Mock trade proposal sends Cole Anthony to Pistons for nothing in return

The first big trade of the NBA season is in the books.

The Atlanta Hawks sent Trae Young to his top preferred destination, the Washington Wizards, in exchange for guards C.J. McCollum and Corey Kispert. No draft capital was included in the deal from either side. Young averages 25.2 points and 9.8 assists for his entire career.

The trade has fans brainstorming about what their own team is capable of before the trade deadline approaches in February. The NBA insiders at ESPN proposed six trades for contenders to make that can send them over the edge of their conference. Some trades included sending forward Jonathan Kuminga from Golden State to New Orleans and center Brook Lopez being traded from the Los Angeles Clippers to the Toronto Raptors.

Cade Cunningham and Cole Anthon — Jan 8, 2022; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) drives to the basket as Orlando Magic guard Cole Anthony (50) defends during the first quarter at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-Imagn Images | Tim Fuller-Imagn Images

Detroit is set for the future

Pistons President of Basketball Operations Trajan Langdon has positioned his team to make deals at the deadline and the offseason. They have control of their first round picks from now until 2032 and they have 14 second round picks available to include in deals.

Detroit is also well below the first apron. The roster is succeeding while having one of the cheapest rosters in the league. They rank No. 27 out of 30 NBA teams in total payroll.

The Pistons are coming off of a dominant win against the Chicago Bulls without Jalen Duren and Cade Cunningham. There's a lot of optimism surrounding Detroit's young core.

Cole Anthony to Detroit

The trade ESPN is proposing is a three-team trade that sends guard Cole Anthony to the Detroit Pistons for absolutely nothing.

Milwaukee Bucks receive:

Brooklyn Nets forward Michael Porter Jr.

Brooklyn Nets receive:

Bucks forwards Kyle Kuzma and Taurean Prince along with a 2031 first round pick (via Bucks)

Detroit Pistons receive:

Milwaukee Bucks guard Cole Anthony and cash considerations.

The flexibility Langdon created allowed for the Pistons to be included in a trade like this. The trade offers even more flexibility for the Pistons after the trade is done as well.

"The Pistons are involved as a third team solely because they can clear a roster spot and are nowhere near the luxury tax. They'd get cash to cover Anthony's salary and could waive him immediately, if they want."
ESPN's Kevin Pelton

Cole Anthony is averaging career lows in all stat categories except for assists and turnovers. He's averaging about 15 minutes this season but he's proven in the past he can be a contributor to an offense.

In six NBA seasons, Anthony has averaged 12.1 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.9 turnovers. Daniss Jenkins has emerged as a heavy contributor to Detroit's bench unit, but the team could keep him to solidify their guard depth. Waiving Anthony after the trade is finalized would allow to Detroit to keep a roster spot open.