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INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - OCTOBER 13: Bennedict Mathurin #00 of the Indiana Pacers reacts in the third quarter of the preseason game against the San Antonio Spurs at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on October 13, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
The Detroit Pistons have been perhaps the biggest surprise in the NBA this season. They have the best record in the Eastern Conference and haven’t come back to Earth yet. Despite this, they still aren’t the favorites to win the conference.
Detroit also still has a glaring hole on the roster that can be solidified to really make them the favorites to win the East. They need a scoring wing who can shoot from the outside. That is really the only roster flaw that the team has at this point in the year.
A bold three-team trade proposal from Bleacher Report has the Pistons addressing that issue by trading away a distressed asset in exchange for a scoring wing.
GettyIndiana Pacers wing Bennedict Mathurin shoots the ball. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
Pistons Add Scoring Wing in Bold Three-Team Trade Idea
Here is the full trade proposal:
The Detroit Pistons receive: Bennedict Mathurin (from the Indiana Pacers), $919,590 trade exception (Jaden Ivey)
The Indiana Pacers receive: Daniel Gafford (from the Dallas Mavericks)
The Dallas Mavericks receive: Jaden Ivey, 2026 first-round pick (both from the Detroit Pistons), $4.3 million trade exception (Daniel Gafford)
Mathurin is someone who is a bucket-getter. He doesn’t really move the ball well, and his defense can be suspect at times, but he can drive to the rim and score. His efficiency is down this season because he has a higher scoring burden with Tyrese Haliburton out for the entire season.
The only thing that could keep Detroit from making this trade is that Mathurin is on an expiring contract. If the Pistons end up trading for him, they will need to give him a contract extension. If they don’t view him as a long-term piece, that could keep them from doing this deal.
Ivey has been injured and not that effective during his time in Detroit. Trading him wouldn’t hurt them that much, especially if they get a proven scorer like Mathurin in return. The Pistons need a wing, and Mathurin is someone still young enough to improve.
GettyDetroit Pistons center Jalen Duren dribbles the ball. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
The Pistons Could Decide to Stand Pat at the Trade Deadline
The Pistons are also good enough that they might decide not to make a move at the deadline. They have the second-best defense in the NBA right now, so any trade they would make would need to keep that defensive rating high. Adding a wing would be the kind of player they bring in, if they make a move at all.
Detroit has been good enough this season to justify not making a move at all. They also have a top-ten offense, so any move that they would make would have to improve that part of the team. Even so, fans wouldn’t be mad if they were going to stay pat at the deadline.
Any trade they make has to keep long-term flexibility for the roster, a maneuver that will be tricky for the next month or so.