The Detroit Pistons worked around the margins during the NBA trade deadline, and landed two perimeter players and two future second-round picks while maintaining their future assets.
After being a part of two deals on Wednesday and Thursday, the Pistons landed guard Dennis Schröder and wing Lindy Waters III from the Golden State Warriors as part of the four-team deal that moved Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler to the Bay Area.
The Pistons began their deadline by acquiring former Philadelphia 76ers wing K.J. Martin plus two future second-round picks in exchange for absorbing his salary. Later that night, the Pistons got involved as one of the teams in the Butler deal and landed Waters, Josh Richardson and a future second-round pick.
Before Thursday’s 3 p.m. deadline, president of basketball operations Trajan Langdon sent Martin, Richardson, and a 2028 second-round pick to the Utah Jazz to land Schröder, who initially landed there in the deal. The Pistons finished their roster activity by waiving Wendell Moore Jr. to create a spot for Waters.
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The Pistons did not alter their current core of players which has led them to a 25-26 record and seventh place in the Eastern Conference one year after finishing with an NBA-worst 14 wins. Schröder could step into the rotation as a backup ballhandler behind Cade Cunningham, a role that’s been a sore spot since Jaden Ivey broke his leg at the beginning of January.
Here is how the Free Press and national NBA writers graded the Pistons’ deadline acquisitions.
Detroit Free Press: B
Pistons beat writer Omari Sankofa II graded the Pistons’ move as a B.
“Schröder, 31-year-old journeyman point guard, is competent,” Sankofa wrote. “He’s averaging 14.4 points and 5.5 assists per game this season. His percentages tanked after arriving in Golden State, but he started the season with the Brooklyn Nets shooting 45.2% overall and 38.7% on 3-pointers.
“Though his shooting numbers have fluctuated throughout his career, he’s a reliable playmaker and plus-defender who can take some pressure from Cade Cunningham playing alongside him or run the second unit.”
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The Athletic: B-minus
The Athletic’s Zach Harper graded the Pistons’ deadline moves with a B-minus while Joe Vardon labeled the Pistons as one of his four “deadline winners” because of their ability to maintain flexibility while improving the depth on the roster.
“I like the move to acquire Dennis Schröder on Thursday,” Vardon wrote. “With Jaden Ivey out at least one more month with injury, Schröder is a better fit for (coach J.B.) Bickerstaff’s pick-and-roll offense than the pass-and-cut system in Golden State. … But the Pistons set themselves up to continue to be competitive now, while maintaining flexibility to take bigger swings as their core improves under Bickerstaff in the near future.”
ESPN: B-plus
ESPN’s Kevin Pelton approved of the trade, both with Schröder’s fit on the Pistons’ roster and the front office acquiring an expiring contract while gaining draft capital.
“The price was pretty good for Detroit considering we’re less than two months removed from the Warriors giving up two second-rounders net to get Schröder in the first place,” Pelton wrote. “As noted, he wasn’t a fit in Golden State, but Schroder is overqualified as a backup to Cade Cunningham who will undoubtedly play some minutes alongside him too.”
Yahoo! Sports: A
Yahoo’s Morten Stig Jensen gave the Pistons an A for snagging a veteran like Schröder without giving up any assets other than free cap space.
“The Pistons used their cap space to absorb deals, gain a few extra picks and ultimately land on Dennis Schröder as an addition for the rest of the year, strengthening the point guard spot,” Jensen wrote. “That’s just rock solid.”
CBS Sports: C-plus
CBS’s Sam Quinn gave the Pistons a C-plus because they couldn’t convert the open cap space into a first-round pick, but approved of Schröder‘s on-court fit.
“In the end, though, nobody proved that desperate,” Quinn wrote. “That’s OK. Dennis Schroder is a nice addition for them. He functions somewhat similarly to the injured Jaden Ivey as a speedy secondary ball-handler, but his expiring contract means the Pistons can move off of him harmlessly after the season.”
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