With the deadline just over a month away, NBA trades are bound to start happening as teams look to bolster their championship odds before the postseason.
As rumors continue to pour in and the trade market starts heating up in the coming weeks, here is a potential trade candidate for every team in the NBA’s Central Division.
Central Division NBA Trades: Detroit Pistons – Marvin Bagley III
At 7-30 on the season, the Detroit Pistons will not be looking to make any win-now moves before the trade deadline next month. Instead, they could look to add some pieces to build for the future, and one target they are on the record having rumored interest in is Marvin Bagley III.
Veteran NBA writer Marc Stein (subscription required) noted back in November that the Pistons were a team to keep an eye on in Bagley rumors, which were prevalent back then.
Bagley and the Sacramento Kings have had a complicated relationship since they took him with the second overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft. The forward has shown glimpses of potential over his first four years with the team, but he has taken a backseat in the rotation entirely this season, as he is playing a career-low 21 minutes per game. Bagley desperately needs a fresh start with another franchise, and the Pistons could present the perfect opportunity.
At 22 years old, Bagley still has much room to grow as a player, and the Pistons should certainly have the patience to let him develop. Though he might not live up to expectations as the second overall pick in a loaded draft class, the potential is still there for Bagley to turn his career around and be a quality NBA player.
Detroit currently has two massive holes in the frontcourt with both Jerami Grant and Kelly Olynyk sidelined with injuries, making Bagley an even more feasible target to patch a current hole while also building for the future.