NBA Trades: The Pistons jumpstart their rebuild by landing Zion in a potential trade.
With the Pelicans open for business as far as potentially trading Zion, the Detroit Pistons should kick the tires on potentially acquiring him. While few teams can afford to give up significant assets to acquire him, the Pistons can, particularly given how bad they've been over the last few seasons. They had the worst record in the NBA each of the previous two years but failed to come away with the number one overall pick each time.
To their credit, they are much better this season and may even flirt with the play-in tournament. However, taking a chance on Zion could prove to be a worthwhile gamble for a team that only has one player who projects to be a star at the moment: Cade Cunningham.
Zion's trade value is hard to pinpoint, with him likely not garnering a big return for the Pelicans, though they would likely need at least several assets to actually part with him. As a result, the Pistons could offer up Jaden Ivey, Ron Holland II, and Tobias Harris for Zion.
Giving up two recent lottery picks in Holland II and Ivey for Zion is admittedly a big risk for both the Pistons and the Pelicans. For the Pistons, they could get a major upgrade in Zion to pair with Cade and fast-track their rebuild.
On the other hand, if he fails to stay healthy, then it could set the Pistons's rebuild back several years. They absolutely can't afford to have that happen given how bad they have been in recent seasons. Of course, if Zion is able to stay healthy, then they would have gotten a bona fide superstar.
Given that Detroit isn't exactly a destination for superstars, it could be worth the risk, but, realistically, the best-case scenario would be a 50/50 chance that he lives up to his full potential with the Pistons. If there is a 50/50 chance that he lives up to his full potential with the Pistons, then there is also a 50/50 chance that he lives up to his full potential with the Pelicans too.
That could mean that while the Pelicans are technically open to trading their best player this season, they would likely need to receive a strong offer for them to actually consider moving on from him. By trading him, and presumably also moving on from Ingram, that could mean a rebuild. As a result, they may be interested in a trade package centered around Ivey and Holand II.
With other teams likely skeptical about the health of Zion, it probably wouldn't take much more for the Pistons to have the best potential trade package for Zion. Of course, it would be up to the Pelicans if they wanted to finally move on from the former number one overall pick. However, if they decide that this season is the time to do so, then the Pistons could be a dark horse landing spot for him.