The Detroit Pistons got blown out by the Washington Wizards on Saturday, January 27, once again illuminating the team's historically futile performance so far over the course of the 2023-2024 season.
A trade offer for Zach LaVine was discussed recently that has Pistons fans excited over the possibilities. Additional trades for promising young players including Dejounte Murray were also discussed.
With the February 8 NBA trade deadline fast approaching, the question of whether the Pistons and General Manager Troy Weaver have any tricks up their sleeve has been roundly discussed.
The Pistons already made a splash in the trade market by by acquiring Danillo Gallinari and Mike Muscala from the Washington Wizards in exchange for Marvin Bagley III, Isaiah Livers and future draft picks.
Next up, the Pistons must decide if they're done dealing, or if an even better deal is on the horizon.
Pistons Should Trade Bogdanovic For a Young Piece
The NBA trade market has been abuzz with rumors of trades for Pistons forward Bojan Bogdanovic for years now.
Bogdanovic is a sharpshooting guard/forward hybrid with the ability to take over a game at the drop of a hat.
He is one of the best shooters in the Eastern Conference and he has borderline All-Star potential as a scorer and outside shooter.
That being said, the Pistons seem caught between their present and their future with Bogdanovic getting so many touches on offense, depriving guys like Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren from getting more involved.
Recent reports have stated that the Pistons are asking for a quality player and a draft pick in exchange for Bogdanovic this trade deadline. Such an outcome would be the Pistons' idealized, dream scenario.
Bogdanovic's trade standing may never be higher than it is right now. Contending teams like the Los Angeles Lakers, LA Clippers, Milwaukee Bucks, Phoenix Suns and others could all use Bogdanovic's services in time for a playoff push.
Bogdanovic is averaging 20.2 points per game and shooting almost 42 percent from the three-point stripe.
His defense is fundamentally sound but he doesn't make a whole lot of plays on that side of the ball, with just one steal and block per game combined on average.
Trading Bogdanovic for a future pick will give younger players more playing time to develop their games in the second half of the season for Coach Monty Williams' team.
The Pistons want to become a swarming, physical and athletic team again (if such a thing exists in today's NBA anymore), and the recent draft selections of Ausar Thompson and Duren demonstrate their plans clear as day.
Zach LaVine Trade a Possibility?
LaVine has been a rumored trade candidate by the Chicago Bulls for months on end.
The Bulls have shown they can win without him, with young players like Ayo Dosunmu filling in and other players picking up the slack on both offense and defense.
LaVine would be a great fit for the Pistons' young core with his insane athleticism and scoring-distributing skills. It doesn't seem likely that the Bulls would trade him to a team in the same division, but such a trade would be ideal for the Pistons.
LaVine and Ivey could play off of each other in the backcourt and turn the Pistons into an incredible transition team with Duren and Thompson running the wings.
Two other players listed as trade candidates in the East are Dorian Finney-Smith and Royce O'Neal of the Brooklyn Nets. The Pistons should take note, and search for similarly talented young players to trade Bogdanovic for prior to this season's trade deadline. Detroit needs more players who fit their plans going forward from an athletic and skills standpoint, and Bogdanovic, for all his skills, simply doesn't seem like he's a part of Detroit's long term plans at the small forward position.
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