As expected, the Detroit Pistons are trading away Jodie Meeks. The shooting guard was the subject of trade rumors on draft day. He will be going to the Orlando Magic as reported by Shams Charania of The Vertical.
It appears the move is only being made for cap reasons. The Magic are more than $7M under the cap, meaning they can absorb Meeks’ $6.5M per year contract without sending any contracts in return. In exchange for Meeks, the Magic will send a 2019 second round pick to Detroit.
It’s clear that the Pistons are looking to clear cap space in order to make a splash in free agency. Where that extra money will be spent is anyone’s guess but the Pistons have perhaps most notably been linked to Ryan Anderson.
Meeks was underwhelming in his time in Detroit mostly due to health concerns. The shooting guard played only 63 games in two years with the Pistons, including only three last year.
At his peak, Meeks is a top three point shooter in the league. Additionally, he is a scrappy defender though his lack of size limits his ceiling. The Magic had a bit of a need at his position with Victor Oladipo now in Oklahoma City. Meeks will likely be the backup to Evan Fournier, who is a restricted free agent.
