Mavericks’ bold business plans for new downtown

The Detroit Pistons are a team that many people will be watching in the coming weeks. They had some lukewarm hopes for a spot in the NBA Play-In Tournament, but an injury to Cade Cunningham derailed those hopes. Detroit is currently 8-22, already five games out of a play-in spot.

With losses continuing to pile up, the Pistons are a team that could be very active before the trade deadline, flipping some veterans for more future assets. A player mentioned in many rumors is Bojan Bogdanovic.

The Pistons were surprise winners of the pre-regular season Bogdanovic sweepstakes, purchasing him from the Utah Jazz in exchange for Kelly Olynyk and Saben Lee. An extension was quickly agreed, which makes him even more attractive as he is locked into an affordable deal.

He has done nothing to limit his market as Bogdanovic leads the team with 20.4 points per game on an outstanding .510/.436/.879 shooting split. Teams keep calling about his availability, and another veteran to watch alongside him is Nerlens Noel.

LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Nerlens Noel, Detroit Pistons & Dallas Mavericks Updates

Noel has played in just six games this season and it has been reported Noel is not expected to finish the season in Detroit. He was acquired from the New York Knicks in the off-season, along with Alec Burks, in a salary dump so that New York had room to sign Jalen Brunson on free duty.

A team to check in on Noel is one of his former teams, the Dallas Mavericks. Noel played 1.5 seasons with the Mavericks from 2017-2019 and he could have another stint with the franchise soon Ian Begley of SNY.tv.

Also on the trade front, the Dallas Mavericks and Detroit Pistons recently hit base during trade talks that brought up the name of Nerlens Noel. Noel, the former Knick, has drawn interest from several contending teams struggling with rim protection. Noel was a key force for New York’s defense in 2021 as the club made a surprise run to the playoffs.

Dallas spent much of their mid-level taxpayer exemption on JaVale McGee this summer, and that signing has turned out to be a disaster. As if handing him a three-year contract wasn’t bad enough, the Mavericks also promised him a starting spot, taking nine games to finally disband.

LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Nerlens Noel, Detroit Pistons & Dallas Mavericks Updates

Noel would be a nice boost for the Mavericks defensively because when he is healthy he is excellent on that side of the field. In Begley’s season back with the Knicks, Noel averaged 2.2 blocks and 1.1 steals per game despite averaging only 24.2 minutes per game. He doesn’t offer much offensively, but his defensive impact is well worth the price.