Stan Van Gundy is not shy about hitting the trade market and making moves that he thinks will benefit his team. This year is no different, the Detroit Pistons currently sit at the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference, but are only 1.5 games back from being the No. 4 seed. Earning the fourth seed would give the Pistons home court advantage in the 1st round of the NBA Playoffs, so head coach Stan Van Gundy is going with the WIN NOW mentality and actively seeking ways to make the Pistons better NOW! One of the rumors that has been reported by ESPN’s staff writer Ian Begley is that the Pistons are shopping former No. 8 overall pick Stanley Johnson in the trade market and are willing to pull the trigger in a deal if the price is right.
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So what is the right price for Stanley Johnson? It was reported earlier in the week by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski that the Pistons and Van Gundy have been one of the most aggressive teams in the trade market. Wojnarowski also reported that the Pistons are one of several teams that have been in contact with the Orlando Magic about Evan Fournier. Whether Johnson’s name was mentioned to the Magic in a deal for Fournier is unknown, but this is what is known is that the deal would be hard to make without including the contract of Pistons point guard Reggie Jackson who is out for at least another month due to a severe ankle sprain.
One player the Pistons have gotten calls about from other NBA executives is their promising rookie, Luke Kennard. But it doesn’t sound like Van Gundy and the Pistons want to pull the trigger on their 1st round draft pick from last year who is averaging 6.5 points per game in 17 minutes a game and is shooting 44 percent from behind the three-point line.
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Johnson has shown he has an upside defensively but has progressed very little offensively in Stan Van Gundy’s system. While Van Gundy has been critical and hard on Kennard at points this year, he is a player SVG loves to have on his team. Kennard can open up the floor with his long-range range shooting ability, so it would be no surprise if Van Gundy is wanting to trade Johnson instead. That being said, for the right player and price, don’t think SVG would be opposed include Kennard in a deal if he believes in will give the Pistons the best chance to win now.
Nation what would you like to see the Pistons get in return for Stanley Johnson? Who would you like to see the Pistons go after in a trade? Are you willing to give up Luke Kennard for the right player?
