SI's Dream Trade: DeMarcus Cousins For Andre Drummond (And Others)

By: Will Burchfield
@burchie_kid

It's trade season in the NBA and the Pistons haven't been exempt from the rumors. The latest one saw Reggie Jackson being shipped to the Timberwolves in exchange for Ricky Rubio, a report that Stan Van Gundy quickly shot down.

But fear not. Sports Illustrated is here to suggest another blockbuster, albeit with the slight caveat that it will never actually happen. Still, we can dream, right?

As proposed by Andrew Sharp: The Pistons send Andre Drummond, Stanley Johnson and a 2018 first-round pick to the Kings in exchange for DeMarcus Cousins.

Sharp's reasoning for the trade rests on the assumption that Drummond has stalled out in Detroit. After increasing his scoring and rebounding totals each of his first four seasons, peaking with last year's line of 16.2 points and 14.8 boards per game, the 23-year-old center has regressed to 14.2 and 13.5 in 2016. Sharp thinks it's time to cut the chord:

"Drummond's defense has never gotten much better than league-average among centers, and his offense has stagnated just the same. The Pistons best player can't play the end of games, and isn't always engaged on defense. People expected the Pistons to improve for lots of reasons, but the optimism was always rooted in the assumption that Van Gundy would turn Drummond into a monster, and that's not happening."

Lest things deteriorate any further, Sharp feels the Pistons should try to trade Drummond now. His value isn't as high as it was when he entered the league as the No. 9 overall pick in 2012, but his measureables and statistics still convey promise.

Per Sharp:

"Drummond is still young enough to sell teams on his potential, and he's signed through 2020. If the Pistons admit this experiment is failing before it actually bottoms out, they can market Drummond as a double-double machine that just doesn't click with Van Gundy. If the problems continue for another 18 months, that marketing job will a lot be tougher.

"The dream scenario? Drummond, Stanley Johnson, and a 2018 first-round pick to Sacramento for DeMarcus Cousins, who might average 40 playing under Van Gundy. All in favor, please say: Motor City Boogie."

For the Pistons, it's an easy deal to love. Where Drummond is looking less and less like the franchise tentpole he was pegged to be, Cousins is a flatout cornerstone. The 26-year-old is posting 28 points and 4.3 assists per game this season - both career highs - to go along with 10.2 boards. He's almost unanimously referred to as the best center in the game.

In their two head-to-head matchups this year, Cousins and Drummond were miles apart. In round one, Cousins put up 24 points, 13 rebounds and 6 assists; Drummond went for 9 points and 12 rebounds. In round two, Cousins put up 22 points, 14 rebounds and 6 assists; Drummond went for 14 points and 12 rebounds. The Kings won both games.

There's no question as to who's the better player, and little doubt that Sacramento would balk at the aforementioned trade offer. But the rationale that informs it makes total sense for the Pistons. Both Drummond and Johnson are showing signs of regression after promising starts to their careers. Their respective value is on the decline. Unless the Pistons are sure they can reverse this trend, especially in regard to Drummond, they are better off selling the two players for all they're worth.

Otherwise, they're clinging to a vision at the expense of their future.