Grading the Pistons-Wizards Trade: Washington Adds Inside Scoring Punch With Marvin Bagley

The Pistons and Wizards struck a deal to add some talent to a few key areas of need on both sides.

Two of the NBA’s bottom teams in the standings are shaking things up weeks ahead of the trade deadline by addressing a few areas of need. The Detroit Pistons (3-36) agreed to a deal that will send Marvin Bagley and Isaiah Livers, along with two second-round picks, to the Washington Wizards (7-31) in exchange for Danilo Gallinari and Mike Muscala, as ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski first reported.

The Pistons and Wizards are joined by the San Antonio Spurs (7-31) and Charlotte Hornets (8-28) as the only teams in the NBA with single-digit wins through nearly 40 games. While the deal between Detroit and Washington won’t shake up the landscape of the NBA, it does help bolster a few areas for both sides, with the Bagley addition for the Wizards being the most noteworthy.

Wizards Acquiring Marvin Bagley, Two Picks

Grade: A

Marvin Bagley could make an impact for the Wizards up front following the trade between Washington and Detroit / Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

This grade checks in so highly because it’s as close to the definition of a “low risk, potentially high reward” addition as you’ll find. Washington gave up a player in Gallinari, who was logging just under 15 minutes per game, and then a journeyman in Muscala, who sits right around the same but has seen his playing time dip to just eight and 11 minutes the past two games.

Sending those two in exchange for Bagley, who has unquestionably the highest offensive upside of any player in this deal, while still getting two picks back is an excellent decision for Washington.

Bagley has posted averages of 10.2 points and 4.5 rebounds over 18.4 minutes per game this season but has shot a career-best 59.1% from the field. His minutes have declined over the past two seasons in Detroit as they’ve added more young talent across the board, and a fresh start in Washington should be beneficial.

If Bagley can continue to shoot at a high percentage and give his new team 22-25 minutes per game, he could be a great addition for the Wizards. Washington’s second-leading rebounders are Kyle Kuzma, whose name is circling in trade rumors, and 23-year-old Deni Avdija. Bagley’s proven capable of averaging somewhere in the ballpark of 14 points and seven rebounds per game and will add an immediate scoring presence down low.

Pistons Add Veteran Leadership, Future Cap Space With Danilo Gallinari, Mike Muscala

Grade: B

Following his trade from the Wizards to the Pistons, Danilo Gallinari’s impact goes beyond his on-court production / Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports

With Ausar Thompson, Isaiah Stewart, Jalen Duren and veteran Bojan Bogdanovic all logging decent minutes across the front court in Detroit, Bagley was trending toward potentially being the odd-man out. While the addition of Danilo Gallinari should provide a bit of scoring and a shooter off the bench, the impact of his addition goes beyond the box score.

When Bogdanovic returned from injury, his veteran leadership was lauded by Pistons head coach Monty Williams. The Pistons coach praised the 34-year-old for his “energy” and ability to embrace a leadership role. With Gallinari, Detroit will add another layer to that, even if he doesn’t ultimately have the same type of on-court production as Bogdanovic, who’s averaging 19.8 points on 46.7% shooting from the field and 40.7% from beyond the arc this year.

But beyond that, the Pistons add two players in Gallinari and Muscala, who have expiring contracts, which sets the franchise up to have even more cap space this coming offseason. Detroit is trending toward being one of the teams with the most available cap space this summer, which could position them to add a big name if all goes to plan. They’re currently projected to have $64 million in cap space, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks.

Gallinari and Muscala, who’ll join his seventh NBA franchise, embracing that leadership and mentorship role for a young core of talent in Detroit could go a long way. This move for Detroit also frees up the ability for Williams to build around the centerpieces of its young frontcourt led by Thompson, Stewart, Duren, and Bogdanovic, even more than we’ve already seen.

Addition of Isaiah Livers for Wizards

Grade: C

The addition of Isaiah Livers for Washington in this trade isn’t as noteworthy as Bagley, but it’s hard to argue against picking up a 25-year-old forward who’s at least shown some potential through the early stages of his career. Livers, 25, has averaged north of 20 minutes per game in his first two-plus seasons but hasn’t managed to turn that into much on the production front, averaging just 6.2 points and 2.6 rebounds.

There’s minimal risk for the Wizards here in adding Livers, but he’s shown through his first two NBA seasons that he can knock down outside shots fairly consistently, even if he doesn’t attempt them at a high frequency. Livers shot 42.2% from deep in 2021-22 and 36.5% last season, but that number dipped to 28.6% this year.

The addition of Livers isn’t as noteworthy as Bagley for the Wizards, but it’s a fine addition for a team looking to add more depth and who’ll need it if they ultimately opt to trade Kuzma.