Pistons: 3 players most likely to be moved by the NBA trade deadline

Pistons trade candidates: 1. Kelly Olynyk

Kelly Olynyk was the Pistons’ prize free-agent acquisition, signing a three-year, $37 million deal to head to the Motor City. He’ll be a dangerous scoring big alongside first overall pick Cade Cunningham, but it’s possible that he may also be a trade candidate before the NBA trade deadline.

This is all contingent upon Isaiah Stewart taking a sizeable leap as a shooter, but the Pistons see him as a big who can continue to expand his range from 3-point range. If Stewart is able to do just that, Olynyk may be the second center signing in as many years that he makes expendable, following Mason Plumlee out the door.

It’s also important to weigh Olynyk’s late-season performance with a grain of salt. He was outstanding for a Houston Rockets team looking to lose every game they could (and successfully so), effectively making him little more than a looter in a proverbial riot from a statistical perspective.

Olynyk may not ultimately provide that great an obstacle to a rising Stewart, but he may find himself to be a trade deadline candidate to be on the move either way.