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Detroit Pistons Trade Deadline: Grading Jennings and Ilyasova Deal

By Matthew Handel

Jan 12, 2015; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Detroit Pistons guard Brandon Jennings (7) looks to play a ball during the first quarter in a game against the Toronto Raptors at Air Canada Centre. The Detroit Pistons won 114-111. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 12, 2015; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Detroit Pistons guard Brandon Jennings (7) looks to play a ball during the first quarter in a game against the Toronto Raptors at Air Canada Centre. The Detroit Pistons won 114-111. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Detroit Pistons break the trade deadline silence and bring in Tobias Harris, only giving up Brandon Jennings and Ersan Ilyasova.

The Detroit Pistons have strengthened their lineup and made the first move of the 2016 NBA trade deadline. They made a deal with the Orlando Magic, bringing in Tobias Harris, while shipping out Brandon Jennings and Ersan Ilyasova.

At 27-27 on the season, the Pistons needed to make a move during the NBA trade deadline frenzy and this is the perfect one. They send out a point guard who was trying to get back in the swing of the NBA (Brandon Jennings) and upgrade their stretch-4.

Ilyasova and Harris are basically identical players in terms of size. Both are about 6-foot-9 inches and about the same weight. Both have a very similar style of play, stretching the floor, while pulling down a fair share of rebounds as. Although they are similar in many ways, Harris is an upgrade for the Pistons. He has higher per-game averages than Ilyasova in both points, 13.7 compared to 11.3, and rebounds, 7.0 compared to 5.4.

Harris will slide right into the starting lineup and the Pistons will pick right up with it and try to get themselves into a playoff spot. They are currently just outside the eighth seed, but bringing in Harris will boost their play and increase the amount of games they win in the second half of the season.

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It only gets better from the Pistons side of this trade, Harris is also younger. He has been in the league for four seasons, compared to the seven seasons Ilyasova has played in. Although this means that Ilyasova has more experience, Harris should have more years left in his career, meaning more games for the Pistons.

Harris is coming from the Magic, who are an Eastern Conference team. The Pistons also play in the East, so the Pistons don’t have to worry about transitioning a player from one conference to another. Harris will also be pretty familiar with the East opponents that the Pistons play.

It helps that Harris is excited about coming to Detroit. He told ESPN via text, “I’m ready to make the playoffs!”

Confidence and excitement, two things the Pistons will be happy to bring to their roster. They will be excited to get a young shooter that will stretch the floor, hopefully opening up the floor for point guard Reggie Jackson.

The only downside that the Pistons get out of this trade is Harris’ contract. He brings with him a four-year, $64 million deal that he signed last year. If his rather large contract is the only downside that can seem to stick out from this trade, the Pistons have won big.

What Grade Did Pistons Earn?

Overall, the Pistons earned themselves a B+ grade. Getting rid of players that were expendable anyway, while bringing in a young and athletic stretch-4, they won this trade by far and have set the bar at a high level for other teams wanting to make a splash in this years’ trade deadline.

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