With the NBA trade deadline approaching, the Detroit Pistons are a team that could be in the mix to pull off a move in hopes of solidifying their status as a contender in the Eastern Conference. The Pistons have been one of the surprise teams of the season so far, currently holding the No. 1 spot in the East standings at 24-6.
The NBA trade deadline is about six weeks away on Feb. 5, and while the Pistons are looking to upgrade their team, they’re not expected to be completely aggressive in the market, as per Tim McMahon of ESPN.
“If the Pistons want to be aggressive before the deadline, they have the ammunition, they have the flexibility,” McMahon said. “They’re not looking at it as, ‘we have to be aggressive before the deadline.’ They’re not going into the deadline with an aggressive mindset, they’re going into it with an opportunistic mindset. I think it’s probably more likely that they use the flexibility to collect another asset or two. I think they’re more in the Sam Presti of a couple years go mindset. They don’t want to block the development of the young guys that have put them in this spot.”
The Pistons have certainly taken a major leap over the past couple of seasons. It wasn’t too long ago that they were setting the NBA record for the most consecutive losses in league history. Last year though, the Pistons took a huge leap with JB Bickerstaff in his first season at the helm as head coach.
They finished with an overall record of 44-38 and in sixth place in the East standings. They were eventually eliminated by the New York Knicks in six games in the opening round of the NBA playoffs. While the Pistons have a solid collection of talent, it’s been the continued development of Cade Cunningham that’s helped elevate their status.