NBA Powerless Rankings: Pistons making business decisions like a business does

3. Marcus Morris

There was no such denouement with Marcus Morris. On July 6, Morris was a Detroit Piston. On July 7, Morris was a Boston Celtic.

While waiting for the Caldwell-Pope saga to reach its merciful end, this came as a shock. On one day, the starting five that brought hope to an unfortunate franchise in the spring of 2015 was broken.

In retrospect, it was a quality warm-up for this week. Players you like, players who seemed to be a fairly crucial part of a fairly reasonable system can be made to leave. If there is potential for a better outcome out there, the people have to be considered a collection of statistics and dollar signs. The asset is moved, and the person that asset represents is made to move with it.

Now, Marcus Morris wasn’t my favorite player. He had a beard, which was good. He had a reasonable contract, which was also good. But he also had assault charges and a bad habit of switching places with his brother during Markieff’s playoff series. It was hard to call him foundational, but he certainly wasn’t irrelevant.

The Pistons had a recent history of winning trades, as much as trades can be won, so there was reason to hold some high hopes. What was there before, what was predicted to be a second-tier team in the Eastern Conference, was gone, but whatever was going to take its place might be better. It wouldn’t be completely different, anyhow. Andre was still there. Tobias was still there. The people I liked super a lot remained.