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The Detroit Pistons haven’t been quiet to start the summer, as they're one of just a few franchises to complete a trade during the first leg of the offseason.
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the Pistons traded Isaiah Stewart to the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday night for three future second-round picks.
Charania’s co-worker, Brian Windhorst, doesn’t think Detroit will stop there, as he believes the franchise could target four-time NBA champion star forward LeBron James.
"What if they (Pistons) go big-game hunting,” Windhorst stated. “What if they check on the availability of Kawhi Leonard, who we're not quite sure if he's going to extend his contract in LA (Los Angeles Clippers) or be traded?”
“What if they look at some of the bigger names who could be out there? Heck, they've cleared enough open space; they could call LeBron James if they wanted to."
It’s worth noting that the Pistons should expect fierce competition for James, as the 41-year-old future Hall of Famer has been linked to the Golden State Warriors (The San Francisco Standard’s Tim Kawakami mentioned the Dubs could offer James $15.1 million contract), Cleveland Cavaliers (Windhorst reported that a sign-and-trade could send James back to Cleveland), and San Antonio Spurs (CBS Sports’ Sam Quinn named San Antonio as a potential landing spot for James) this summer.
James would certainly be an ideal co-star for Cade Cunningham in Detroit. Although age isn’t on the 22-time All-Star’s side and he’s declined significantly as a defender, he can still play-make with the best of them.
How? James frequently uses his daunting physical stature to put defenders in a bind in straight line drive situations, and the former Cavaliers phenomenon epitomizes what it truly means for a player to have eyes in the back of their head on the offensive end.
James, who deferred to Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves last season, averaged 20.9 points, 7.2 assists, and 6.1 rebounds per game this season, shooting 51.5% from the field and 31.7% from beyond the arc.
There’s no telling if the Pistons will actually pursue James, but the idea of the four-time NBA Finals MVP in a Detroit uniform is tantalizing.
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