I don't see how throwing Reggie in makes up for taking on a different shitty contract, but good for them if they can pull that one off.
Hopefully a meeting with Stefanski is coming where they convince him that this team sucks and they need to blow up as much as they can. This org has as much of an incentive to tank as any team in sports at this point. No one gives a fuck about them or goes to games now. It would get worse, but how much worse? I don't think it needs to be what Philly did. Just trade away everyone and strip the roster for the next 18 months and see where you are.
Sounds like Blake is not happy. Can we actually get something for him this offseason? With all the crazy contracts being given out, he’s not that bad.
We need to be trying to get something for him now before we give him a chance to get hurt heading into the offseason.
Article from the athletic on trade chips No phrase is tossed around more than “buyer or seller” as the NBA’s — or any league’s — trade deadline inches closer. A franchise in elite contention or one on the fringe of a postseason berth tend to be the most willing to upgrade during the league’s annual swap meet. At the other end, franchises who come to grips with their fates in a timely manner lean toward shipping value in order to get value back. The trade deadline is, often, the who’s who of bargaining. In Detroit, the Pistons are in the process of figuring out where they stand, where this season, ultimately, can go. These next eight days, before the NBA’s deadline ends at 3 p.m. ET on Feb. 7, will be the final phase in this evaluation. As it stands, Detroit is 21-28 and three games behind the Hornets, who already locked up the tiebreaker for the last spot in the Eastern Conference standings. Tuesday night’s loss to the No. 1-seeded Bucks was the first of what is a five-game stretch before the deadline. On paper, the Pistons have three winnable games in this span — against the Mavericks, Clippers and Knicks. They also play the Nuggets, the Western Conference’s No. 2 seed. It’s the NBA, so anything is possible, but if Detroit earns a winning record versus these five teams, it may be more willing to minimally buy or stand pat, as the bottom of the Eastern Conference playoff race is still very much up for grabs. In fact, with 33 games remaining and teams firm in the race battling injuries, the Pistons can realistically get all the way up to the No. 6 seed if things turn around. There has been little to suggest they can muster such a run, but it’s within reach. On the flip side, though, if Detroit exits this stint not having won at least three games — three of the next four contests are at home, and the game against 10-win New York at Madison Square Garden — it may cause the front office to look more seriously in the other direction. The perception that this particular squad, at this particular time, might not be built for even a minimal run could be clearer. If the Pistons do botch this favorable run of games, there are some trade chips who could potentially be dealt to help create a more vibrant picture for next season, the future. Reggie Bullock Bullock, 27, was the second-most efficient 3-point shooter in the NBA last season. He’s taken a step back since then, but he’s still pretty efficient. After hitting on 44.5 percent of his 3s on 4.5 attempts per game last year, he is connecting on 37.9 percent of such shots this season. To add perspective, Bullock has developed into Detroit’s most consistent perimeter scorer — a different issue in its own right — and defenses are focusing on him with more regularity. Bullock is not the type to create for himself and is a player who would be better maximized alongside more feared offensive threats. On a team where there is more than one weapon to key in on — which isn’t the case with the Pistons — Bullock could see a shift in efficiency back toward where he was a year ago. With that said, a playoff team in need of a 3-point shooting boost could seek out Bullock’s services within the next week. His deal pays him $2.5 million this season before he hits unrestricted free agency. One NBA agent told The Athletic before the season that he could see Bullock getting somewhere between $9 million and $11 million in the open market. And while Detroit could bring him back next year despite a tight cap situation (the Pistons possess his Bird Rights), there may be more value in seeing what he can bring back if Detroit’s season looks like it’ll end on April 10. “I wouldn’t be surprised if a team with the possibility to win a playoff series or more went after Reggie,” an NBA scout said. “His shooting is valuable.” When scanning the scene, the Thunder, Raptors, Jazz and Rockets are all likely playoff-bound squads in the bottom half of the NBA in 3-point shooting. Excluding Utah, the other three teams have the potential to reach their respective conference finals. The 76ers could also use a shooter. A first-round pick wouldn’t be a ridiculous return, per the scout, for franchises as intact as the ones above. And the Pistons are in dire need of assets, so a pick of some capacity would benefit them in that regard. Ish Smith The 30-year-old point guard is making things difficult for Detroit. It’s not his fault, but his nagging adductor injury has left the Pistons’ bench in a bind, which plays a part in the team’s decline, and is making him less attractive as a trade piece. When healthy, Smith is still a herky-jerky, fast-paced point guard who can fit in with any team’s second unit. He’s a veteran and reliable ball handler, two things with value for a cemented playoff team or a team trying to sneak in. Plus, around this time of the year, there always seems to be a need for a backup point guard for health reasons or just out of necessity. Both the Jazz and Kings could use point-guard help. Smith will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, as he’s in the last year of a three-year, $18 million contract, and his $6 million cap hit wouldn’t be too challenging to work into a team’s payroll. He could be of value to a different team if the Pistons’ initial season directive rotates within the next week. What Smith would bring back really depends on the buyer, but if Detroit can get some form of draft pick or other team need at the deadline instead of letting him walk this summer, a deal would be worth it. Stanley Johnson The 22-year-old Johnson will also hit free agency this summer, but as a restricted free agent. Johnson was the No. 8 pick in the 2015 