Feb 8, 2023; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Detroit Pistons forward Bojan Bogdanovic (44) shoots in the third quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
In the latest NBA Draft rumors, the Pistons and Mavs are talking, and both Jonathan Kuminga and Brandon Ingram could be dangled for the Warriors and Pelicans to move up.
NBA Draft rumors: Pistons-Mavs trade could be in the works
According to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony, the Pistons may explore trading Bojan Bogdanovic for Tim Hardaway and the No. 10 overall pick. This is one of the many options that the Pistons could be looking at if they choose to trade the 31st overall pick (first pick in the second round) in this draft.
What is most interesting about this is that it shows how the Mavs may look to improve their roster. In this scenario, the Mavs would be locking themselves further into Kyrie Irving as Luka Doncic’s partner in crime. While that is all well in good, betting most of your shot with Luka with a player who has seemed to have a problem every season seems not so smart.
For the Pistons, this move would make a lot of sense. Although Hardaway has a semi-bad contract, they could package this for a first-round pick down the line. They would also be able to add another impactful rookie player to the Cade Cunnigham and Jaden Ivey core. This trade would be a major win for the Pistons and would allow the Mavs to put a more competitive roster around their core.
Still, this is one of the many options that the Pistons have. When you are rebuilding, it is very easy to make trades. Often it is the selection of those players that make or breaks whether you are able to break out of the bottom of the league.