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Bobby Portis is a champion. He is a perennial All-Star, a perennial All-NBA talent at forward, and a perennial MVP candidate. Nobody can take that away from him. He is a top 5 player in this league. Nikola Jokic is also a champion. A perennial All-Star, the 3x defending All-NBA Center, and undoubtedly one of the top players in the league. However, as their GM, I can’t help but wonder if we have left some meat on the bone these last few seasons.
Let’s start with me. The GM. The question on my mind is this: Did I move on from Russell Westbrook too soon?
What the Kings got: Firstly, the Kings got a superstar guard. At the time, Donovan Mitchell, drafted by the Pistons in the same draft that landed them Bobby Portis, was struggling to find his scoring volume. He was efficient, but he never scored at or above 20ppg while he was in Detroit, and it wasn’t until his second season in Sacramento that Mitchell really exploded. Now in his prime at the age of 27, Mitchell is one of the best scoring guards in the league. Last season, Mitchell averaged 32.3 points per game, while shooting a split of 48/79/41 on 2.1 turnovers per game. Mitchell has never been a good distributer, but he shares a backcourt with the best passer in the league in Donald Sloan, so he doesn’t have to be. By now, Mitchell is a superstar capable of being the offensive scoring engine for a team that is coming off an impressive playoff run. However, this is where the trade takes a dive for the Kings. Mitchell is an elite player, but none of these other assets acquired by the Kings in exchange for Russell Westbrook ended up being building blocks. Hachimura is a former first round pick who spent two seasons in Sacramento. His last season had him averaging 15 points and 9 rebounds per game, which landed him in San Antonio via free agency, where he has not had a lot of production. The 3 picks that the Kings acquired didn’t amount to almost anything. The combination of Fall, Bryant, and Vanderbilt all ended up being end of the bench players or LOFAs. All in all, while Mitchell is a superstar, the rest of the pieces in this trade have left the Kings searching in other places for long term support around him.
What the Pistons got: A Championship. In his first year in Detroit, Westbrook, along with the mid-season addition of shooting guard Brandon Roy, led the young duo of Bobby Portis and Nikola Jokic to our first title of the iteration. Westbrook himself won finals MVP and mentored both of my two franchise stalwarts through their first real taste playoff basketball. Apart from that, Westbrook played in Detroit for 2 more additional seasons after winning the title in Detroit. In total across those 3 seasons, Westbrook played in 77 games per season, averaging23.2 points, 8.5 assists, and 6.2 rebounds per game, while shooting at a clip of 45/83/39. In addition to his Finals MVP, Westbrook was an All-Star two times and made one All-NBA team during his tenure in Detroit. Westbrook was very productive and consistently available for Detroit during his short stint here.
All of this leads me back to the question I pondered at the beginning: Did the Pistons move on from Russell Westbrook too soon?
The reasoning behind the move was that they had max extensions coming for both Bobby Portis and Nikola Jokic, and Westbrook’s age didn’t line up with their timeline. So, while Westbrook accomplished the goal I had set out for him when I traded for him, winning a championship, I felt it necessary to trade him, recoup some assets, and see if I could extend the window with Portis and Jokic running the show in a new inside focus system that better suited their skillsets. For Portis, that meant an elite level scorer breaking loose. Once he became the top option for the Pistons, he immediately became one of the best, most efficient scorers in the league, averaging 30.5 points per game and shooting 52/71/36 from the field in the two seasons since Westbrook was sent to New Jersey. Since Westbrook was traded, Bobby Portis has blossomed into a top 5 player in the league, and his running mate Nikola Jokic has blossomed into a 3x First Team All-NBA Center.
So they must have won a title since Westbrook was traded? Right? …… right?
Wrong.
In the 2 seasons since Westbrook was traded, the Pistons have made a flurry of moves to try and chase that elusive second title to no avail. After a disappointing end to what eventually was Westbrook’s last season in Detroit, they added to their front court, bringing in both Blake Griffin and Cole Aldrich in hopes to bring in players that fit the inside focused scheme around Portis and Jokic. They also traded old championship role pieces like JJ Hickson to the Cavs for a first round pick that ended up bringing Naz Reid into the fold. However, they lacked the depth in the backcourt to compete with the Wayne Ellington led Knicks, which led to a surprising upset loss in the first round of the playoffs. They had old man Rajon Rondo running the show, and while he was a good playmaker for them, he didn’t have the firepower to keep up with the Knicks backcourt. So, the Pistons learned from their loss and went into the next offseason with a new plan. A plan that resulted in, probably, the most controversial move they have made since trading Russell Westbrook.
