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Bill Simmons Weighs in On 'Logical' Pistons Trade Target

Should the Pistons make a run at Lauri Markkanen?
Kevin McCormick|
Sep 26, 2022; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Pelicans general manager Trajan Langdon during a press conference at the New Orleans Pelicans Media Day from the Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
Sep 26, 2022; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Pelicans general manager Trajan Langdon during a press conference at the New Orleans Pelicans Media Day from the Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

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Detroit Pistons

During his media day press conference, Trajan Langdon dove more into his offseason approach with the Detroit Pistons. While he's made his intentions clear, it didn't stop one analyst from giving his thoughts on the team going big-game hunting in the trade market.

The 2025 season was a historic one for the Pistons, as they managed to drastically alter the trajectory of the franchise. Led by an All-NBA season from Cade Cunningham, Detroit managed to triple its win total and secure a postseason berth for the first time since 2019.

Following all their success, many clamored for the Pistons to go out and make a big move this summer. However, Langdon didn't see it that way. He is still a firm believer in the roster's young core and wants to see how much they can grow together before making any drastic alterations.

Pistons Lauri Markkane
Dec 19, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen (23) shoots on Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) in the third quarter at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

Throughout the summer, countless names were thrown around as possible players for the Pistons to target via trade or free agency. Among those most commonly brought up was former All-Star forward Lauri Markkanen.

Seeing that the Utah Jazz are gearing up for a youth movement, them parting with their older star seems like a logical outcome.

During the latest episode of his podcast, Bill Simmons touched on the idea of Detroit pursuing Markkanen. Given his set of skills, he feels it's a no-brainer for the Pistons to pair him with Cunningham as he gets ready to enter his prime.

"It's the most logical trade of the year," Simmons said of the Pistons pursuing Markkanen. "He can shoot, he can space and shoot, he can roll to the rim on anything. It feels to me like him and Cade would be perfect together."

Although he's coming off a down year, Markkanen is still a player who makes a lot of sense for the Pistons. Two years removed from averaging over 25 PPG, he can provide the reliable scoring Detroit needs alongside Cunningham if Detroit is going to compete at the highest level.

Simmons might feel this trade needs to get done, but it doesn't look like it will be happening anytime soon. With some playoff experience and another summer of training under their belt, the Pistons are eager to see how far their core can take them as currently constructed.

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Kevin McCormick
KEVIN MCCORMICK

Since graduating from Holy Family University with a degree in Sports Management, he's gone on to pursue a career in journalism covering the NBA. Some of his previous bylines include 97.3 ESPN, ClutchPoints, and Sportskeeda.

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