Pistons Reportedly Looking Into Trading For Norris Cole
The Charlotte Hornets might have interest in Miami Heat point guard Norris Cole given Kemba Walker’s injury, and the Detroit Pistons now find themselves in the same water.
With Brandon Jennings out for the season with an ACL tear, Detroit is looking into a possible trade for Cole as well, reports Chris Haynes of Cleveland.com:
The Detroit Pistons are looking into the possibility of trading for Miami Heat point guard Norris Cole, league sources tell Northeast Ohio Media Group.
Miami has sent the word out that the 26-year-old defensive specialist can be had. There’s nothing imminent at this point and talks have been described as “exploratory,” a source said.
Cole is averaging 6.2 points and 3.4 assists per game in Miami. He’s been a regular part of the rotation at 24 minutes per game and brings solid attributes to both sides of the ball.
It was recently reported that the Pistons had interest in Pablo Prigioni from the Knicks. Stan Van Gundy clearly wants to bring in another point guard to shuffle in the rotation as D.J. Augustin will assume the starting role, and if at all possible someone that can contribute to the Pistons’ recent competitive streak. Norris Cole would be a reasonable candidate for that role, but Van Gundy still has to figure out what he’s willing to give up.
The Heat have worked Cole in sparingly with a lot of three-guard line ups of Chalmers-Cole-Wade or Napier-Chalmers-Wade, etc. Their willingness to part ways with Cole might suggest more of a favor towards Shabbaz Napier. Teams like Charlotte and Detroit are now potential bidders.
