NBA Trade Rumors: Detroit Pistons may trade Josh Smith before deadline
By Josh Hill
The Detroit Pistons are currently 16-22 and desperately clinging to a shaky seventh seed in the Eastern Conference playoff picture. With Brooklyn a half game behind them, Charlotte and New York a game-and-a-half behind and Cleveland, Philadelphia and Boston closing in as well, the Pistons are far form being playoff locks this season in the East.
The struggles have Grantland’s Zach Lowe pondering solutions that the Pistons could make to improve the team for a playoff run. He points out more time on the floor together of the big three is an option at this point, but he doesn’t stop there with the solutions.
"The other solution is to find a team desperate to win now and unload Smith for a less onerous contract. One off-the-wall suggestion a few NBA folks on other teams have mentioned to me in recent days: What if the Pistons offered Smith to the Nets for Brook Lopez? The Nets get a player who can help them now in exchange for a player who can’t, and who has suffered chronic foot injuries."
Blowing up Detroit’s lethargic Big 3 seems like an unlikely move of desperation, and Lowe is hardly suggesting that it needs to happen or that it’s even possible.
Andre Drummond seems to be the only name mentioned in discussions around basketball circles as being safe in Detroit. This could mean that before the deadline arrives, Josh Smith might be wearing a new uniform.