started 38 games. He's averaging 16.1 points, 5.4 assists, and 3.8 rebounds while hitting 35.7% of his 3s.
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