Early in that offseason, the Pistons made their move, trading for the young star point guard Ben Simmons. They paid what some called a hefty price for him, trading both their own 2028 First Round pick, and the New Jersey 2028 First Round pick that they acquired in return for Westbrook. Simmons, while young and now most likely overpaid after signing a near max extension to stay in Detroit for the long haul, gave the Pistons a guard who fits their inside scheme very well. He passes well, he somewhat solved most of his turnover issues, and he plays good defense for them. Simmons was later joined in the backcourt by forward Derrick Williams from the Utah Jazz. Williams brought All-NBA level defense to their backcourt, while providing great scoring as the third option. All in all, the Pistons had high hopes for that upcoming season after these moves. The lineup of Simmons, Williams, Portis, Griffin, and Jokic, with up and coming rookie Naz Reid, HOFer and champion Chris Paul, and Mitchell Creek all coming off the bench, the Pistons had championship or bust aspirations again.
Injuries plagued them in the regular season, with Portis only playing in 26 games, and Derrick Williams tearing his hamstring a week before the playoffs began. While the Williams injury ended up being terrible luck, they were still getting their MVP in Bobby Portis back, which meant that the Pistons, even without Williams, still carried their championship or bust expectations into the playoffs. Only to have their fans be met with disappointment again, as their season ended in the second round at the hands of the Philadelphia 76ers.
That brings us to this offseason. To make room for their budding star Naz Reid, they traded an aging Blake Griffin to the Grizzlies for a pick that they then rerouted to the Bucks for Doug McDermott. McDermott being their replacement for Derrick Williams after he asked for and was denied a 47 million dollar deal in the resignings period. They brought back Ben Simmons on a 5 year max deal, signed 25 year old guard Payton Pritchard to a 3 year 30 million dollar deal to back up Simmons, resigned Mitchell Creek to a 4 year 40 million dollar deal, and traded some cash to bring shot blocking big man Prince Ibeh back to the team that drafted him. Veterans like JJ Hickson and Mitch McGary were brought in on minimum deals for some depth, and they also added rookies Jaden McDaniels, Jabari Walker, and Joshua Primo in the draft, none of whom are expected to heavily contribute this upcoming season.
The Pistons are in another championship or bust season. They likely will be championship or bust in every season they have Portis and Jokic under contract. So, the challenge now lies with Portis and Jokic. The team is constructed around their inside focused strengths. The cap situation in the future is very manageable to keep their window open, and the organization has faith in the rookies and Naz Reid to provide some needed youth to the team.
Can they come up when it matters most?
Can they win a title without Westbrook being there to battle with them?
Would the Detroit Window be even more wide open than it is right now had they never traded Donovan Mitchell?
Who knows. They have a title under their belt already, but neither them nor their fans are content with just the one title. Can they add another one to their tally, or will this era of Detroit Pistons basketball be more remembered for what they didn’t accomplish?
Let’s start with me. The GM. The question on my mind is this: Did I move on from Russell Westbrook too soon?
