Finding Perfect NBA Homes for Detroit Pistons' Trade Bait

The Detroit Pistons are dangling their bait into the trade waters. 

Bleacher Report's Howard Beck reports rival executives believe both Josh Smith and Brandon Jennings are on the block, and Sean Deveney explains for Sporting News that the Pistons are seeking a first-round pick in exchange for Greg Monroe, their unhappy big man. 

Everyone must go!

Well, not everyone, as Detroit surely wants to keep Andre Drummond as well as some intriguing pieces like Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and the recently healthy Jodie Meeks. But the big names who failed in their attempt to change the direction of this franchise seem to be on their way out, assuming the Pistons can find themselves some worthy trading partners. 

So, let's get idealistic. What can we cook up that will not only be perfect for the players leaving Motor City behind, but also give Detroit what it needs in return? 

Josh Smith to the Sacramento Kings

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Detroit Pistons Get: Derrick Williams (expiring), Carl Landry

Sacramento Kings Get: Josh Smith

Let's finally make it happen.

This connection has existed for quite some time, as this passage from a July article by ESPN.com's Marc Stein should make quite obvious:

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As ESPN.com reported last month, Detroit and Sacramento have engaged in trade discussions that would potentially land Smith in the same frontcourt with DeMarcus Cousins and Rudy Gay. Initial talks called for Sacramento to send Jason Thompson and either Derrick Williams or Jason Terry to the Pistons for Smith, but those discussions reached an impasse and were pushed into July along with the rest of both teams' free-agent business, sources said.

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One of the reasons for the halt in discussions? Mike Malone, who has now been fired by the Sacramento Kings and replaced by interim head coach Tyrone Corbin. The new man in charge should prove more amenable to the whims and whimsy of owner Vivek Ranadive. 

"Malone had disagreed with ownership's pursuit of a Josh Smith trade in July, and made his position known to Ranadive, league sources said," reported Adrian Wojanrowski for Yahoo Sports while detailing what led to the Malone firing. "Ranadive joined D'Alessandro in talks with the Detroit Pistons, but no agreement was ever reached."

If that door is open once more, there's no reason for it to close. Josh Smith can still form an uber-athletic frontcourt with Rudy Gay and DeMarcus Cousins, allowing the Kings to overwhelm the opposition with their size and hops on a nightly basis. And they still have plenty to offer Detroit. 

Getting rid of Smith's contract is motivation enough to deal him, and that's made even more appealing by getting back the expiring contract attached to Derrick Williams. It's all about gaining financial flexibility next summer. 

Greg Monroe to the Phoenix Suns

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Detroit Pistons Get: Isaiah Thomas, 2016 first-round pick (from Phoenix)

Phoenix Suns Get: Greg Monroe, Kyle Singler

Greg Monroe's situation is rather complicated. 

He wants out, but he wants to maintain the Bird rights that he'd typically lose in such a deal, per USA Today's Jeff Zillgitt. Making things even more topsy-turvy, Deveney reports that the Pistons require a first-round pick in return for his services, and a source told him, "Everyone knows he wants out of there. There is almost nothing he would shoot down."

And, of course, Monroe's working on a qualifying offer, so he could be a one-season rental and then leave for a different organization in the offseason. Essentially, the Pistons are looking for a team that will give them a first-round pick, appease Monroe by letting him keep Bird rights and take on a flight risk. 

Why not the Phoenix Suns? 

"Caveats aside, there is every reason to believe the Suns will trade Bledsoe, or one of their other flashy point guards, in the next few months," Beck recently reported for Bleacher Report. "It's the logical move, competitively and financially. So as we assess the buyers, sellers and names that will define the NBA trade season, we begin in Phoenix."

The three-headed point guard monster of Eric Bledsoe, Goran Dragic and Isaiah Thomas has been quite underwhelming, and it would behoove the desert-based organization to add a legitimate low-post threat.

Plus, the Suns have three first-round picks at their disposal this year, two of which (the Los Angeles Lakers' and Minnesota Timberwolves') will likely be deferred to next season because of lottery protections. It won't pain them to give up a first-rounder, especially to acquire a talent like Monroe. 

With plenty of floor-spacing options around him, the man fondly known as "Moose" would finally be given a chance to turn the clocks back to his early days in the NBA and thrive as an interior scorer. Plus, he'd have a legitimate shot at making the playoffs in the tough Western Conference, making it all the more likely he'd sign a long-term extension. 

He's not an ideal fit, as he'd require Jeff Hornacek to slow the pace down a bit. Nor does he play defense as well as the Suns' dream big man. 

Due to all the strange needs at play, this is the toughest deal to make. But Phoenix, which has been linked to Monroe in the past, fills all the requirements and should still view Monroe as a significant upgrade over any big on the current roster. 

Brandon Jennings to the Houston Rockets

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Detroit Pistons Get: 2015 first-round pick (from New Orleans)

Houston Rockets Get: Brandon Jennings (using trade exception)

If the Detroit Pistons can rid themselves of Brandon Jennings' contract, they have to do it. 

Period. End of story. 

However, as Matt Moore details for CBS Sports, that might not be too easy: 

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Jennings is also a bad point guard fit for SVG, and SVG has consistently gone to D.J. Augustin in late-game situations. Jennings is salvageable at this point and Smith has name value.

The problem for both of them, as it is with Monroe, is that they're problems enough to justify getting rid of them but still have too much value to get rid of for nothing. But if everyone knows you want to get rid of them, why are they going to give you what you want for them? This leverage problem is really at the heart of the Pistons' issues.

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But the leverage problem might not exist if the Houston Rockets are on the other end of the phone. Thanks to the trade exception they gained during the Jeremy Lin sequence, they can absorb Jennings' salary with no sweat.

And, we know they want to use that exception, as sources told Wojnarowski that the Rockets "are aggressively pursuing deals." 

Shedding Jennings' contract—$8 million this year and slightly more in 2015-16—is worth it for the Pistons, especially as they can hand the extra minutes to D.J. Augustin. Plus, the Rockets can make it more worth their while by parting with the 2015 first-round pick they've gained from the New Orleans Pelicans, one that's protected for the top three and bottom 10 selections in the first round. 

Houston gets to gain even more firepower and doesn't even have to lose Patrick Beverley's services in the process. Detroit gets rid of an ugly contract and adds one more draft-day selection to the coffers. 

It's the classic win-win situation. 

A Smiling Stan Van Gundy

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Detroit Pistons Give Up: Brandon Jennings, Greg Monroe, Kyle Singler, Josh Smith

Detroit Pistons Get: Carl Landry, Isaiah Thomas, Derrick Williams (expiring), 2015 first-round pick (from New Orleans), 2016 first-round pick (from Phoenix)

How could Stan Van Gundy not be happy about this sequence of events? 

Not only does he get rid of the distraction (Monroe) and the two egregious, ill-fitting contracts (Jennings and Smith), but he gains plenty of financial flexibility and some draft picks. All of a sudden, he'll have a chance to make this team his, and he can do so while still building around Andre Drummond, the enduring franchise centerpiece. 

Granted, pulling this off will not be easy.

Not all of these trades would be guaranteed to go through, as each partner could back out of the negotiations. It's hard enough to make a single swap in the NBA, much less three in conjunction. 

But if he could? Van Gundy would have to pull the trigger in a heartbeat. 

As Beck writes, "New Pistons president Stan Van Gundy needs to trade one or both of these guys [Smith and Jennings] if he wants to preserve the sanity of new Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy."

Trading all three would do more than preserve his sanity; it would give the president/coach the ability to completely alter the course of the franchise.