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Detroit Pistons Rumors: Boban Marjanovic, Aron Baynes Could Be Had
The latest Detroit Pistons rumors say they could be active in the coming weeks as they explore the trade market with centers Aron Baynes and Boban Marjanovic.
NBA Trade rumors are about to pick up with the NBA trade deadline just weeks away andDetroit Pistons rumors are reportedly starting to rumble.
Detroit is currently on the outside looking in on the Eastern Conference playoffs, but just barely; they are only a half-game behind the Charlotte Hornets. With a playoff berth within grasp, expect the Pistons to be aggressive heading into the trade deadline to upgrade their roster.
The biggest question when discussing possible trades is what is a team willing to surrender? Teams can pinpoint specific players and skill sets they want to add to their roster, but deciding which pieces to part with is when it becomes difficult.
For the Pistons, it sounds like that is actually the easy part.
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According to Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders, the Pistons are exploring the trade market with an eye on moving one of their big men. Scotto names Aron Baynes and Boban Marjanovic as the two names the Pistons are attempting to move.
The motivation for moving Baynes is simple. He has a player option for the 2017-18 worth $6.5 million that league sources told Basketball Insiders he will decline.
So, it makes sense for the Pistons to try and trade him to get something of value in return for him because it will be difficult to retain him as a free agent again.
Head coach and president of basketball operations Stan Van Gundy admitted as much in November.
“Aron is a really good player and I said this after the last game, we’re going to be in a difficult situation by the [CBA] rules of trying to re-sign him next summer,” Van Gundy said. “I’m supposed to downplay him, not play him up and tell you, ‘You know, that guy’s a pretty solid backup,’ but the bottom line is he’s a starting-caliber NBA center who we’re very lucky to have as a backup.”
Basketball Insiders capologist Eric Pincus said that the most the Pistons can offer Baynes is $11.4 million, which is 175 percent of what he is making this season. Since the Pistons are projected to be over the salary cap, they cannot offer Baynes any more than $11.4 million.
In addition to Kentavious Caldwell-Pope’s impending raise, the Pistons are going to be cash-strapped this upcoming offseason. They will not even be able to make a competitive offer should Baynes receive a contract that Van Gundy believes he is capable of landing.
“Now he’ll make about triple next summer of what we’re giving him,” Van Gundy said in November. “We won’t be able to re-sign him, but the critics, who always know, killed us for overpaying him. Right now, we could trade him to 29 teams in about five seconds right now at what he’s making. So I don’t think we made too bad a deal.”
In addition to Baynes, the Pistons are also listening on Marjanovic. Marjanovic signed a three-year, $21 million deal last offseason with the Pistons, leaving the San Antonio Spurs just as Baynes did.
The Pistons would probably prefer to hold onto Marjanovic if they had the choice. He is signed for two more seasons and provides the team with a solid backup plan should Baynes leave, as many believe he will.
While he has not received many minutes, averaging only 7.3 in 20 games this season, Marjanovic is intimidating in the middle and difference maker on the glass given his size.
Expect the Pistons to try and upgrade another part of their roster by dangling their centers. Three-point shooting should be at the top of the Pistons list of what to acquire by the trade deadline.
They currently rank 26th in the NBA in three-point shooting percentage at 34 percent and 29th of 30 teams in three-pointers made per game with 7.8 per game.
