New NBA Rumors on Pistons' Trade Deadline Mindset, Potential Jaren Jackson Jr. Deal

The Detroit Pistons are taking a "patient" approach to adding to their roster ahead of the Feb. 5 trade deadline, according to ESPN's Tim MacMahon.

"I talked to some of their folks. They are very much in a patient, methodical mindset," MacMahon said around the 39:30 mark of Wednesday's episode of Brian Windhorst & the Hoop Collective.

According to MacMahon, the Pistons are more focused on using the $14.3 million trade exception they received for dealing Dennis Schröder to the Sacramento Kings last summer than acquiring a second scorer to play behind Cade Cunningham.

"When I mentioned Jaren Jackson Jr. to some people, you could see a little twinkle in their eyes," MacMahon said. "So, opportunistic. But they're talking more, hey, we've got that Schröder exception. We could use that to facilitate a deal, get another asset, probably a first-round pick or something like that.

"They're more in that mindset than they are... 'Oh, got to get the finishing piece now.' And part of that is, they want to give the guys that they have a chance to prove who they are or who they're not come playoff time."

The Pistons currently sit on top of the Eastern Conference, and rank second in the league only to the Oklahoma City Thunder in wins, following a 31-10 first half of the season.

The Pistons have reportedly had a similar mindset for at least the last month. The Athletic's Hunter Patterson wrote back on Dec. 15 the team was "expected to be opportunistic when weighing potential trade options but not aggressive in the market."

Detroit could still decide to take advantage of the Schröder exception, considering that it expires in July. The exception will allow the Pistons to bring in $14.3 million in salary without having to move out matching salary in return.

The Pistons currently have a full 15-man roster and would still need to waive a player in order to bring someone in ahead of the deadline.

In contrast, adding a top player like Jackson would likely involve sending out multiple players while constricting the cap for the next several years. Jackson is playing under a $35 million cap hit this season, and he's already signed for three more seasons with a player option for 2029-30 season, per Spotrac.

Whether Jackson even becomes available as a trade candidate for the Pistons to consider could hinge on what the Memphis Grizzlies ultimately decide to do with star point guard Ja Morant ahead of the deadline.

ESPN's Shams Charania reported on Jan. 9 that the Grizzlies were "entertaining offers" on Morant.

In case of a Morant trade, Yahoo Sports' Kelly Iko wrote a few days later that there was "a growing thought" among NBA executives that Jackson "could be the next domino to fall."

Multiple reporters have mentioned a potentially limited market for Morant, however, given what has so far been a down season combined with his availability issues and the $87 million remaining on his contract after this season.

While the Grizzlies (18-23, No. 11 in the Western Conference) decide how much of their core to keep together past the deadline, it sounds like the Pistons could potentially wait to make big moves until after they determine Cunningham and his current teammates' ability to lead the franchise past the first round for the first time since 2008.