Brandon Ingram to Detroit Pistons. Kings get a PF (DET-TOR-SAC)

[oldncreaky]

The value changing hands here is reasonable — you’re rolling the dice on Ingram playing motivated basketball and stepping in as a legit #2 scoring option while being acceptable on defense and in terms of availability. If he does that, he’s not overpaid, although obviously still not a bargain by any means.

There are three issues with that, though, which make this trade very unlikely to get approved by Detroit:

1) The Pistons are trading their starting PF and best defensive big for one player that really can’t play PF. This move makes either Ingram, Ausar or Holland the starting PF. That’s too skinny, a waste of elite perimeter defense, and probably not ready as your options, and when combined with moving Paul Reed into the backup center spot, it’s crapping all over Detroit’s defense.

2) Tobias may be getting old, but he’s a very solid player. He provides just as much as Ingram overall when you factor in defense and availability. Yes, Ingram is younger and under contract for longer, but I don’t think Detroit sees Harris as a flight risk after this year. If we pay him appropriately and want him to stay, he probably will. Ideally he transitions into a backup role in a year or two once someone is ready.

3) Detroit isn’t going to trade Stewart. He’s great at his job defensively, but that’s not even the biggest reason. He’s Cade’s Oakley or whatever you want to call it, the team enforcer, culture guy, does-whatever-it-takes-guy, fiery spirit, longest tenured Pistons draftee on the roster. I’d be truly shocked if he’s dealt any time soon.

Detroit does need another quality initiator, no doubt about that. I don’t have as much faith in Ivey as some Pistons fans seem to, and I don’t see him as a viable backup PG when Cade sits. But even if I’m right, there’s still Holland and Ausar as creators-in-development that have a chance at it. 40 million for BI to take that role just doesn’t sound worth the assets, potential lost development, and defensive penalty.

Excellent post

[oldncreaky]

I find it really hard to see Toronto trading for Ingram, Extending him and trading him before every suiting up

Agree it is unlikely TOR will make a move before they've seen their starters play a single minute. IMO it is more likely they move somebody at the TDL, and Ingram is a possibility, but probably less likely than Barrett, Agbaji or Dick

As for why they acquired him, I think it was mostly about "buying low" because they gave up almost nothing for him (1 FRP plus 3 contracts that were collectively neutral at best)

[Crymson]

I understand you like Stewart as an emotional player + hard worker, but with Duren's growth, we're talking about a 6'7/6'8 backup C who plays <20MPG.

So I guess we're just going to pretend that this was never said.

[tmorgan]

I understand you like Stewart as an emotional player + hard worker, but with Duren's growth, we're talking about a 6'7/6'8 backup C who plays <20MPG.

So I guess we're just going to pretend that this was never said.

If Duren can’t get his defense together and/or agree to a new contract at a reasonable price for a lob catching and rebounding center (his current form), there’s a very real possibility he’s traded in the near future. If that trade doesn’t include a starting quality center in return (and why would it, if we’re dealing Duren because he doesn’t seem to be a long-term quality starter), Stewart becomes a 30+ minute guy again and all we have to do is find a quality backup. That’s a nice luxury to have, especially when he has three years at 15 mil per left on his deal.

Stewart’s too limited offensively to be a top ten center overall, but he’s easily top ten on the defensive end, a quality player on a good deal with extra value as a key component of the teams’ ethos. And he can shoot if the game plan needs it, something Duren hasn’t shown.