The Pistons Were Right

Detroit Pistons fans got pretty excited last week when it was announced that the team had traded seldom-used Rodney McGruder and a second-round pick for 7-2, skilled big man Bol Bol. Unfortunately, Bol struggled during his workout with Detroit and failed his physical and the trade was nixed.

For the next couple of days, Detroit took some heat as a franchise that does this kind of thing too often (the Pistons have reportedly been involved in three vetoed trades out of the last five in the NBA). Even a former NBA took some shots at the Pistons.

However earlier today, trusted NBA reporter Shams Charania revealed that Bol will undergo foot surgery and miss a bunch of time.

Denver Nuggets forward Bol Bol has decided to undergo surgery on his foot and will be sidelined for 8-to-12 weeks, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Bol’s trade to Detroit was voided last week because of issue with physical exam.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 18, 2022

So in this case, Detroit absolutely got it right and it was actually Bol who was being deceptive. If he was having issues with his foot, at 7-2 and with a rail-thin frame, he knew that he wasn't 100% and he was trying to get over on the Pistons. If the trade had been upheld, and Bol rolled into Detroit only to hit the injured list after a game or two, where he'd then spend the next 8-12 weeks, it would've been viewed as a horrible mistake. Bol was supposed to come to Detroit, play the remaining 40 games and see if he had a future with the franchise. If he showed up, got hurt and missed all of that time, it would've been a completely worthless move.