The point guard position is a hot commodity heading into the trade deadline as a number of bubble teams need upgrades and depth at the spot. Several key players have gone down with injuries in recent weeks, leaving teams like the Detroit Pistons and Charlotte Bobcats to put their postseason fate in the hands of backups. With plenty of teams offering up trades before the deadline, who will head where after the All-Star game?
The Detroit Pistons are a bubble team who just lost their best player for the rest of the season. Brandon Jennings went down with an Achilles tear leaving the Pistons to put the starting job in the hands of DJ Augustin which is off to a good start, but is not expected to last. So far, Augustin is doing a solid job replacing Jennings with 16.8 points and 9.3 assists in his short time as a starter. However, that is not stopping the Pistons from looking for help.
According to a report from Northeast Ohio Media Group, the Pistons are seeking a trade for Norris Cole of the Miami Heat. Cole has a short contract which Detroit finds ideal to take on. Team sources report the Pistons want to make a trade for depth, but are only interested in players working off expiring contract that can be evaluated at the end of the season. Head coach Stan Van Gundy confirmed the search.
"We definitely got to get a third point guard, there's no question," Van Gundy said, via CBSSports.com. "To go out and get a guy who would be a huge difference maker, you probably have to give up something that would hurt you down the road."
The Pistons will likely wait and see how Augustin progresses in the coming weeks before deciding just how big to do in a trade. Cole will likely not come cheap even though Miami has tossed his name around in several trade discussions. Detroit could easily look to give a short-term contract to someone like Nate Robinson or Jordan Farmar instead of giving something up in a trade.
The Charlotte Bobcats are seeking a replacement for the injured Kemba Walker while the Cleveland Cavaliers are looking for depth behind Kyrie Irving. Players like Jeremy Lin, Pablo Prigioni, Michael Carter-Williams and Evan Turner could also be options. The New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers are pushing trades and might lower their expectations for what to ask in return for teams.