First, we are going to revisit the blockbuster trade that landed Russell Westbrook in Detroit. Here are the full trade details, including what players were selected with each of the draft picks that were traded:
Detroit Pistons Trade:
Donovan Mitchell
Rui Hachimura
Detroit’s 2018 First Round Pick (Tacko Fall)
Miami’s 2019 First Round Pick (traded to the Lakers, Lakers picked Thomas Bryant)
Detroit’s 2020 First Round Pick (traded back to the Pistons, Pistons picked Jarred Vanderbilt)
Sacramento Kings Trade:
Russell Westbrook
Jarvis Varnado
Detroit Pistons Trade:
Donovan Mitchell
Rui Hachimura
Detroit’s 2018 First Round Pick (Tacko Fall)
Miami’s 2019 First Round Pick (traded to the Lakers, Lakers picked Thomas Bryant)
Detroit’s 2020 First Round Pick (traded back to the Pistons, Pistons picked Jarred Vanderbilt)
Sacramento Kings Trade:
Russell Westbrook
Jarvis Varnado
What the Kings got: Firstly, the Kings got a superstar guard. At the time, Donovan Mitchell, drafted by the Pistons in the same draft that landed them Bobby Portis, was struggling to find his scoring volume. He was efficient, but he never scored at or above 20ppg while he was in Detroit, and it wasn’t until his second season in Sacramento that Mitchell really exploded. Now in his prime at the age of 27, Mitchell is one of the best scoring guards in the league. Last season, Mitchell averaged 32.3 points per game, while shooting a split of 48/79/41 on 2.1 turnovers per game. Mitchell has never been a good distributer, but he shares a backcourt with the best passer in the league in Donald Sloan, so he doesn’t have to be. By now, Mitchell is a superstar capable of being the offensive scoring engine for a team that is coming off an impressive playoff run. However, this is where the trade takes a dive for the Kings. Mitchell is an elite player, but none of these other assets acquired by the Kings in exchange for Russell Westbrook ended up being building blocks. Hachimura is a former first round pick who spent two seasons in Sacramento. His last season had him averaging 15 points and 9 rebounds per game, which landed him in San Antonio via free agency, where he has not had a lot of production. The 3 picks that the Kings acquired didn’t amount to almost anything. The combination of Fall, Bryant, and Vanderbilt all ended up being end of the bench players or LOFAs. All in all, while Mitchell is a superstar, the rest of the pieces in this trade have left the Kings searching in other places for long term support around him.
What the Pistons got: A Championship. In his first year in Detroit, Westbrook, along with the mid-season addition of shooting guard Brandon Roy, led the young duo of Bobby Portis and Nikola Jokic to our first title of the iteration. Westbrook himself won finals MVP and mentored both of my two franchise stalwarts through their first real taste playoff basketball. Apart from that, Westbrook played in Detroit for 2 more additional seasons after winning the title in Detroit. In total across those 3 seasons, Westbrook played in 77 games per season, averaging23.2 points, 8.5 assists, and 6.2 rebounds per game, while shooting at a clip of 45/83/39. In addition to his Finals MVP, Westbrook was an All-Star two times and made one All-NBA team during his tenure in Detroit. Westbrook was very productive and consistently available for Detroit during his short stint here.
Next, let’s revisit the trade that sent Russell Westbrook to the up and coming New Jersey Nets.
Detroit Pistons Trade:
Russell Westbrook
Tristan Thompson
New Jersey Nets Trade:
Detroit’s 2022 First Round Pick (traded to the Bulls for Tyler Ennis, Bulls picked Ron Harper)
New Jersey’s 2022 First Round Pick (traded to the Jazz via the Lakers for Blake Griffin, Jazz picked Day’Ron Sharpe)
New Jersey’s 2028 First Round Pick (traded with Detroit’s 2028 pick to the Lakers for Ben Simmons)
Detroit Pistons Trade:
Russell Westbrook
Tristan Thompson
New Jersey Nets Trade:
Detroit’s 2022 First Round Pick (traded to the Bulls for Tyler Ennis, Bulls picked Ron Harper)
New Jersey’s 2022 First Round Pick (traded to the Jazz via the Lakers for Blake Griffin, Jazz picked Day’Ron Sharpe)
New Jersey’s 2028 First Round Pick (traded with Detroit’s 2028 pick to the Lakers for Ben Simmons)
All of this leads me back to the question I pondered at the beginning: Did the Pistons move on from Russell Westbrook too soon?
The reasoning behind the move was that they had max extensions coming for both Bobby Portis and Nikola Jokic, and Westbrook’s age didn’t line up with their timeline. So, while Westbrook accomplished the goal I had set out for him when I traded for him, winning a championship, I felt it necessary to trade him, recoup some assets, and see if I could extend the window with Portis and Jokic running the show in a new inside focus system that better suited their skillsets. For Portis, that meant an elite level scorer breaking loose. Once he became the top option for the Pistons, he immediately became one of the best, most efficient scorers in the league, averaging 30.5 points per game and shooting 52/71/36 from the field in the two seasons since Westbrook was sent to New Jersey. Since Westbrook was traded, Bobby Portis has blossomed into a top 5 player in the league, and his running mate Nikola Jokic has blossomed into a 3x First Team All-NBA Center.
