"The big winner" in the NBA Monday night was the Pistons, says Mike Valenti. Between Dallas and San Antonio winning the top two spots in the lottery, Jayson Tatum suffering a torn Achilles in the Celtics' loss to the Knicks and the growing likelihood that Giannis Antetokounmpo winds up in the West, "the East is wide open."
And for Detroit, "the time is now," says Valenti. "It is now the Pistons and Orlando. You are the two teams that have the ability to rise, and quickly. Orlando has a duo with Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner. That duo, when healthy, trumps just Cade."
With that in mind, Valenti says this is the summer for Trajan Langdon and the Pistons "to be tactical, and make a bold but calculated move. If you told me right now that the Pistons had the No. 1 seed in the East next year, I wouldn’t laugh at you -- provided they made a move."
And Valenti has the "perfect trade candidate for the Pistons."
"I mean, perfection. And I don’t think it would cost you that much. I think he’s built to be a Detroit Piston. A two-time All-Defensive player, clutch as all hell. Shoots about 38, 39 percent from three, can play on or off ball and has zero ego. Makes every smart play, can draw a charge at one end of the floor and an alley-oop assist on the other. Costs you $28 million a year."
The player? Derrick White of the Celtics.
"Derrick White in the backcourt with Cade Cunningham is perfection. White can draw the more difficult defensive assignment every night, he can run the offense and get Cade off the ball to give him some more action into the offense. And it’s a player who is signed for four years."
White, who turns 31 in July, averaged a career-high 16.8 points, plus 4.8 assists and 4.5 rebounds this season. He's under contract through the 2028-29 season with an average salary of about $29.5 million.
Trading for White would likely cost the Pistons at least one of their talented young players in addition to draft picks, but "the Celtics are going to have to do uncomfortable things," says Valenti, as they plan for the future in the wake of the Tatum injury. "So take advantage of it."