As the NBA Draft approaches, so do the NBA trade talks. The night of the draft is usually a good time for teams to make some deals for the future of their rosters but there is one deal that might not involve any picks at all.
The Detroit Pistons are interested in acquiring Tim Hardaway Jr from the New York Knicks and possibly in exchange for Brandon Jennings. The deal could make for some interesting match making for both sides.
Following from Ian Begley of ESPN.
If you’re looking for any clues regarding potential draft-night trades, here’s one: the Detroit Pistons are said to have interest in trading for Tim Hardaway Jr. and have tried to engage the Knicks on a deal, per league sources.
Detroit may be looking to move guard Brandon Jennings because the organization traded for fellow guard Reggie Jackson last season. Jackson will be a restricted free agent this summer.
Jennings is entering the final year of his contract and will make $8.3 million next season. In a Jennings-for-Hardaway Jr. swap, the Knicks would likely have to use their trade exception and adjust their outgoing assets to make the deal work.
It’s unknown if the Knicks would want to take Jennings’ salary out without further enticement. It’s also worth noting that former NBA star Tim Hardaway Sr., Hardaway Jr.’s father, is an assistant coach with the Pistons.
This deal might be good for both sides but it could come with a cost. Jennings wanted to be in New York since his draft day when the Knicks didn’t take him but selected Jordan Hill instead. The Pistons have a log jam at the point guard position with Jennings, newly acquired Reggie Jackson and rookie Spencer Dinwiddie, so getting rid of a point guard to bring in a starting shooting guard could work. Tim would be fighting for time with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope but he could start for Detroit and thrive in Stan Van Gundy’s offense.
On the flipside, putting Hardaway Jr with the Pistons and his dad being on the coaching staff could be beneficial to his game. On top of that, Hardaway played his college ball with Michigan, so returning back to his old stomping grounds could be good as well.
Bringing in Jennings means you also bring in the baggage he comes with. He’s often outspoken, especially on social media, he can get animated on the court and on top of that, he’s coming off an achilles injury. Moving to New York might not be the most beneficial move for his game right now but if he makes it work, it could be one that changes his career in the right direction.
