Why Detroit Pistons believe Danilo Gallinari, Mike Muscala can help them this season
WASHINGTON — Everyone in the building knew that change was imminent. When you have a season like the Detroit Pistons have had, something’s gotta change.
Even so, Sunday’s trade with the Washington Wizards caught the team off-guard. Their practice at their New Center facility morphed in an impromptu goodbye party. Isaiah Livers and Marvin Bagley III were traded in the middle of their session, and exchanged hugs and words with their now-former teammates and coaches after the session concluded.
“It was tough,” Isaiah Stewart said. “This is my fourth year so I played a few years with those guys. To see them go just like that, it’s crazy. At the end of the day, you realize it’s a business and I know they’re going to do a good job.”
Adding to the awkward timing is that the two teams faced each other a day later — and the Pistons prevailed, picking up their fourth victory of the season in a 129-117 win on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. More moves are expected, but the trade was the first concrete signal that the team is ready for significant shakeups in the middle of one of the worst seasons in NBA history. In return, they’re getting two veterans that the front office hopes will help to round out an imbalanced roster, both in role and experience.
Danilo Gallinari and Mike Muscala weren’t available for Monday’s game, nor were Livers and Bagley for Washington. But it was the first time both teams were able to publicly react to the deal.
The biggest upside to the trade, for Detroit, is financial. They sent the Wizards two second-round picks to get Bagley's contract off of the books and received two players on expiring contracts, opening upwards of $60 million in salary cap space this summer to aid their ability to add impact players. But there's basketball appeal, as well. Monty Williams sees value in adding two veterans to a young, mistake-prone roster. Wizards head coach Wes Unseld Jr. is appreciative of what the duo provided for Washington's locker room.
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“I understand that trades happen in our business and it’s never easy on either party, especially when you have family and moving and all of that stuff,” Williams said before the game. “We do have room for guys like Gallo and Musky just because they are vets. They understand how to play. Trying to figure out how they’re going to fit with us is something I have to give more thought to. I’ve been around Musky before. He knows how to play. And Gallo, he’s put up numbers a ton in his career. We’ll try to figure that out as we go along. I am grateful for my time with Bags and Liv.”
Gallinari, 35, and Muscala, 32, are both battle-tested. The former has made the playoffs six times in his 16-year career, and Muscala has also made six in 11 years. Both have a strong track record for spacing the floor, being career 38.1% and 37.5% outside shooters, respectively. But they’ve both struggled this year — Muscala’s shot 27.5% in 24 games this season, and Gallinari a career-low 31.3%.
“We’re going to miss their veteran leadership,” Unseld said. “On the floor, obviously they’re floor-spacers, 3-point shooters. They connect guys. But great vets in the locker room. I think they’ll really help the young group. We’re kinda going through it right now. But as a team that hasn’t played as well as we’d like, had our own struggles individually and collectively, they’ve been really good as far as barometers, bringing that energy and perspective, sharing a little bit of their own experiences to a younger core. Both those guys were terrific for us.”
Gallinari and Muscala both stand 6-foot-10. Williams doubts that he’ll be able to play them together, viewing the two as small-ball centers in today’s perimeter-obsessed NBA. Neither player is renowned for their defense, and Williams has concerns about having them chase modern power forwards.
Isaiah Stewart could be the key to making it work, since the Pistons have utilized him at both power forward and center this season. But with Williams viewing the new veterans as bigs, it’s tough to see more than one of them being in the rotation this season.
“We’re trading for guys who know how to play, but also have been traded before,” Williams said. “So they understand that integration process. At the same time, I’ve competed against them and have great respect for their game and how long they’ve been around. I think there’s just a meshing of a number of things. At the same time, it’s on me to figure out how to use those guys and figure out if we can use one of two of them, just based on where they are in their careers. They both play somewhat of a small-ball five now, so to think that you’re going to use them both at the same time is probably not something that I’m gonna even try to push. It’s probably gonna be one, if I’m being straight. That’s still something we gotta figure out.”
Bagley arrived in Detroit at the 2022 trade deadline. He battled injuries in Detroit, and missed 40 games last season. But he also carved out a role as a high-energy big that can rebound and finish around the rim. He was Williams’ preferred backup center behind Jalen Duren before Wiseman supplanted him in the rotation in December.
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The Pistons had high hopes for Livers, their 2021 second round pick. The Michigan alumnus arrived in Detroit with a reputation for knocking down 3’s, but he also battled injuries and has appeared in just 94 games in 2½ seasons. He missed training camp with an ankle sprain, and his outside shooting percentage dipped to 28.6%.
But he had a fan in Williams, who praised his intellect and work ethic. He hopes that both players are able to carve out more substantial roles with the Wizards.
“Bags is a guy who’s a high pick and he has a lot of talent,” Williams said. “He’s a guy that’s searching for a consistent role to go with his talent. In the right situation, he’s worthy of that. He can score the ball, he’s active, he has a nose for the ball around the basket. He can shoot it even though the career numbers don’t look that way. He can shoot the ball.
“Liv is a guy that’s trying to find his niche. I believe guys like that, in the right situation with consistent minutes, that’s what hurt him, he didn’t have a training camp and then was thrown right in the fire. He’s a really good wing. He has good instincts, came from a good program, had to tolerate me for a few months. That should help him. His future is ahead of him. He’s a great worker. You never have to worry about that with him.”
Contact Omari Sankofa II at osankofa@freepress.com. Follow him @omarisankofa.
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Next up: Timberwolves
Matchup: Pistons (4-36) vs. Minnesota (28-11).
Tipoff: 7 p.m. Wednesday; Little Caesars Arena, Detroit.
TV/radio: Bally Sports Detroit; WXYT-FM (97.1).
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Pistons believe Danilo Gallinari, Mike Muscala can help now
