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NBA Trade Grades: Pistons Send Jodie Meeks To Magic

By Jordan Treske

Dec 30, 2014; Orlando, FL, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Jodie Meeks (20) shoots a three pinter over Orlando Magic guard Evan Fournier (10) during the second quarter at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 30, 2014; Orlando, FL, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Jodie Meeks (20) shoots a three pinter over Orlando Magic guard Evan Fournier (10) during the second quarter at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jan 14, 2015; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Jodie Meeks (20) holds the ball during the second quarter against the New Orleans Pelicans at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 14, 2015; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Jodie Meeks (20) holds the ball during the second quarter against the New Orleans Pelicans at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports /

Detroit Pistons

Already very active ahead of the start of free agency, the Detroit Pistons have dealt another depth option with Meeks.

Stan Van Gundy and Co. know that they are in need of a bench overhaul and while it ultimately wouldn’t have changed their fortunes this season, not having Meeks for practically the entire season didn’t help their bench woes this year.

Of course, the key skill they are missing now that Meeks is gone is his three-point shooting as he’s a career 37 percent three-point shooter.

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Three-point shooting was a big area of concern for the Pistons this season (the Pistons shot 34 percent from deep, good for 22nd in the league, per NBA.com/stats) and obviously not having Meeks available didn’t help that as well.

On the flip side, dealing Meeks gets him off of the Pistons’ books for next season, just in time for the team to lock down Andre Drummond to a likely max deal as well as look for a potential backup point guard once free agency begins.

That’s not to mention the fact the Pistons are trying to sneak their way in on the Al Horford sweepstakes and getting out from under Meeks’ money helps them get closer to Horford’s desire for a max deal, according to Zach Lowe of ESPN.com.

"Watch out for the Pistons on Horford; with Wednesday’s trade of Meeks, they are one tiny move away from being able to fit his max. They are working to schedule a meeting with Horford over the first 48 hours of free agency, sources say."

Overall, dealing Meeks gives the Pistons some more room to explore in free agency, along with locking up some of their pending free agents like Drummond.

From an on the floor standpoint, Meeks’ place within the team was no longer what it once was due to the rise of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and that obviously made him expendable through the Pistons’ eyes.

Grade: B

Next: Orlando Magic

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