In 2023-24, the Detroit Pistons are the worst team in the NBA. In 2022-23, the Detroit Pistons were the worst team in the NBA. This is becoming a trend – and it’s a troubling one. Pistons fans have got to be growing impatient.
Sure, rebuilding teams lose games. We know this. Still, this is getting excessive. It has been a long time since the Pistons were competitive, and one wonders if this organization could make a hasty, win-now move.
Could you blame them? If the Pistons don’t get competitive soon, they could fall apart. The cornerstone players that they do have could start requesting trades. The Pistons might be desperate.
Could they be desperate enough to trade for Pascal Siakam of the Toronto Raptors?
NBA Trade Proposal: Detroit Pistons Land Toronto Raptors’ Pascal Siakam
Toronto Raptors Receive: G/F Joe Harris, C James Wiseman, G Jaden Ivey, 2026 First-Round Pick (DET), 2028 First-Round Pick (DET)
Detroit Pistons Receive: F/C Pascal Siakam
Every team in the NBA is subject to “the rebuilding cycle”. A team contends until they can’t, and then, they rebuild until they can again. The Pistons have fallen on hard times, but that’s a part of life in the NBA.
Here’s the thing – it’s supposed to be a cycle. Everyone understands that a team will have losing seasons. When those seasons start to pile up, it becomes a problem.
The Pistons’ peers are leaving them behind. Think about it: The Oklahoma City Thunder, Orlando Magic, and Houston Rockets are all making progress.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Pascal Siakam, Toronto Raptors, Detroit Pistons Updates
The Pistons occupy the same tier as the San Antonio Spurs, Portland Trail Blazers, and Washington Wizards – teams that just started rebuilding.
Should they put an abrupt end to their rebuild?
Why The Detroit Pistons Do The Deal
This would be a bold move. It goes against conventional wisdom. Some will suggest that the Pistons are acting too hastily here. They’re the worst team in the NBA. How can they justify giving up significant assets for Siakam?
Well, let’s take a closer look at those assets,. Wiseman is a reserve, regardless of his draft pedigree. Harris is an expiring contract. The only potentially significant losses here are Ivey and a pair of first-round picks.
The Pistons don’t seem to trust Ivey anyway, and they may be growing tired of drafting and developing players. So, why not acquire one of the best two-way, playmaking wings in the NBA?
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Pascal Siakam, Toronto Raptors, Detroit Pistons Updates
Siakam will make the Pistons significantly more competitive, and they’ll still have young players like Cade Cunningham, Ausar Thompson, and Jalen Duren on their roster.
Should the Raptors help them improve their stock?
Why The Toronto Raptors Do The Deal
The Pistons may be looking to bring an end to their rebuild. The Raptors should be starting theirs. This team has no chance of winning an NBA title, and yet, they’ve got expensive veterans on their roster.
The Raptors don’t need to tear it down. They can hang onto OG Anunoby – he’s still relatively young. That’s part of the rationale behind this deal for the Raptors. By moving off of Siakam’s deal and taking back Harris’, they’ll be in a better position to extend Anunoby next summer.
Still, the main draw for the Raptors here is Ivey. They could use an athletic guard who can create in the halfcourt, and Ivey still has the potential to do that on a star level.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Pascal Siakam, Toronto Raptors, Detroit Pistons Updates
Throw in Wiseman and a pair of firsts, and the Raptors may not mind joining the ranks of the worst teams in the NBA.
