The Washington Wizards and Detroit Pistons, the NBA’s worst two teams, engaged in a trade on Sunday that aided both team’s future vision. The Wizards offloaded its two oldest players with expiring contracts, and the Pistons cleared a path to free them up to a staggering salary cap space.
In the midst, the Wizards acquired former No. 2 overall pick Marvin Bagley III, a young Isaiah Livers, a 2025 second-round draft pick, and a 2026 second-round draft pick from Detroit in exchange for veteran forwards Danilo Gallinari and Mike Muscala.
Marvin Bagley looking to discover untapped potential
Bagley has disappointed since going second overall in the 2018 NBA Draft. The Kings selected the Duke product ahead of Luka Doncic (third), 2023 Defensive Player of the Year Jared Jackson Jr. (fourth), and Trae Young (fifth).
Bagley has averaged 12.9 points and 6.9 rebounds while shooting 51.2% from the field in 234 career games as a pro. He spent four seasons with the Kings before he got traded to the Pistons in 2022.
Bagley arrives in Washington under contract through the 2024-25 season. He will earn $12.5 million next season. He will turn 25 years of age in March. Bagley has untapped potential, and being in Washington will be another chance for him to dispel the “bust” label.
In Washington, Bagley will serve as the backup center to Daniel Gafford. Will the third team be the charm for the 6-foot-10 former Duke star?
His trajectory will all depend on the commitment of the Wizards’ development staff and Bagley. He’s a post player without a jumper. But he can provide the inside presence for the Wizards’ second unit.
He also is an average defender at best. He’ll be a drop-off from the rim protection of Gafford. The Wizards’ objective is to maximize Bagley’s strengths, scoring inside, and get him to extend his range some.
In Sacramento, Bagley never lived up to expectations playing on a bad team. He wasn’t Luka, Trae, or Jared. Sacramento wasn’t Dallas, Atlanta, or Memphis, either. In Detroit, he became just a player in a destitute situation.
Expectations are even lower now he is with the Wizards. Can he blossom under the radar? Time will tell.
Can Isaiah Livers fit in?
Meanwhile, Livers is a former second-round pick of the Pistons out of Michigan. He reunites with his college teammate Jordan Poole.
Livers appeared in 94 games through three seasons with the Pistons. He averaged 6.2 points and 2.6 rebounds. The 6-foot-7 wing is eligible to be a restricted free agent at the end of this season if the Wizards extend a $2.25 million qualifying offer this summer. That would allow Washington a chance to match any offer Livers may receive in free agency.
Livers must improve his three-point shooting. This season he is shooting 28.6% from three. The Wizards have a plethora of wings. Thus, the challenge will be daunting to carve out a role for Livers behind Kyle Kuzma, Deni Avdija, Corey Kispert, and Bilal Coulibaly.
Wizards offload two aging veterans
The Pistons receive Gallinari and Muscala, two bigs the Wizards received from the Boston Celtics before the season in the Kristaps Porzingis trade.
The 35-year-old Gallinari had long been a trade and buyout candidate once Washington acquired him. However, he started the season with the Wizards, averaging 7.0 points and 2.9 rebounds in 26 games.
Gallinari got tasked with playing out of position at center for the rebuilding Wizards. His struggles as a post-defender and rebounder were looming. Gallinari is looking to rebound from a torn ACL in 2022.
He couldn’t keep pace with the Wizards’ style of play. Going to a younger roster in Detroit will pose a bigger challenge if he isn’t bought out.
Meanwhile, Muscala appeared to be more out of place. In 24 games, Muscala shot 27.5% from three, averaging 4.0 points and 3.1 rebounds. He had a 97.7 offensive rating, according to Stat Muse.
Grades for trade
Both Gallinari and Muscala hoped to build their trade value for a contender. However, the pair are going from the 7-31 Wizards to the 3-36 Pistons.
The Wizards get two young pieces who, at worst, will have an opportunity to develop with Washington’s revamped staff. More importantly, they offloaded two out-of-place veterans on a rebuilding team, and added to their collection of second-round draft picks.
Wizards Grade: B-
With the trades, the Pistons expect to have $64 million of salary cap space for next summer, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks. Neither Bagley nor Livers appeared to be long-term fits in Detroit. The Pistons will have the cash to improve its young roster.
Maybe the Pistons can have found usage in Gallinari and Muscala, even if it’s primarily off-the-court mentorship.
Pistons Grade: C
