Pistons Land Star Forward in This Bold Trade Proposal

The Detroit Pistons could be one trade away from being a real threat to become NBA champions. They’ve shown this season that they may be a bit ahead of schedule when it comes to their path to title contention. However, they may still need a little more talent to push them over the edge. 

Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report wrote about “5 Blockbuster NBA Trades That Should Happen After Christmas,” and he had one idea for the Pistons that could solidify them as title contenders.

"Detroit Pistons receive: Lauri Markkanen.

Utah Jazz receive: Tobias Harris, Jaden Ivey, Ron Holland III, 2030 first-round pick, and 2032 first-round pick.

Why Detroit does it: The Pistons' potent blend of Cade Cunningham excellence, disruptive defense, and pedal-floored hustle has punched their ticket into the really-good tier, but they might need one more star to graduate to greatness. And maybe they don't just want to wait and see if someone like Ivey, Holland, Jalen Duren, or Ausar Thompson could fill that void internally.

Markkanen would be an all-caps AWESOME fit. He could expand the offensive menu, dramatically improve the spacing, and take some heat off of Cunningham's shoulders without costing the club anything in terms of length or much in the way of disruption and general defensive resistance."

If the Pistons wanted to take a swing, landing Markkanen would be a great move. The trade package they’d need to give up would be pretty hefty, but Markkanen would be such an upgrade at forward that it could be worth it.

The only question is whether they want to mess around and break up the young core that has been having so much success.