Even though the Detroit Pistons are 24-8 and clinging to first place in the Eastern Conference, they still have some needs to fill if they want to make a real run in the East this season.
Detroit is near the bottom of the league in 3-point shooting and could certainly use another 20-plus point per game scorer to take the pressure off Cade Cunningham, whose all of his efforts at the NBA level over the past two games have been in vain because no one else has contributed.
This problem probably won’t go away in the playoffs, so we could see the Pistons resolve it at the trade deadline. All indications are that the Pistons won’t make a blockbuster trade, but there are smaller moves that could help without costing them a core member.
But the Pistons are in a tough position when it comes to salary matching, as they only have one expiring big in Tobias Harris and it will be difficult to move him for several reasons.
Tobias Harris trade could create more problems for Pistons
The Pistons could use an upgrade at power forward, whether it’s a deep move or to replace Tobias Harris, as he’s shooting just 32 percent from long range and Detroit needs someone to space the floor other than Duncan Robinson.
If they could find a direct upgrade at the fourth spot, great, but if not, it will be difficult to trade Harris without creating other problems. Harris is really the only power forward on the roster right now, so if Detroit moves him, it will almost be for a guy who plays the same position, because they don’t have anyone else.
Even if the Pistons were able to find the consistent scoring threat they need, it would be difficult to use Harris’ expiring deal if that player were a guard, because then the Pistons would be smaller than they already are.
It’s like a game of whack-a-mole where you solve one problem just for another to arise.
Detroit still has other ways to improve, with contracts like Caris LeVert’s up in the air along with draft picks, but if they want to trade for a player on anything close to a max deal, Harris will almost have to be involved to make the money work.
Trajan Langdon will either have to bring back a power forward in any trade he makes or get creative in finding ways to improve on the sidelines, like he did at last year’s trade deadline.
