The NBA Summer Leagues aren’t just to evaluate talent, but are a good opportunity for club executives to meet and talk about potential deals, like the alleged discussion between the Detroit Pistons and the Milwaukee Bucks for Brandon Jennings in a sign & trade deal.
It’s hard to say if it’s actually happening, or just some creative addition. According to Gary Woelfel there is something brewing, but there are other accounts reporting that nothing is happening.
On paper, it sorta makes sense. The Pistons have done a good job this offseason in upgrading the team back to being, possibly, playoff contender for the first time after quite a while, but they’re not done adding pieces. They have two contracts they’d like to dump – Charlie Villanueva and Rodney Stuckey, or at least one of them, and would like to upgrade their situation at point guard.
After the Boston Celtics have demanded a bit too much (Greg Monroe and more) for Rajon Rondo, the Pistons are now moving on to another point guard, although a very different kind of player, in Brandon Jennings, whose offseason adventures haven’t been very fruitful, leaving him with the option of signing a qualifying offer for one season worth $4.1 million and becoming an unrestricted free agent next year, or sign a longer deal with the Bucks and push for a sign & trade, not wanting to stay on the team.
The Bucks continue to tinker with mediocrity, not going for the complete rebuild season, instead picking up pieces that aren’t going to take them very far, or improve their chances in landing a high lottery pick. A high-profile free agent is out of the question, because they never want to sign with the Bucks.
The Pistons are hoping that Jennings, looking for around $9 million a season, is willing to change his ways in terms of being a little less selfish and a bit more interested in playing defense. It’s also about what the Bucks are going to want, and only if Milwaukee don’t ask for Monroe or Drummond to be part of the deal, the Pistons will go through with it.