The NBA trade deadline is one of the busiest and most exciting days to witness as an NBA fan, as nearly every team in the league looks to either bolster their roster for the playoffs or flip players for young assets to utilize later down the road.
Considering that every team made a trade last season, except for the Chicago Bulls, this year, the Detroit Pistons will likely be active on Thursday, Feb. 8, the day of the deadline.
As it relates to the Pistons, we first have to look at which players the team is not willing to give up. Commonly called untouchables, the Pistons will likely refuse to trade away Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey, Jalen Duren, or Ausar Thompson at this year’s trade deadline.
Despite not being in the market to trade away the players mentioned above, some other players on the Pistons may be on the move.
Bojan Bogdanovic | SF/PF | 20.5 PTS, 3.3 REB, 2.6 AST
Bogdanovic, the Piston’s second-leading scorer this season, has been on teams’ radars since arriving in Detroit in 2022.
Despite this, time and time again, the Pistons have had no interest in trading Bogdanovic during his tenure. However, considering how terrible the season has been for the Pistons, there is no better time to move on from Bogdanovic.
At age 34, Bogdanovic isn’t getting any younger, and by the time the Pistons turn things around and start consistently winning games if they ever do, Bogdanovic will be long past his prime.
Alec Burks | SG | 12.3 PTS, 2.4 REB, 1.6 AST
What makes Burks the right fit for teams that want to compete is his ability to hit 3-pointers at a consistent rate, especially as the season has progressed.
In Burks’ last 10 games, he has knocked down 33 of his 75 3-point attempts, for a rate of 44 percent. Among the NBA, Burks’ high 3-point percentage makes him a top 60 3-point shooter.
In addition to bringing a team consistent buckets, Burks knows his role as a veteran guard in this league. Notably, Burks has come off the bench in all 41 games for the Pistons this season.
It’s important to note that the asking price for Burks would be at an all-time low. Burks’ contract expires after this season, so if the Pistons do move on from him, they will likely just receive a player that matches Burks’ salary, who isn’t as good, and some future draft capital.
Monte Morris | PG/SG | 5.0 PTS, 1.6 REB, 1.6 AST
Although Morris has missed most of this season with a quad strain, the veteran guard is another name that the Pistons may move at this year’s trade deadline.
One of the league’s premier ball distributors, Morris, tied for the best assist-to-turnover ratio last season, cashing in 5.4 assists for every turnover. So it’s no surprise that teams around the league could be interested in making a deal for the Flint native.
Initially an acquisition in the off-season, it’s clear that the investment in Morris won’t pay off for the Pistons. So, the decision to trade for a return on that investment is not out of left field, especially since Morris’ contract will be up by the end of the season.
As Pistons fans hold their breath this Thursday, the front office’s decisions will undoubtedly leave a mark on the team’s trajectory. After all, it can’t get any worse after tying the longest losing streak in NBA history.