draft and has not lived up to the expectations of such a blue-chip talent. At 6-foot-7 and about 250 pounds, Johnson is one of the more versatile covers in the Eastern Conference. He has that going for him. Nonetheless, Johnson’s offense hasn’t made significant strides. The career 28.9 percent 3-point shooter is connecting on a career-low 26.8 percent this season, and his underwhelming 38.2-percent clip from the field isn’t notably better than his previous three years. To be fair, he is a better passer than his numbers indicate, but that aspect of his game is only sometimes highlighted on the court. To summarize it all, Johnson’s strength and weakness cancel each other out. It’s a weird spot to be in at such a critical time in his career. All signs point to Johnson’s time in Detroit ending this summer, especially with a new front office in place that didn’t draft him. Notwithstanding Johnson losing his starting job at the beginning of the year, the Pistons brass hasn’t shown its hand in regards to his future. This is what a scout said about Johnson’s situation before the season began: “The pressure is off the Pistons now, in regards to the management, because they didn’t draft him. It’s not like it’s their mistake. They don’t have to feel obligated to extend him a qualifying offer if he can’t turn things around this season. The first two months are going to tell a lot. If he’s in and out of the starters, flimsy in the rotation after a few months, then that will say a lot. This is definitely the biggest year of his career, for sure. He’s another guy, and there’s so many of these guys, who you could point to and say the Pistons are a playoff team in the Eastern Conference if he turns the corner. If he doesn’t, then it’s not looking very good.” Johnson hasn’t turned the corner, and Detroit isn’t in the playoffs. Over the last two years, multiple scouts have said they could see Johnson improving with a change of scenery, and that scenario could present itself either within the next week or this summer. Essentially, Johnson’s value is as low as its ever been, but he is only 22, has an elite skill and could be inclined to alter his narrative if he were unwanted by the team that drafted him. There is still some intrigue. “The only worry for Detroit is that he goes somewhere else and it all clicks,” a scout said. “But the Pistons have given him every opportunity to succeed. You can only hang on for so long.” Even though teams around the league are well aware of Johnson’s upcoming free agency, his defensive prowess alone could be worth trading for before Feb. 7. In the NBA, offense reigns supreme during the regular season, but defense becomes even more important come the postseason. Could teams like the Spurs, Rockets and Clippers use his services? All are potential playoff teams in need of improvements on the defensive end. And since the versatile Warriors are everyone’s target, adding the versatile Johnson may make for a worthwhile trade-deadline conversation.
Hahaha. Mavs were down 4 starters. and Pistons had to pull win out of their ass. Fuck Gores. Pistons haven’t won a playoff game in over 10 years.
Zach Lowe There has not been much buzz about Gasol, though he is hoping for a trade, sources familiar with the matter say. . Teams are waiting to see if the Grizzlies asking price drops a bit, sources say. Memphis has not shown any real interest yet in Andre Drummond, sources say. Detroit might be saving other trade chips for someone else. Gasol's $26 million player option for next season brings a lot of uncertainty for any interested party. • Detroit remains my favorite Conley team, though Memphis would likely have to swallow Reggie Jackson's contract -- or reroute him to a third team -- in order to snare one or two nice assets from the Pistons (perhaps a lightly-protected first-round pick and one of Detroit's young wings.) The teams have talked, but not gotten far, sources say. It's unclear if there are any other serious bidders. Everyone around the Conley sweepstakes expects it to heat up over the weekend.
Also, I’m pretty sure Dwayne Casey is not a very good coach. He seems incapable of making adjustments.
Imagine being a non-playoff team and giving up likely lottery picks in back-to-back years to acquire Blake Griffin and Mike Conley at $30M+ per season for their early 30s. Must suck to cheer for an org like that.
At least Conley would be a near perfect on court fit if it happened. Giving up a 1st rounder (plus probably someone like Kennard) is just stupid at this stage, though.
Kennard fucking sucks. If we can give up him, instead of a first that would be ideal. What other contracts they taking off our hands to make the deal work?
Conley makes $30M right now. Jackson makes $17M. Thus, we would need somewhere around $13M more in salaries going that way.
So this is what's it's like to root for a Dan Snyder team. Of course, this franchise also went all in on Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva under Karen Davidson.
It's games like tonight that make you wonder why Drummond isn't better. This is who he should be, yet he's obsessed with trying to be something else.
At the last minute we should be like “oh, did we say Conley?! We actually meant Jaren Jackson. We still good?”
We haven’t won a playoff game in a decade and we are only now entering the Brooklyn Nets phase of our rebuild
The more I look at this stuff on the trade machine, the less I see how we get Conley. If the Jazz are really offering two expiring deals + a first rounder, I don't see how we can top that without throwing at least 2 first rounders.
I'm not saying it can't happen. I just don't see why Memphis would do that. Both Detroit and Memphis are less than $500k below the tax, so the money would have to fit almost perfectly. As far as I can tell, the best offer we could make would probably look something like... Memphis gets - Jackson, Kennard, Ish, Johnson, 2020 1st round pick (with at least top 5 protection, I would hope) Detroit gets - Conley Utah can offer... Memphis gets - Favors (expiring), Rubio (expiring), 2019 1st round pick Utah gets - Conley Utah can also offer a young piece or two that isn't far from Kennard, in all likelihood. I don't see why Memphis would choose us in that scenario, unless Memphis can get us to knock down the protection so low that it thinks it's worth it (but even then, it would have to be next year's pick). I also don't see us making a win now move while trading away four rotation players, including Ish.