NBA Trade Rumors: Detroit Pistons keeping tabs on Cleveland Cavaliers' young superstar
While some teams are battling in the playoffs, the Detroit Pistons are busy preparing for the offseason. Their 23-59 record might not seem great, but they continue to trend upwards in terms of their rebuild.
The Pistons should feel good about where the franchise is heading. Top overall pick Cade Cunningham had a strong rookie year, posting averages of 17.4 points, 5.5 rebounds and 5.6 assists. On top of that, young prospects like Saddiq Bey and Isaiah Stewart continue to show a ton of promise.
With a good group of young players in place now, the Detroit Pistons are looking to add the proper pieces around them. A recent report from Chris Fedor of cleveland.com cited the team as a potential suitor for Cleveland Cavaliers guard Collin Sexton:
“While multiple sources identified the Detroit Pistons as a potential Sexton suitor one of the few teams with cap space and a jumbo backcourt partner that can mask some of the size limitations."
Sexton, 23, will be a restricted free agent this summer, and there likely won't be much of a market for him. The young guard played only 11 games this season before suffering a season-ending injury. In that time, he averaged 16.0 ppg, 3.3 rpg and 2.1 apg.
Detroit Pistons appear ready to take the next step
It's still early in the offseason, but the Detroit Pistons appear ready to be aggressive to add to their up-and-coming roster. Being in the market for Sexton is a perfect low-risk, high-reward move for a team like them.
Before his shortened season, Sexton was a young player on the rise. Last season, he averaged 24.3 ppg while shooting 47.5%. Because of his youth, his injury should not be seen as incredibly concerning.
From a fit perspective, Sexton makes sense with the Pistons. He is a capable ballhandler and can provide a scoring punch in the backcourt next to Cade Cunningham. His timeline also fits the rest of the Pistons as he is still a few years away from reaching his prime.
Some rebuilding teams never know when to take the next step, but that doesn't seem to be the case for Detroit. The Pistons are pleased with how their young talent has produced and want to bring in players who complement them. Adding a healthy Sexton to this roster would give Detroit a very fun and exciting young core.
There is no telling what the Cavaliers will do with Sexton, but if he becomes available, the Detroit Pistons would be foolish not to do their due diligence.