The Detroit Pistons could, if they wanted, be among the very most aggressive teams during this iteration of NBA trade season. They have a rich asset collection, a decent shot at title contention, and a second-star void alongside MVP candidate Cade Cunningham.

Would it be wise to hammer the fast-forward button, though? After all, the Pistons are faring just fine on their own. Plus, the trade market hasn’t exactly offered up the perfect co-star for Cunningham; Giannis Antetokounmpo, for instance, is an awkward timeline fit, and he’d add to this squad’s spacing constraints.

Detroit would probably target someone younger, but even adding a 24-year-old star might not be enough to satisfy the fanbase if it required giving up 22-year-old swingman Ausar Thompson.

The most aggressive (realistic) move the Pistons can make.

It’d be tough for Detroit’s decision-makers to talk themselves into letting go of Thompson, but it’s probably not impossible. If the Pistons aren’t convinced that stardom awaits him, then the chance to turn him into an established star has some appeal. And if they think he’ll always struggle as a shooter (career 20.8 percent from three on limited volume), then they might question his long-term fit with breakout big man (and soon-to-be huge-payout recipient) Jalen Duren.

Plus, Thompson should have enough appeal on his own that if Detroit did include him an offer, it shouldn’t need much else to snag a star. Like, Harris is solid, and Klintman is still young, tools-y, and fun in theory, but the Pistons wouldn’t exactly be blowing their budget in the hypothetical trade pitch above.

Considering the caliber of the pickup—Barnes’ first four seasons featured both Rookie of the Year honors (in Cunningham’s class, by the way) and an All-Star selection—there’d be relatively minor disruption to the rotation and the asset collection.

You could see, then, why the Pistons might be into the idea.

Barnes is sort of the actualized version of what Detroit hopes Thompson could become. Not to mention, Barnes is figuring out both how to up his efficiency (all three levels of his 50.4/36.4/82.3 shooting slash are career-highs) and how to co-exist with other ball-dominant players (like Brandon Ingram and RJ Barrett), traits that would be invaluable for his fit next to Cunningham.

And yet, this feels like the kind of concept that could never convince the fan base of its worth. They’re either incapable of picturing a Thompson trade, or when their mind does draw one up, it sees a richer prize than Barnes—more of a really good player than a great one—coming back to Detroit.

Honestly, that’s a fair train of thought, too. Detroit has been so dominant that it’d have to be a no-brainer to even think about shaking things up and potentially disrupting the chemistry. This trade is a fun concept, but it falls short of that threshold.