The Pistons currently have the best record in the East and are having one of their best starts to a season in years, yet are still possibly looking for a major upgrade that elevates them.
The Pistons have been mentioned as one of a handful of teams that could look to add Michael Porter Jr. Before the trade deadline.
MPJ is having a career year, but would it really be worth it for the Pistons to go after him?
Does a Michael Porter Jr. Trade elevate the Pistons higher than they already are?
Recent mock trades show that if a trade were to happen, Porter Jr. Would likely be swapped with Tobias Harris among other assets/players.
Porter Jr. Is still set to be under contract next season, with about $41 million owed to him.
Harris, on the other hand, is in the final year of a much cheaper contract and is making around $26.5 million this year.
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Statistically, it seems like a no-brainer for the Pistons to trade Harris for Porter Jr., but it might not be that simple.
Porter Jr. Has a large role offensively with the Nets, and it might not translate the same if he were traded to the Pistons.
He's been shooting extremely efficiently and could arguably have a better case to be an all-star this season if he weren't playing on the Nets, but his numbers would be bound to drop when he hypothetically joins the Pistons.
The idea that if something isn't broken, don't fix it is a fair argument here, as the Pistons aren't struggling to this point, so why mess up the chemistry by adding a new player into the mix?
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Porter Jr.'s trade value could be higher than it was this offseason, after he has had this surge in on-court performance as a Net.
Recent mock trades also suggest the Pistons might have to give up a player like Jaden Ivey to match the salary that would be absorbed in an MPJ trade.
Ivey isn't having the strongest year by any means, but it seems too early to give up on him, as he has a major injury not too long ago and is still adjusting to NBA minutes.
The Pistons are a defensive-minded team as well, so there would be questions around how inserting Porter Jr. Into the rotation impacts that, especially if you trade away dependable players on that side of the court.
It's not like the Pistons would be the only team in a race for MPJ either, as several other teams could look to make aggressive offers for the 27-year old.
Between the salary the Pistons would absorb, the uncertainty in production from MPJ in a new role and the haul they'd have to give up, the Pistons should think twice about how much of an impact trading for Porter Jr. Would really have on their team that's already the #1 seed.
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