So they must have won a title since Westbrook was traded? Right? …… right?
Wrong.
In the 2 seasons since Westbrook was traded, the Pistons have made a flurry of moves to try and chase that elusive second title to no avail. After a disappointing end to what eventually was Westbrook’s last season in Detroit, they added to their front court, bringing in both Blake Griffin and Cole Aldrich in hopes to bring in players that fit the inside focused scheme around Portis and Jokic. They also traded old championship role pieces like JJ Hickson to the Cavs for a first round pick that ended up bringing Naz Reid into the fold. However, they lacked the depth in the backcourt to compete with the Wayne Ellington led Knicks, which led to a surprising upset loss in the first round of the playoffs. They had old man Rajon Rondo running the show, and while he was a good playmaker for them, he didn’t have the firepower to keep up with the Knicks backcourt. So, the Pistons learned from their loss and went into the next offseason with a new plan. A plan that resulted in, probably, the most controversial move they have made since trading Russell Westbrook.
Early in that offseason, the Pistons made their move, trading for the young star point guard Ben Simmons. They paid what some called a hefty price for him, trading both their own 2028 First Round pick, and the New Jersey 2028 First Round pick that they acquired in return for Westbrook. Simmons, while young and now most likely overpaid after signing a near max extension to stay in Detroit for the long haul, gave the Pistons a guard who fits their inside scheme very well. He passes well, he somewhat solved most of his turnover issues, and he plays good defense for them. Simmons was later joined in the backcourt by forward Derrick Williams from the Utah Jazz. Williams brought All-NBA level defense to their backcourt, while providing great scoring as the third option. All in all, the Pistons had high hopes for that upcoming season after these moves. The lineup of Simmons, Williams, Portis, Griffin, and Jokic, with up and coming rookie Naz Reid, HOFer and champion Chris Paul, and Mitchell Creek all coming off the bench, the Pistons had championship or bust aspirations again.
Injuries plagued them in the regular season, with Portis only playing in 26 games, and Derrick Williams tearing his hamstring a week before the playoffs began. While the Williams injury ended up being terrible luck, they were still getting their MVP in Bobby Portis back, which meant that the Pistons, even without Williams, still carried their championship or bust expectations into the playoffs. Only to have their fans be met with disappointment again, as their season ended in the second round at the hands of the Philadelphia 76ers.
That brings us to this offseason. To make room for their budding star Naz Reid, they traded an aging Blake Griffin to the Grizzlies for a pick that they then rerouted to the Bucks for Doug McDermott. McDermott being their replacement for Derrick Williams after he asked for and was denied a 47 million dollar deal in the resignings period. They brought back Ben Simmons on a 5 year max deal, signed 25 year old guard Payton Pritchard to a 3 year 30 million dollar deal to back up Simmons, resigned Mitchell Creek to a 4 year 40 million dollar deal, and traded some cash to bring shot blocking big man Prince Ibeh back to the team that drafted him. Veterans like JJ Hickson and Mitch McGary were brought in on minimum deals for some depth, and they also added rookies Jaden McDaniels, Jabari Walker, and Joshua Primo in the draft, none of whom are expected to heavily contribute this upcoming season.
The Pistons are in another championship or bust season. They likely will be championship or bust in every season they have Portis and Jokic under contract. So, the challenge now lies with Portis and Jokic. The team is constructed around their inside focused strengths. The cap situation in the future is very manageable to keep their window open, and the organization has faith in the rookies and Naz Reid to provide some needed youth to the team.
Can they come up when it matters most?
Can they win a title without Westbrook being there to battle with them?
Would the Detroit Window be even more wide open than it is right now had they never traded Donovan Mitchell?
Who knows. They have a title under their belt already, but neither them nor their fans are content with just the one title. Can they add another one to their tally, or will this era of Detroit Pistons basketball be more remembered for what they didn’t accomplish?