In reality, Stanley Johnson was never going to the Bucks. He's headed to the Pelicans instead.
Turns out, the Bucks were making a play all along for the Pelicans' Nikola Mirotic, and needed the Pistons involved to make things work. Maker is still coming to Detroit, but Johnson is on his way to New Orleans, per NBA insider Kevin Smith.
Lots of questions about how Milwaukee is able to aggregate Stanley Johnson with Jason Smith to bring in Nikola Mirotic...They aren't. The Bucks and Pistons never completed the Johnson/Thon Maker swap. That now gets rolled in with New Orleans in a three team trade.
— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA)
February 7, 2019 The Pelicans are also receiving several draft picks in the the deal, according to Tim Bontemps, but none are coming from the Pistons.
Sources: Pelicans are receiving Denver's 2019 second rounder, Washington's 2020 and 2021 second rounder and Milwaukee's 2020 second rounder, along with Jason Smith and Stanley Johnson, for Nikola Mirotic.
— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps)
February 7, 2019 Johnson, 22, was Detroit's first-round draft pick (eighth overall) in 2015. He averaged 7.5 points and 3.6 rebounds while shooting just 38 percent from the field in 48 games this season.
His best season with the Pistons may well have come when he was a rookie. He's showed marginal improvement, at best, in the years since.
In Maker, the Pistons get another lottery pick who hasn't yet panned out. The 7'1 center was selected tenth overall in the 2016 draft.
In 35 games (no starts) this season with Milwaukee, Maker, 21, averaged 4.7 points and 2.7 rebounds while playing just 11 minutes per night.
