Best Potential Small Forward Trade Targets for the Detroit Pistons
If the Detroit Pistons make a move before the trade deadline, they should be targeting starter-caliber players at small forward.
Brandon Jennings' injury has left the team thin at point guard, and there is no guarantee that Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is the long-term answer at shooting guard.
But the 3 remains Detroit's weakest position for the second consecutive season.
Kyle Singler has improved as a shooter each year he has been in the league, but he is overmatched as a starter nearly every game. He would be much more valuable coming off the bench. And Caron Butler is a tough guy who provides veteran leadership, but he is a below-average backup at this point in his career.
Coach and team president Stan Van Gundy may choose to ride out the season with the present roster, which is only two games back of the No. 8 spot in the Eastern Conference despite starting the season 5-23. But the Pistons could upgrade at small forward to either push for the postseason or build for the future.
Joe Johnson
The biggest name the Pistons have been tied to prior to the trade deadline is a playoff-tested veteran who would help them on the wing. Per ESPNNewYork.com's Ohm Youngmisuk:
Brooklyn Nets swingman Joe Johnson is a perimeter scorer who can get baskets in isolation and knock down three-pointers (36.5 percent this season). That shooting and his playmaking ability—3.7 assists per game—should make him a good fit for Van Gundy's system, which requires ball movement and floor spacing.
At 6'7" and 240 pounds, Johnson can play either wing position. He has the size to match up against almost any 2 or 3, though his defense has slipped in recent years.
The benefits he brings offensively outweigh those on the other end, as the Nets score 7.4 points per 100 possessions more when he is on the court, and they are 5.9 points better overall at that rate, according to NBA.com/Stats.
But any discussion of trading for Johnson must begin with his contract, which is for over $23 million this season and nearly $25 million in 2015-16, per ShamSports.com.
According to ESPN, the trade discussions have included Jennings, who is out for the year after tearing his Achilles. The Pistons would have to add in several expiring contracts to make the deal work. Jennings with Butler, Jonas Jerebko and Luigi Datome would work, according to ESPN's Trade Machine.
That would push Singler to the bench, where he would be a clear upgrade for Butler. Jerebko's minutes have decreased from January to February as Van Gundy has leaned more heavily on Anthony Tolliver. Plus, Datome has played in just three games year. There's no doubt the trade would improve Detroit for the remainder of 2014-15.
But Johnson turns 34 this offseason, and his scoring has decreased every season since 2011-12, which is the last time his player efficiency rating (PER) cracked 16 (the league average is 15).
Without him, the Pistons should have significant cap space this summer even if they re-sign Greg Monroe. By taking on his $25 million deal, that room would evaporate.
Acquiring Johnson would make the Pistons favorites to clinch one of the final two playoff spots in the East. But would it give them a legitimate shot to knock off the Atlanta Hawks or whichever team gets the No. 2 seed? And could they use that cap space to sign someone this summer who would fit their future plans better than Johnson?
Those are the questions Van Gundy needs to answer before pulling the trigger.
Wilson Chandler
The Denver Nuggets have fallen out of the Western Conference playoff race, sitting 8.5 games behind the Phoenix Suns for the No. 8 seed, and Michigan native Wilson Chandler is one of the hotter names who could be on the trade market.
Offensively, Chandler has become primarily a spot-up shooter—attempting over five triples per game each of the past two seasons. He has been uninspiring from long range since 2012-13—when he made 41.3 percent—knocking down 34.8 and 33.8 percent of his threes in 2013-14 and 2014-15, respectively.
He has been known as an excellent defensive player for most of his career, but he has struggled this season: The Nuggets are 7.9 points per 100 possessions better defensively when he's off the court, according to NBA.com/Stats, though some of that may be due to a quad injury.
If Chandler is healthy and focused, he should still be an asset on that end. He is an above-average athlete with the length to defend three positions. In his prime, he would have been a significant upgrade defensively over the guys Van Gundy currently plays at small forward.
He and Caldwell-Pope could be quite the pesky duo on the perimeter—if Chandler still has it in him.
At $6.8 million this season and a non-guaranteed $7.1 million for next season, his contract is much more palatable than Johnson's. And at 27, he would be a much better fit after this season with the Pistons' young core of talent.
Grantland's Zach Lowe suggested that the price for Chandler is quite high: two first-round picks—though that may change before the deadline. For a team that is one piece away from a title, perhaps that is a price worth paying.
But Detroit is not one of those teams. It did not have a first-round pick last season, and the pick in June's draft will be in the top 20. Van Gundy cannot afford to give away such assets for a player who may be on the decline and could leave after the 2015-16 season.
The Pistons should only seriously consider Chandler if the price comes down.
Terrence Ross
If the Pistons want a player who may only provide a small boost now but has the potential to be their starter for years, then they should call the Toronto Raptors about Terrence Ross.
The third-year wing was bumped from the starting lineup in January, and Lowe reported that the Raptors are accepting trade offers for him. They are currently No. 2 in the East, so getting playoff-ready guys in return could convince them to part with Ross.
Though he is not a great defender or creator—averaging just one assist per game—Ross is an excellent athlete and has shot over 37 percent from three for his career. At the minimum, he could help Detroit space the floor and get out into the open court offensively. He does have the potential to be an elite scorer.
If a team makes a move for him, it will be for that dreadful yet exciting word: potential. He is 24, an above-average shooter and a human pogo stick. If you squint hard enough, you can see a 20-point-per-game guy with the physical tools to be a defensive stopper.
The Raptors cooling on Ross may give Detroit a great opportunity to steal away a guy who could start alongside Caldwell-Pope and Andre Drummond for years.
The Raptors need wings or possibly a power forward. Monroe could have made sense, but Van Gundy told The Detroit News that the big man isn't going anywhere. Jodie Meeks would help the Raptors score from beyond the arc at the 2. Jerebko or Tolliver could do the same off the bench for them at power forward.
Those guys on their own are likely not enough to get Ross, but throwing in some sort of future pick could sweeten the deal. Unlike with Chandler, the Pistons would control his rights through the 2016-17 season since he is in just the third season of his rookie deal.
The Raptors may have too high of an asking price for Ross, or they may not like what the Pistons have to offer. But if Van Gundy could swing it, the 24-year-old is worth taking a risk on this trade deadline.
All records and statistics accurate through February 18, 2014, and from NBA.com unless otherwise noted.
Jakub Rudnik covers the Detroit Pistons as a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter.
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