NBA trade rumors: How the Detroit Pistons can get Jimmy Butler

The Detroit Pistons are reportedly interested in trading for Jimmy Butler, but does the team have enough assets to bring in another All-Star?

There comes a time in each NBA team’s offseason when the whirlwind of personnel hires, the draft, free agency and trade activity settles and the pieces are firmly in place to move ahead and forge an identity.

It is a calm before the preseason when — whether you’re a title contender or a tanking candidate — you know what you have and accept that this is the squad you’re rolling with for at least the immediate future.

The Detroit Pistons reached that point two months ago in July, after the team signed second round draft pick Khyri Thomas and picked up its option on 3-point ace Reggie Bullock. Those were the last two significant transactions for a franchise toeing the luxury-tax line going into the 2018-19 season.

With its roster set, expectations were put out for the Pistons (make the playoffs) and predictions were made.

Then this Jimmy Butler thing happened.

Last week, the four-time All-Star and four-time All-Defensive Team wing requested a trade from the Minnesota Timberwolves. Rumor has it that Butler and franchise centerpieces Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins did not get along during Butler’s first (and probably last) season in Minnesota.

Butler averaged 22.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 2.0 steals per game for the Wolves. Although he missed significant time with a knee injury, he still was voted an All-Star, All-Defensive Second Team member, and All-NBA Third Team selection. He helped the Wolves make the playoffs as the 8-seed in the Western Conference, where they lost in the first round to the top-seeded Houston Rockets.

Initial trade rumors had Butler’s name tied to a typical list of big-market and/or contending teams, from Houston to Philadelphia to the Los Angeles.

Considering that Butler can become a free agent next summer, his next career move was shaping up similarly to that of Kawhi Leonard — another low-key, two-way superstar wing whose name was attached to L.A., Boston and Philadelphia before he was eventually traded by the San Antonio Spurs to the Toronto Raptors for what could be a one-and-done campaign.

Then the Pistons got involved.

According to ESPN‘s Adrian Wojnarowski, Detroit is one of the teams interested in trading for Butler:

"So far, few franchises, if any, are engaged in serious conversations with the Timberwolves on Butler, sources said. But the list of organizations interested in talking further with Minnesota is significant, league sources said: Brooklyn, Detroit, Houston, the LA Clippers, Miami, Philadelphia, Portland and Sacramento are among the teams interested in probing for deals."

Interest isn’t headline-worthy by itself. Most NBA teams would be interested in adding a shooting guard/small forward who can give you 20-5-5 and a couple of steals every night. But do those teams actually have the assets to acquire that kind of player?

The Pistons just might.

Most trade rumors involving Butler and Detroit include one of the Pistons’ three highest-paid players: Blake Griffin, Andre Drummond and Reggie Jackson.

Griffin is an All-Star power forward the team just acquired in February, that new head coach Dwane Casey appears almost giddy to design an offense around. He’s not going anywhere. Drummond is an All-Star center who has been with Detroit since he was a 19-year-old rookie. Griffin is more mainstream popular, but Drummond is the people’s choice locally as face of the franchise. He’s not going anywhere.

That leaves Jackson, the talented but injury-prone point guard who is slotted to make $17 million this season.

In his last full season (2015-16), Jackson averaged 18.8 points and 6.2 assists per game and helped lead the Pistons to the playoffs, but he’s missed large chunks of the two seasons since then. Plus, the Wolves already have a recent All-Star at point guard, Jeff Teague, who makes $19 million per year and could be under contract until 2020. Would Minnesota really want to commit over $35 million annually to two players at the same position?

There is a scenario, however, in which the Pistons could offer some of their younger, cheaper talent and draft picks to at least make a deal that works financially for both sides.

Excluding one of Detroit’s Big 3, it looks like the best offer they can make for Butler revolves around 22-year-old small forward Stanley Johnson, 22-year-old shooting guard Luke Kennard, and the Pistons’ 2020 first round pick.

The only way that trade happens is if the Wolves really like Johnson and Kennard. That’s not too farfetched; Johnson has been lauded as a potential defensive stopper and Kennard is a good shooter. Neither young pro is near the level of Butler, but if you squint you can see the combination of them maybe giving Minnesota close to what Butler gave them in terms of two-way production.

The other problem with the Pistons potentially trading for Butler is the (un)likelihood of re-signing him next summer. If you give up young talent for star talent, ideally you want it to help you for more than one year.

The Oklahoma City Thunder took that gamble by trading for Paul George in 2017, and it worked out for them when he surprisingly re-signed this summer despite many assuming he was destined to go to his hometown Los Angeles Lakers.

The Raptors are taking that gamble with Leonard, who had reportedly also made it known he wants to go back home to L.A. when his contract is up, but so far it appears he likes it in Toronto.

The thing with the Pistons and Butler is that even if he wanted to stay in Detroit, the Pistons couldn’t afford to pay him like the star he is without also unloading Griffin, Drummond or Jackson.

There is something to be said, however, for the Pistons simply giving up Johnson and Kennard plus whatever parts are needed to make that deal work, then bringing in Butler for a one-year rental knowing very well he’s a one-year rental.

For a franchise that has missed the playoffs in eight of the last nine seasons, with a fanbase that is tired of losing and still remembers the championship from 2004 — older fans haven’t forgotten the back-to-back titles in 1989 and 1990 — maybe it’s worth it to take a shot right now and worry about the long-term future later.

All things considered, while the Pistons may be interested, the odds appear low that they will actually get Butler. Then again, nobody really saw it coming when Detroit traded for Griffin.

It’s fun to speculate and put together trade scenarios that end with the Pistons heading into the 2018-19 season with a Big 3 of All-Stars that have a legit chance to win the East. It seems more realistic, however, that the same roster Detroit fans learned to accept in July will be the one that takes the floor on opening night.