The Detroit Pistons could easily stand pat at the trade deadline and feel good about their chances to make a deep postseason run. They have been the best team in the Eastern Conference all season, after all. Yet, a small move or two could bring them even closer to title contention, and general manager Trajan Langdon should seriously consider it.
The most obvious need for the Pistons ahead of the Feb. 5 trade deadline is shooting. The Pistons rank near the bottom in most shooting metrics; they don't take or make nearly enough threes, averaging 31.8 attempts (28th) per game on a 34.8% success rate (21st).
The Pistons' only elite shooter is Duncan Robinson, which forces them to rely too heavily on the veteran small forward. Having another shooter that head coach J.B. Bickerstaff can run plays for would go a long way in boosting the Pistons' offense.
It's understandable if the Pistons don't want to significantly change their rotation. Keeping their powder dry and not investing significant assets yet makes sense. But the Pistons don't need to break the bank to add an elite shooter. By using their $14.3 million trade exception and second-round picks, the Pistons should be able to land a great shooter. Let's look at some options on the trade block.
3 Trade Targets to Help Improve Pistons' Shooting
1. Buddy Hield — Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors sharpshooter makes $9.2 million this season and $9.6 million next season before having to decide on his $10 million player option for the 2027-28 campaign. This is obviously not a team-friendly deal for a 33-year-old backup. But that is exactly why the Pistons can acquire Buddy Hield without giving up anything.
Hield is a career 39.5% three-point shooter and would immediately become the team's best shooter. Very few players in the NBA have the combination of Hield's shot versatility, volume, and accuracy. He does little else on the court and is a defensive liability, but as a 15-to-20-minute-per-game player off the bench, the Pistons could do much worse than Hield.
2. Klay Thompson — Dallas Mavericks
Klay Thompson doesn't fit in Detroit's trade exception, so they will have to send a contract back to the Dallas Mavericks. Jaden Ivey or Caris LeVert would make the most sense to match salaries, but that would be too much to give up for the Pistons. Therefore, Thompson could perhaps be a part of a larger deal for the Pistons.
The four-time NBA champion is obviously not the two-way force he once was, but he is still one of the best marksmen in the league. He still gets a ton of threes up and has to be guarded the moment he passes halfcourt. He has a ton of off-ball gravity, which in turn creates spacing for Cade Cunningham and the rest of the offense.
Thompson would create some defensive issues, but the Pistons have plenty of athleticism and physicality on that end of the floor to make up for it.
3. Sam Merrill — Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers may not want to directly help an Eastern Conference and Central Division rival, as they also have serious postseason aspirations. But, they desperately need to shed salaries as they are the most expensive team in the league, and moving on from Sam Merrill would help them on that front in a big way.
The Cavs already began to sell off, trading De'Andre Hunter for Dennis Schroder and Keon Ellis over the weekend. This saved them a ton of money, but they are still the only team in the league over the second apron. Moving on from Merrill's $8.4 million salary without taking any salary back would get them much closer to ducking under the second apron.
Merrill is easily the best player on this list. Not only does he make 3.5 threes per game on 45.9% shooting behind the arc, but he is also better than most sharpshooters in other aspects of the game. If the Pistons have to give up a first-round pick to poach Merrill from the Cavs, it would be a worthy swing.
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