Detroit Pistons: Jaylen Brown is probably a pipe dream, unless...
Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics shoots during the fourth quarter of the game against the Detroit Pistons (Photo by Omar Rawlings/Getty Images)
Cade Cunningham #2 of the Detroit Pistons and Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics (Photo by Omar Rawlings/Getty Images)
The Detroit Pistons will hit the free-agent market this summer with enough cap space to make a splashy move.
They also have a top-5 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, which they hope to use to get a superstar, but could also be an asset in a big trade if it lands between two and five.
One team worth monitoring is the Boston Celtics, who are battling to get into the Eastern Conference Finals.
Forward Jaylen Brown just made the All-NBA team, which means his max salary just went way up, nearing the $300 million mark, something that could give Boston pause given a similar looming extension for Jayson Tatum.
That doesn't mean he won't be back, nor that Brown would necessarily be a target for the Detroit Pistons.
In a vacuum, Jaylen Brown would be a perfect fit on the Detroit Pistons, as he would give them exactly what they are missing on the wing.
He's a proven playoff performer and one of the best two-way wings in the league, the type of player every team is trying to get.
But trading for him would be risky considering he only has one guaranteed year before becoming an unrestricted free agent and getting a massive payday. Whether it is from the Celtics or someone else, Brown is going to get paid on his next contract, and if he hits unrestricted free agency, there will be a lot of teams after him.
There is also the big question of whether the Pistons even have what it takes to trade for Brown (more on that in a minute), making this an unlikely match. There are a couple of scenarios, but landing a top wing like Brown won't be easy.