The Detroit Pistons have proven themselves to be one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference.
What if they want to take things a step further? Well, they could trade for Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The indication from ESPN's Shams Charania on Wednesday is that Giannis is indeed available, potentially before the NBA's Feb. 5 trade deadline.
If the Pistons want Giannis, they've got to move quickly.
MORE: We now know what kind of basketball player ESPN's Shams Charania thinks he is
Can the Pistons trade for Giannis?
Detroit does have the necessary combination of salaries to get an Antetokounmpo deal done.
It would likely require including these four players as a starting point -- this quartet does successfully match salaries with Giannis coming to Detroit:
- Tobias Harris
- Isaiah Stewart
- Jaden Ivey
- Ausar Thompson
The deal could also have Duncan Robinson in place of Stewart.
It wouldn't get done with these guys alone. The Pistons would almost certainly have to include first-round picks, potentially from 2029 or 2031, to sweeten the deal.
MORE: 76ers facing a $149 million Joel Embiid contract nightmare
The Bucks would probably have to be particularly high on at least two of the trio of Stewart, Ivey and Thompson. Harris would be a fine player to have right now, but he doesn't help the future picture as much.
It's also unclear if Milwaukee would feel worse about dealing Giannis to a fellow Eastern Conference team, particularly one also in the Midwest. It could add to the haunting of the deal down the road.
But Detroit should probably pick up the phone, just in case.
More NBA news:
- Luka Doncic really just broke a George Mikan record
- NBA is waiting for Clippers to do something with Chris Paul
- Donovan Mitchell tied a LeBron James record with the Cavs
- How Dillon Brooks is much more than a LeBron hater
- LeBron James has made some major changes to help the Lakers
- Trae Young forced to face harsh truth after Hawks trade to Wizards