Detroit Pistons: 3 instant takeaways from the OKC Thunder trade
By Duncan Smith
The Detroit Pistons are going to set records this season for players dispatched via trade. That may not actually be true, but considering the fact that as of 9:10 PM EST on March 12th, only one player remains from last season’s squad, it sure feels that way.
On Friday night, the Pistons traded Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk to the OKC Thunder in exchange for athletic wing Hamidou Diallo. It’s the second time this season that Pistons general manager Troy Weaver has done business with his old boss in Oklahoma City, Sam Presti.
3 takeaways from the Detroit Pistons trade with the OKC Thunder
Mykhailiuk joins Derrick Rose among the ranks of the midseason trades so far after Rose was dealt to the New York Knicks in February. Rose was swapped for Dennis Smith Jr. and a 2021 Charlotte Hornets second-round draft pick, while Mykhailiuk was traded along with a 2027 second-rounder for Diallo.
Both Diallo and Mykhailiuk are restricted free agents in the coming offseason, but the Pistons believe Diallo makes for a better fit on this roster. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the organization perceives him as a core piece of their future and they plan to sign him to a new deal in free agency.
The Pistons have undergone an incredible amount of turnover since the offseason began with a shocker of a trade that sent Bruce Brown to the Brooklyn Nets, leaving just Sekou Doumbouya from last season’s team. Weaver has wasted no time, and he might not be done yet on the trading front.
Let’s look over three takeaways from this trade with the Thunder.
1. Troy Weaver has a type
One thing is clear so far this season; Troy Weaver absolutely has a type when it comes to team building. He’s not interested in one-dimensional shooters with T-Rex wingspans, as Mykhailiuk learned, but instead, he prefers long and athletic players with versatility.
Check out Fox Sports Detroit’s very own Austin Drake’s breakdown of some of the wingspans on this new-look roster:
So, yeah, sensing a trend for Troy Weaver’s roster construction.
— Austin Drake (@austin_drake) March 13, 2021
Lee: 6’2” (6’9” wingspan)
Diallo: 6’5” (7’0” wingspan)
Bey: 6’7” (6’11” wingspan)
Grant: 6’8” (7’3” wingspan)
Stewart: 6’8” (7’5” wingspan)
Diallo’s height doesn’t blow you away, but that 7’0″ wingspan sure does. He continues this trend of incoming Pistons with extensive length that should (over time) make them a serious nuisance on the defensive side of the ball.