It has been an active work for the Detroit Pistons so far. With Christian Wood set to hit free agency, the change may not be done just yet.
The Troy Weaver era with the Detroit Pistons has been explosive to say the least. After waiting to see what direction he would take the roster, trading Bruce Brown, Luke Kennard, Tony Snell, Justin Patton and Khyri Thomas over four days while also trading back into the first round twice and snagging a second-round pick in the 2020 NBA Draft has opened some eyes.
Given all the changes, it bares asking where the remaining pending free agents stand with the team. Specifically, Christian Wood is one of the more intriguing available free agents throughout the league. After the Pistons took a chance on him last offseason he made good on that chance and now looks to be ready to blow up on a national stage.
Free agency at midnight, I came so far .
— 35 (@Chriswood_5) November 19, 2020
Given his increased value and outspoken desire to win his time in Detroit felt limited before they made all the additions this week. Rather than losing him for nothing in free agency, the team could try to go for a sign-and-trade and try to bring back something to ease the blow of losing such an impressive young talent.
But where does this make sense? Not all teams are in the market for Wood or have anything that could be intriguing to Troy Weaver in return. There are a few intriguing fits after an eventful draft that could make sense as a trade destination for the emerging big man.
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics were reportedly interested in Christian Wood at the trade deadline and now that they have shaved off some salary with Gordon Hayward opting out of his contract they can make this move a little easier. Possibly sending back Enes Kanter and either Romeo Langford or a future first-round selection could open up the roster space for their multiple picks this season.
Wood would be a perfect fit for the Celtics, spacing the floor and thriving off of passes being kicked to him by Kemba Walker. He is not the traditional rim protector that they have been pining for but he is a promising offensive player who could develop on the defensive end with sound coaching.
For the Pistons they likely do not need another center after picking up Dwayne Dedmon (as long as he is still there), Tony Bradley and Isaiah Stewart but Enes Kanter still has value in this league. He is worth absorbing for the time being and letting him mentor the younger guys.
Langford was a potential target for the Pistons a year ago when he went just before their selection. He only played 11.6 minutes per game and was clearly not ready. For a Pistons team with only Svi Mykhailiuk and Rodney McGruder at the position, there would be a lot of chances for Langford to get out there and take his lumps. If Boston would prefer to send a future pick instead of Langford that should not be a problem for Detroit. The more picks the merrier.