Although there has been some speculation that the Pistons could try to make a major win-now move to fortify their roster ahead of the playoffs, multiple sources tell Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints that Detroit is unlikely to deal away any of its core players, a group that includes Tobias Harris, Jaden Ivey and Isaiah Stewart.
It’s a little strange to see Harris, who is currently out with a hip strain, described as part of the Pistons’ “core,” considering he’s the oldest player (33) on the roster and on an expiring $26.6MM contract. But evidently the team values his contributions and veteran leadership.
According to Siegel, if Detroit’s front office — led by president of basketball operations Trajan Langdon — changes that stance, Trey Murphy III would be a player to watch. Langdon used to be New Orleans’ GM and was part of the group that drafted Murphy.
Here are a few more items of interest from Siegel’s latest rumor round-up:
- The Suns have been scouring the market for a “cheap forward upgrade,” according to Siegel, who says Grayson Allen, Royce O’Neale and Nick Richards have all been made available in trade talks.
- Reiterating a point recently made by Marc Stein, the Raptors are viewed as a buyer heading into the deadline, with Domantas Sabonis, Ja Morant and Murphy among the players they’ve considered pursuing, sources tell ClutchPoints. Toronto appears willing to part with its 2026 first-round pick in search of win-now upgrades, according to Siegel, who writes that Ochai Agbaji is likely to be on the move before the deadline, and if a bigger trade is made, Immanuel Quickley may be involved.
- A recent report said the Pelicans have been rebuffing trade inquiries on forwards Murphy and Herbert Jones, among others. Rival teams think that’s due to a combination of a high asking price and being underwhelmed by opposing offers. According to Siegel, New Orleans is looking for two first-round picks for Jones and three for Murphy, plus young players. Siegel hears the Pelicans are also trying to get back into the 2026 draft after sending out their own selection last year for Derik Queen; they’ve been talking to projected playoff teams (in the 20-30 range) about that possibility.
- While the Thunder are considered unlikely to make any type of significant change to their roster prior to the deadline, it’s possible they could look to either consolidate some of their 2026 first-round picks for a more valuable selection or trade them for future draft assets, per Siegel. That may come closer to the draft, Siegel notes. Dan Woike of The Athletic, citing sources, also hears rival teams think the Thunder will try to turn some of this year’s first-rounders — they could have as many as four — into future assets.