The Detroit Pistons were the busiest team in the NBA on Thursday, Feb. 8, the day of the NBA’s trade deadline.
In total, the Pistons made four trades, the most of any NBA team during the trade deadline, bringing in eight players while trading away five.
The Pistons’ first trade centered around forward Simone Fontecchio from the Utah Jazz. In exchange for Fontecchio, the Pistons gave the Jazz Kevin Knox, the draft rights to Gabriele Procida and a 2024 second-round pick originating from the Washington Wizards.
So far this season, Fontecchio has averaged 9.3 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game, shooting 45 percent from the field and 38.7 percent from the three-point line.
Considering how strong Fontecchio’s Pistons’ debut was against the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday, Feb. 10, where he scored 20 points and brought in nine rebounds, Fontecchio will likely be a mainstay in Detroit if he can remain consistent.
The next trade the Pistons made on the deadline included shipping off Monte Morris to the Minnesota Timberwolves for a 2030 second-round pick, Shake Milton and Troy Brown Jr.
Through three games in a Pistons uniform, Milton and Brown Jr. haven’t made a lot of noise in Detroit but have made some solid contributions from the bench. On Wednesday, Feb. 14, Milton and Brown Jr. combined for 18 points in the Pistons’ loss to the Phoenix Suns.
While the duo from Minnesota doesn’t necessarily move the needle for the Pistons, it’s important to note that the Pistons got everything back and more from their initial trade for Morris this past offseason.
Next, the Pistons traded a 2028 second-round pick to the Philadelphia 76ers for Danuel House Jr., cash considerations, and a 2024 second-round pick that originates from the New York Knicks.
Notably, the second-round pick the Pistons dealt in this deal is top-55 protected, meaning that the Pistons will have to finish as a top-five team in the league in 2028 for the 76ers to take ownership of the pick.
The last trade of the day, and arguably the most significant for the Pistons, involved sending Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks to the New York Knicks for Quentin Grimes, Evan Fournier, Malachi Flynn, Ryan Arcidiacono and two future second-round picks.
This trade signifies a strategic shift for the Pistons, bringing in a mix of experienced talent and a promising young player in Grimes. In 20 minutes of play this season, Grimes has shot 39.5 percent from the field and 36.3 percent from deep while averaging 7.3 points, two rebounds and 1.2 assists.
Interestingly, Grimes was teammates with Pistons’ rookie Marcus Sasser at the University of Houston for two years.
Notably, following the trade with the Knicks, the Pistons had 19 total players on their roster.
Since the NBA only allows 15 players, not including two-way players, to be signed to a team during the season, the Pistons had to waive multiple players. The Pistons’ players waived include House Jr., Arcidiacono, Killian Hayes, Joe Harris and Danilo Galinari.
As for what this means for the Pistons, the team is likely preparing for a busy offseason.
Currently, the Pistons have the second-most projected cap space this offseason; this gives the Pistons the flexibility to bring in free agents and make trades without having to worry about matching salaries with other teams.
Additionally, Cade Cunningham, the Pistons’ former first-overall pick from the 2021 NBA draft, is eligible for a contract extension this summer. If the Pistons plan to extend Cunningham’s contract, this is the last offseason the team will have this flexibility to sign and trade for players with large contracts.
