Kevin Durant could be traded this summer by the Suns. Could he wind up in Detroit?
The case for the Pistons making a move is simple, says Jim Costa: "Future Hall of Famer, can shoot the ball, Pistons need some shooting in the front court." That doesn't mean that it makes sense, considering Durant's age and Detroit's timeline.
In a trade proposed by NBA analyst Zach Lowe, the Pistons would send Tobias Harris, Jaden Ivey, Isaiah Stewart and a future first-round pick to the Suns in exchange for Durant, who will be 37 next season with a $55 million cap hit in the final year of his contract.
Costa: "How bout no? ... I’m shedding young pieces I could use in a real trade, slash young pieces I could use to grow organically, to take a one-year shot with Kevin Durant where I’m probably not winning the title?"
"And then you probably have to extend him on the max as he ages into his 40’s and Cade Cunningham doesn't have a long-term running mate. I’m a no. And this may be a surprise because I'm the guy who says, 'Go get Bregman, go get Hendrickson, go get Mitch Marner, go get the big piece.' This isn’t the big piece and it doesn’t fit the timeline. It doesn’t make any sense for the Pistons to give up firsts and young players, plural, to bring Kevin Durant to Detroit."
Jon Jansen agrees, but says he would give up two first-rounders for Durant if it meant keeping the Pistons' young players, because those picks are unlikely to come in the lottery. Costa says he would rather keep those picks "because they may be fodder in a more impactful trade."
"I’m not giving up multiple firsts for a one-year rental in Kevin Durant. And even if you told me I’m extending him, I'm getting a guy who will be extended at 38, 39 and 40? On a team that feels like it has a completely different window and timeline than that."
What's more, says Costa, Durant's next team will mark his fifth stop in the NBA. "And the only one that really had the ultimate success — which is why you’d be trading for him — is when he joined a 73-win Golden State Warriors team.
"I don’t mean that to tell you that Durant’s not a Hall of Fame player. But it’s not like I’m trading for him and I’m guaranteed a title. Plenty of teams have tried to do that, and haven’t seen that work out."