The NBA trade market is set to heat up as players officially become eligible to start being dealt. Any team with an eye on the future is doing to start making moves and the Detroit Pistons are one of them. The Pistons have key pieces on the roster, but they could start looking to dump high-priced contracts for future moves. As a result, Brandon Jennings is being made available and gaining plenty of interest on the market.
According to Mark Berman of the New York Post, Jennings might be the biggest name on the trade market as the Pistons move forward with their $80 million man, Reggie Jackson. According to Berman, Jennings is available now, but is not expected to be moved until he gets back on the court. The point guard is still healing from an Achilles injury, but he is expected to get on the court within the month which will allow teams to see his value.
What makes Jennings attractive on the market is his expiring contract. The point guard had struggled in shooting prior to the injury. However, he thrived more as a starter than a bench player which is where the Pistons moved him thanks to the improvement of Jackson. No trade is imminent. The Pistons do not need to trade Jennings, but might aim to capitalize on his worth during the season.
Berman believes the New York Knicks could target Jennings as they aim for an upgrade over Jose Calderon while Jerian Grant still struggles with rookie issues. Berman writes that packaging Calderon with bigs like Derrick Williams or Kyle O'Quinn could be favored for the Pistons. Detroit need upgrades on their bench and either Williams or O'Quinn could offer that in exchange for Jennings.
The Houston Rockets could also be looking for an upgrade on the roster. According to the Houston Chronicle, the Rockets are seeking some kind of change on the roster as Ty Lawson or Terrence Jones could be available. Pairing Jennings with Patrick Beverley could be ideal for the Rockets, but the point guard might not be worth the talent of Jones who is improving in Houston over the past few games.
For now, the Pistons will bring Jennings back slowly as he aims to get on the court in the next week. Jennings was the starter in Detroit until he got hurt. Now Jackson is the star of the team and Jennings will be coming off the bench. According to the point guard, he is focused on improving his health and playing and is not worried about whether he comes off the bench or is placed in the starting five.
"We have a good starting five," Jennings said, via the Detroit Free Press. "They all have a chemistry right now. I'm not going to come here and mess that up. I'll come off the bench, and I'll take care of the second unit like a pro is supposed to. My main thing when I come back is to help this team get to the playoffs, because that's our main goal. Everybody feels that's the goal and what everybody feels around the city. If I don't come back the way I was last year, I'm going to be very upset with myself. I'm putting a lot of pressure on myself first right now. I'm not thinking about re-signing here, not re-signing here."
