The Detroit Pistons surged out of the gate this season, sitting 2nd in the Eastern Conference at an impressive 14-6. But point guard Reggie Jackson was lost for the season, and the wheels started to fall off.
An 8-20 stretch, and a current eight-game losing streak, has plunged the Pistons to 9th in the East. While there's still months to play, the team has lost realistic hope of making the playoffs and is trending towards the bottom of the conference.
With hope dwindling, Detroit will reportedly shop guard Avery Bradley ahead of the February trade deadline. Bradley was acquired from the Boston Celtics last summer, but will be a free agent in the summer of 2018. The Pistons are looking to move, to avoid having him walk for nothing in July.
Contenders would be wise to look at adding Bradley for a playoff run. While the guard's production offensively isn't as good as it was the previous two seasons, his defense is still elite and he can knock down an open three. On isolation plays, Bradley only allows 0.55 points per play, the best in the league among guards. He's shooting 38% from downtown, slightly above his career average of 37%.
Bradley would make almost any team in the league better, even if their starting guards have been decided. Off the bench, Bradley would help second-unit defense and knock down some shots. In a starting lineup, he would probably shoot less but lock down the other team's best guard.
The Pistons asking price for Bradley is said to be "significant." Just how much they ask for could be the deciding factor in which team is able to pull off a trade. Here are three possible landing spots for an Avery Bradley trade:
Oklahoma City Thunder
The Oklahoma City Thunder were already in a position where trading for Bradley would make sense. After superstar Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City's guard play was questionable at best. Then, they lost Andre Roberson for the season, coincidentally, in a win over the Pistons.
Roberson wasn't a huge part of the offense, averaging less than one shot per game, but was an efficient shooter (54%) and affected the stat sheet in other ways (4.7 rebounds, 0.9 blocks, 1.2 steals per game).
Having Roberson and Bradley together on the roster would've boosted the Thunder, but now that Roberson is gone, Bradley becomes more of a need than a want. Bradley's offense but most importantly, defense, would make the Thunder a more well-rounded team.
Before their current 8-game win streak, the Thunder were sitting at 22-20. Their consistent winning will slow down soon, so they need a deeper roster to help them churn out wins in the regular season, and then again in the playoffs.
Possible trade bait for the Pistons includes SF Josh Huestis, SF Kyle Singler, SG Alex Abrines, and PG Raymond Felton. Oklahoma City could also throw in a draft pick. Will that be enough to land their defensive help?
Cleveland Cavaliers
Despite recent struggles, the Cleveland Cavaliers remain 3rd in the East. They'll cruise into the playoffs and at least past the first round.
But for the first time in years, the NBA Finals and even Conference Finals are anything but a sure bet for LeBron James.
The Cavaliers have a ton of guards right now: from starters Isaiah Thomas and J.R. Smith to reserves Derrick Rose, Dwyane Wade, Iman Shumpert and Jose Calderon. Overall, they've been underwhelming on offense and pretty bad on defense.
Enter Avery Bradley. More a Cleveland team that has struggled on defense all season, Bradley would be a great addition. He can guard both guard positions at an elite level, limiting potential playoff opponents like Kyrie Irving, John Wall, and Steph Curry.
The Cavaliers should easily have enough assets to acquire Avery Bradley, but will what they offer match up with what the Pistons want? The most basic package they could assemble would probably include J.R. Smith, Channing Frye, and a second-round pick. But for a Pistons team building for the future, would this be enough?
With a "significant" asking price, the Cavaliers may be asked to include Brooklyn's first-round pick, or a higher quality player like Jae Crowder. Now flipping the script: would this make sense for Cleveland? Getting a half-season rental at the expense of a potentially franchise-altering draft pick?
This could result in a stalemate, but a deal could still get done before the deadline if the Cavaliers can come up with an offer more enticing than others, but without giving up too much.
Los Angeles Lakers
The first two teams would be a slam dunk for trading for Bradley. They need depth and most importantly, defensive guard help. They're also both destined for the playoffs.
The Los Angeles Lakers, on the other hand, are a longshot at best, sitting 11th in the West at 19-30. They've ascended from the bottom of the conference by virtue of a 7-3 stretch. But at a full 7.0 games behind the 8th-seeded Denver Nuggets, the postseason is a pipe dream for L.A. And even if they made it, they'd be quickly disposed of by the Golden State Warriors or Houston Rockets.
Despite these circumstances, the Lakers have reportedly offered Jordan Clarkson, a promising young guard with three years left on his contract, to the Pistons in exchange for Bradley.
Clarkson, 25, is averaging 14.6 points, 3.3 assists and 2.3 rebounds per game in the 2017-2018 season. These are solid numbers in his 23.6 minutes per game. So why on Earth would the Lakers trade him for an expiring contract?
To be honest, I don't see why the Lakers would make the trade. But trying to make sense of it, Clarkson's numbers, while solid, haven't improved much since his sophomore season. In fact, he hasn't done better yet in points, rebounds, assists, or three-point percentage since his second season. If the Lakers aren't in love with Clarkson and his development, maybe it would be helpful to unload his $10 million per year contract.
From the Pistons perspective, this could be one of the best offers they receive. A young player with three years of team control left for an expiring contract would be good for the struggling Detroit squad. If I were the Lakers in this scenario, the Pistons would have to add a little more value to the trade.
Wildcards
The Thunder and Cavaliers make a ton of sense to trade for Bradley, and the Lakers have already reached out, offering Jordan Clarkson. What other teams might make some sense?
As mentioned, the Lakers are exception and only teams in playoff contention should even consider a trade for the guard. Some teams that might benefit most from the added depth and defensive prowess include the Philadelphia 76ers, Washington Wizards, and New Orleans Pelicans. All three teams are currently seeded in the playoffs, but could go deeper in the playoffs with the addition of Bradley.
The 76ers could start climbing higher from the 8th seed, and with the improvement, could be able to more consistently beat bad teams and beat good teams more often as well. The Raptors are in good position at 2nd in the East, but still need help if they wish to down the Celtics or Cavaliers in the postseason. Finally, while it wouldn't solve the problem of DeMarcus Cousins' injury, reinforcements could show the Pelicans are still set on trying to win this year.
Which team should trade for Bradley? Will the cost be as "significant" as Detroit wishes? The more teams that get involved, the higher the price could go. What will the Pistons get back in return?
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