Detroit Pistons address 2 major weaknesses in 2 deals as NBA trade deadline looms
In late December, Tom Gores promised change in the midst of a season gone haywire.
The Detroit Pistons have swung three trades since then — two on Wednesday, on the eve of the trade deadline.
They haven’t been the franchise-changing moves many fans clamor for. It has seemed more and more likely that the Pistons will wait until the summer to make the significant moves needed to course-correct a rebuild that has been knocked askew.
Instead, the Pistons have swung around the margins to address two of the roster’s biggest weaknesses — shooting and experience. The trades won’t turn around a team that, after Wednesday’s upset road win over the Sacramento Kings, is on pace for just 11 wins this season.
But the Pistons, on paper, are a better and more-balanced team than they were a week ago after Wednesday’s trades. They flipped Kevin Knox, a 2024 second-round pick and the draft rights to Gabriele Procida for a proven 3-and-D Utah Jazz forward in Simone Fontecchio, a pending restricted free agent. Hours later, they traded Flint native Monte Morris to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Troy Brown Jr., Shake Milton and a 2030 second-round pick.
It seems likely that the organization will make at least one more move. For now, the front office has accomplished two smaller goals — added more depth and shooting, and preserved its offseason flexibility.
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Fontecchio addresses big needs at forward
Fontecchio, 28 and in his second NBA season after playing professionally overseas, is exactly what Detroit needs at forward. The 6-foot-7 Italian is shooting 45% overall and 39.1% from 3, and can hold his own on as a defender and rebounder.
According to Cleaning The Glass, Fontecchio is in the 75th percentile among NBA forwards as a 3-point shooter. He will immediately lift the Pistons, who are 24th in 3-point percentage (35.6%) and 28th in attempts per game (31.1). Per 100 possessions, the Jazz scored 3.5 more points and gave up 1.3 fewer points with Fontecchio on the floor.
The front office views Fontecchio as a strong fit with their young core and a player they want to sign to a longer-term contract this offseason, per sources. They gave up a second-round pick belonging to the Washington Wizards that’s likely to be between 30 and 35 — a good pick, as far as second-rounders go.
The Pistons have lacked good role players this season, as well as star power. They’re hopeful that, with internal development and money to spend this offseason, they will accomplish the latter in time. In Fontecchio, they’ve addressed the former by adding a bona fide 3-and-D player.
Brown, Milton potential fits on the wing
Detroit’s second trade, which sent away a veteran with a strong track record as a shooter and ball-handler in Morris, appears to be a more neutral deal. Morris is the most accomplished and proven of the three players in the deal, but the 28-year-old is a pending unrestricted free agent.
Morris also has only played six games this season, missing the first three months of the season recovering from injury. And Sasser’s strong play encouraged the Pistons to get what they could for the veteran point guard and Flint native.
Brown and Milton both have team options this offseason, meaning they’re essentially expiring contracts and won’t eat into Detroit’s cap space if the team declines them. But both players are intriguing fits, and it’s conceivable they could stick around with a strong performance.
Brown, a 24-year-old, 6-6 wing, gives the Pistons another needed 3-and-D role player. He’s shooting 36.9% from 3, in limited action (averaging just 11.1 per game in 37 appearances), and is a solid defender. If his option is picked up, he would make $4 million next season.
Milton is a 6-6 combo guard who has struggled to shoot this season, but has upside as a ball-handler and defender. He’s a career 35.8% 3-point shooter but is hitting just 26.4% of his attempts this season.
The Pistons will get roughly 30 games to evaluate both players before making a decision this offseason. And the 2030 draft pick, if nothing else, allowed the Pistons to break even after sending a second-rounder to Utah.
It’s possible the pick ends up being the most valuable asset in this deal for Detroit.
Roster crunch means at least one more deal coming
After adding Brown and Milton, the Pistons have 16 players on the roster. They will have to trim it to 15 players, either via trade or some other transaction, before Thursday’s 3 p.m. deadline.
There are several ways the Pistons can go to get under the limit. There are other veterans on expiring deals — or in Bojan Bogdanovic’s case, a partially-guaranteed deal next season — who could be flipped to contenders in exchange for assets. Detroit could also find a new home for a young player who doesn’t appear to factor into their future plans, such as Killian Hayes.
Contact Omari Sankofa II at osankofa@freepress.com. Follow him @omarisankofa.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Pistons address major weaknesses as NBA trade deadline looms
