On December 15, players who signed new contracts in free agency over the summer will be eligible to be traded. This means that there will be a ton of new players hitting the market, resulting in more trade activity.
What the Detroit Pistons will do between then and the trade deadline will be one of the more fascinating storylines in the NBA. On one hand, they lead the Eastern Conference and could very well make a deep postseason run this season. On the other, they may be one piece away from being a true championship contender. Finding the right balance between pushing all your chips in versus keeping the core that is winning a ton together will be a hard one.
Whether GM Trajan Langdon will aggressively pursue a trade will depend on [who is available and what the price is](https://detroitjockcity.com/pistons-lauri-markkanen-dream-over-jazz-ridiculous-asking-price-01kasf18cj5b). The Pistons have too many assets, both draft capital and valuable young players, not to at least consider swinging for a big trade, say, for Lauri Markkanen. If the Pistons were to make a trade, it's safe to assume that at least one of the following three players will be involved.
* Caris LeVert
* Duncan Robinson
* Tobias Harris
Here's more on each one.
1\. Caris LeVert
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LeVert has been solid off the bench for the Pistons, but has not played a huge part in the team's success so far. With Daniss Jenkins' emergence and Jaden Ivey's return, LeVert will likely be more of an afterthought. The 31-year-old is a useful rotation player as he plays both ends of the floor and can do a little bit of everything. But, his $14.1 million salary for this season is too high for the role he will have on this team.
Plus, that is as good a matching salary the Pistons have on their books. Even if the Pistons don't swing for a big trade, using LeVert's contract next to a first-round pick or two could give them an upgrade in a position of need like power forward, or a skill of need like elite shooting.
2\. Duncan Robinson
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Robinson is in a similar situation to LeVert. He has been solid for the Pistons by all metrics, but his salary makes him an attractive trade chip for the Pistons. Shooting is a premium skill that all teams look for and Robinson is one of the best shooters. There may be teams who treat Robinson's $16.8 million salary as a positive asset, which could make Detroit's trade package consisting of Robinson, additional salary, and draft capital attractive.
The complicating matter here is that the Pistons are already low on shooting and Robinson is the only high-volume, high-accuracy three-point shooter they have. Robinson makes over 3 threes per game on 44% shooting from downtown. Losing that means cramping the spacing further. Robinson should only be traded if the Pistons get back another elite shooter who can do other things on top of shooting. (Markkanen, perhaps?)
### Tobias Harris
Harris and his $26.6 million expiring salary is Detroit's ticket to landing a max-level player. Without including the 33-year-old forward, the Pistons will be hard-pressed to trade for a star-level player without decimating their depth. Plus, it's very complicated to make an imbalanced trade mid-season with three or four players going one way and only one coming another due to roster spot issues. But, a Harris plus one of LeVert and Robinson gives the Pistons enough matching salary to acquire anyone on the trade block.
The veteran forward has played a crucial role for the Pistons since his return last offseason. He gave consistent production and veteran competence to a team that desperately needed it. But, the Pistons didn't miss a beat in his absence and won all their games without him. Harris is a nice role player and a decent starter, but he is not the long-term answer at power forward for a title contender. If he can be upgraded during the season, it would be completely reasonable for the Pistons to trade him.
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