Detroit Pistons NBA Trade Rumors: Stanley Johnson Is on the Trading Block
Looks like the Detroit Pistons are ready to move on from one of their former first-round picks.
According to ESPN's Ian Begley, the Pistons have been fielding offers for third-year forward Stanley Johnson, and opposing teams believe that he may be available for the right return. Nothing is imminent, though.
"As with any trade discussion at this point in the calendar, it's worth noting that there's a wide gap between teams having conversations about a player and executing a trade," Begley said.
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ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski has previously reported that the Pistons are eyeing Orlando Magic forward Evan Fournier, but it's currently unclear if Johnson's name has come up in trade discussions between the two teams.
Johnson is actually a pretty good defensive player who has the ability to guard multiple positions, but he has been a liability on the offensive end of the floor ever since he entered the league in 2015.
The former University of Arizona standout is averaging 7.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.3 steals in under 28 minutes this season, but his shooting percentages are really bad. Johnson has only made 34.8 percent of his field goal attempts so far, and he's not doing any better from three-point range (29.1 percent). At least he's knocking down his free-throws at a respectable rate (77.6 percent).
Johnson has failed to develop into a competent shooter from the perimeter, but he does possess the physical tools to succeed as a role player in the National Basketball Association (NBA) so he shouldn't be considered a bust just yet.
Meanwhile, Begley has also reported that rookie guard Luke Kennard has been drawing some trade interest as well, but the Pistons are unlikely to move him.
"It's not a surprise, of course, that teams have asked the Pistons about Kennard in these early trade talks. Several teams were interested in Kennard leading into the 2017 draft." Begley noted.
