Bill Simmons Makes Case for Detroit Pistons to Target Jimmy Butler
As the trade deadline rapidly approaches, the Detroit Pistons have become an interesting team to monitor. Not only do they have cap space to facilitate deals, but they could become a buyer now that they're a top-six team in the Eastern Conference.
Since trade season kicked off, the biggest storyline in the NBA has been the ongoing saga between Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat. Some of the latest developments to come have stated the All-Star forward is willing to go anywhere in the league except the Memphis Grizzlies.
During a recent episode of his podcast, Bill Simmons gave his power rankings for all 30 teams at the midway point in the regular season. He ended up touching on the Butler saga, making a case for the Pistons to go after the Heat star. In the scenario, Detroit would part with Tobias Harris and Tim Hardaway Jr. to make things work financially.
"Cade has become a top-20 player in the league," Simmons said. "If you're the Pistons you could just make a 30 cents on the dollar trade and get Jimmy Butler and hope he's excited for the next year-and-a-half.
*quote can be found at the 21:00 minute mark*
The Pistons should look to make upgrades at the deadline, but this might be too big of a swing for them. They'd also be on the hook for a sizable contract in the event Butler opts into his player option for next season.
Detroit is trending in the right direction, but they aren't a sensible landing spot for Butler. At the stage in his career, the star forward is looking to contend for a championship. While Butler would be a massive upgrade for the Pistons, they still wouldn't be in the title picture.
While the Pistons have appeared to have sped up their timeline this season, a move of this caliber could end up doing more harm than good. Because of this, Trajan Langdon is better off pursuing other avenues when it comes to roster upgrades.