Detroit and Sacramento could swap guards
As the first day of free agency crept toward midnight, interesting murmurs started burbling throughout NBA media. There were indications that the Detroit Pistons could be working with a sign-and-trade deal with the Sacramento Kings that would see the two franchises swap guards, with Dennis Schöder headed to Cali and Malik Monk destined for Detroit.
The most prominent figure to surface this particular rumor was Jake Fischer, who noted , “An emerging option for the Pistons, sources say, is Detroit trading for Kings guard Malik Monk. Sounds like there’s a chance this deal, if agreed to, could turn into a sign-and-trade that brings Dennis Schroder to Sacramento.”
There is an inherent logic to the move. The Kings have long been rumored to have Schröder at the top of their offseason priority list, and within the opening hour of free agency, there was a report that the Kings had agreed in principle on a two-year, $28 million deal for the point guard.
Things went quiet, however, and people began wondering if the delay was because the two sides were looking to expand into a sign-and-trade that could work for both parties.
The Pistons were on their back foot a bit, having to quickly recalibrate offseason plans after news emerged that Malik Beasley is under federal investigation tied to NBA betting. With his availability in doubt, Detroit reportedly scuttled plans to sign the sharpshooter to a three-year, $42 deal.
The Pistons did come to terms with wing Caris LeVert, but he is much more of a slasher and scorer. His perimeter game is mostly tied to effective shooting from the corners, and he’s certainly not the volume or movement shooter that Beasley is.
Monk would add another perimeter threat to the Pistons, but the King guard’s reputation as a shooter might be much larger than his actual output. He was drafted with the expectation he’d be one of the league’s top perimeter threats, but he never really put it together after being drafted by the Charlotte Hornets.
After four disappointing seasons, he found a new home in LA and blossomed. He made 39% of his 5.8 threes per game. He made 56% of his twos. He was a dangerous offensive weapon. The next season, he landed in Sacramento and was in the running for sixth man of the year.
Alas, his run with the Kings has gotten progressively worse. His 3-point shot abandoned him after that fateful season in LA. He shot 35%, 35%, and 32% in his three seasons in Sacramento. That doesn’t mean he’s not a dangerous offensive player. Even last season, in an extremely trying year where he was played mostly out of position in Sacramento, he shot 57% from within 8 feet, 47% from 8-16 feet, and 42% from 16-24 feet.
The problem could be that Monk is most effective in ways similar to new Piston Caris LeVert and incumbent Piston Jaden Ivey. If they all want the ball in their hand, if they all want to drive and create, and if they are not dangerous enough from deep to create space for their teammates, what are you really accomplishing here?
Wouldn’t you want one of LeVert or Monk and not both?
There is a chance that the Pistons wouldn’t be done adding. There are persistent rumors of interest in Duncan Robinson, which would necessitate another sign-and-trade deal. The team could also bring back one or both of Tim Hardaway Jr. or Malik Beasley.
Beasley’s legal troubles make a long-term deal untenable, but a one-year pact could make sense as the legal process is unlikely to end soon.
However, the more guards and wings you add, the more the Pistons are displacing their existing guards and wings. The Pistons still need to carve out serious playing time for Ausar Thompson, and they’d probably like to see Ron Holland get a little more burn.
The logic for Monk is much clearer in the absence of LeVert and vice versa. Now the Pistons might be adding both. And if they do, they still need to add more shooting.
This is turning into a much more interesting offseason (not strictly a compliment) than anticipated.