Detroit, MI
2024 NBA Draft Detroit Pistons Trade Down Guide
At the NBA Draft Lottery, the unthinkable (yet totally predictable) happened when the Detroit Pistons fell once again to the 5th pick, and there is a real chance the Pistons will pick even lower than that. That’s right! We’re talking about trade-down scenarios.
In a draft without clear-cut premier players, either very few trades happen because teams believe they can stay put and get similar value, or teams are more willing to make targeted trades to get “their guy.” As the draft approaches, rumors are swirling that a few teams could be eyeing a move up the draft board if their guy begins to slide.
For each trade scenario, we briefly explain why each team would do the trade, how it affects the Pistons’ cap room, and a few players they could target at their new draft slot. Let’s dive in!
Wembanyama Running Mate
San Antonio Spurs | #8
While the Spurs aren’t currently rumored to be in the market to move up, they certainly have the assets to do so. Should they choose to surround their French phenom with a couple of top 5 picks, there is no shortage of options.
Pistons cap room remaining: $48,549,983 [-$15,851,296]
Why the Pistons say yes
In this deal, the Pistons would add an athletic, high-motor forward who is a capable catch-and-shoot 3-point shooter. Johnson is on a very affordable contract that only gets cheaper over the next few years; his salary drops to $17.5M for the final two years of the contract. The Pistons will still have the cap room to acquire a player on any max contract with minimal effort if that’s the route of choice.
Why the Spurs say yes
The Spurs can add another Top 5 pick and create an additional $17M in cap room to build around Wembanyama while getting off long-term salary.
Pistons targets at #8
- Dalton Knecht – a jolt of ready-made shooting and scoring from the Tennessee star
- Ron Holland – a swing on upside with the Ignite wing who needs to shoot a lot better
- Cody Williams – a swing on upside, again, from the Colorado wing who is a bit of an enigma
- Tidjane Salaun – a swing on upside from the big Frenchman who great physical tools + shooting potential
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The Clingan Connection
This next group of teams are all rumored to be enamored with Donovan Clingan and motivated to make a deal should he fall into range.
Memphis Grizzlies | #9
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Cap room remaining: $64,096,932 [-$304,347]
Why the Pistons say yes
Pistons get a PF/C who can stretch the floor, pass the ball, and provide some rim protection chops without cutting into their cap room this summer. They are also able to move up in the 2nd round, improving the chances of adding a player who could eventually contribute to the team.
Why the Grizzlies say yes
Grizzlies are able to get their starting center in Clingan, who will be cost controlled on his rookie contract for the next 4 years. Aldama, on the other hand, is in the last year of his deal and in need of an extension. Grizzlies are able to avoid that decision while getting value for one of their rotational bigs.
Pistons targets at #9
- Dalton Knecht – a jolt of ready-made shooting and scoring from the Tennessee star
- Ron Holland – a swing on upside with the Ignite wing who needs to shoot a lot better
- Cody Williams – a swing on upside, again, from the Colorado wing who is a bit of an enigma
- Tidjane Salaun – a swing on upside from the big Frenchman who great physical tools + shooting potential
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Grab Kessler, improve defense
Utah Jazz | #10
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Cap room remaining: $65,380,263 [+$978,984]
Why the Pistons say yes
One of the Pistons’ biggest weaknesses last year was rim protection. Here, the Pistons address that need by adding a 7-foot-1 shot-blocking machine who can also finish at the rim on offense. Pistons can keep Kessler under team control for at least another year with a team option available for 25-26 season (decision deadline 10/31/24) before having to make a decision on an extension. Rounding out the deal is the 32nd pick in this year’s draft, which has the potential to be a very valuable trade piece, especially in the new two-day draft format and the increased time limit to draft second-round picks, or a great opportunity to add more cheap talent if the Pistons go big star hunting with their cap room.
Why the Jazz say yes
Kessler has seemingly fallen out of favor with the Jazz coaches/organization; his minutes have dropped and there are rumors they are sending him to play in Summer League this summer (not common for third-year players). Adding Clingan at #5 also mitigates some of the concern of moving on from Kessler at this point in his young career.
Pistons targets at #10
- Cody Williams – a swing on upside, again, from the Colorado wing who is a bit of an enigma
- Tidjane Salaun – a swing on upside from the big Frenchman who great physical tools + shooting potential
- Rob Dillingham – small, versatile guard from Kentucky with an electric offensive game
- Ja’Kobe Walter – rising guard from Baylor who has 3-and-D chops but inefficiency issues
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Zach LaVine and additional draft assets
Chicago Bulls | #11
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Cap room remaining: $19,270,503 [-$45,130,776]
Why the Pistons say yes
When healthy, Zach LaVine is a great offensive weapon that complements Cade’s game well. His ability to create his own shot and knock down catch-and-shoot 3s should open up more opportunities for Cade to work offensively. With $19.27 million in cap room and other tradeable assets to work with, the Pistons can still add some more helpful pieces after this deal is done.
A lot is made of LaVine’s contract, and the money is significant. But as long as he can be an average NBA starter over the next two seasons, having his salary on the books should actually give the front office more avenues to build around Cade once his (potential) max extension kicks in next summer. Not to mention, the Pistons have to spend $127 million in salary before the league year starts; there are worse ways to spend that money.
Why the Bulls say yes
The Bulls have been rumored to be targeting Donovan Clingan and Matas Buzelis. If either one is still available at #5, this trade allows them to grab him and clear a massive salary from their books over the next few years, while giving up minimal assets to do so.
Pistons targets at #11
- Cody Williams – a swing on upside, again, from the Colorado wing who is a bit of an enigma
- Tidjane Salaun – a swing on upside from the big Frenchman who great physical tools + shooting potential
- Rob Dillingham – small, versatile guard from Kentucky with an electric offensive game
- Ja’Kobe Walter – rising guard from Baylor who has 3-and-D chops but inefficiency issues
Thunder have picks to spare and have sights set on their guy
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Oklahoma City Thunder | #12
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Cap room remaining: $67,720,239 [+$3,318,960]
Why the Pistons say yes
Picking up a 2025 1st round pick that is the better of Thunder, Clippers, or Rockets (protected 1-10) and a 2025 second-round pick gives the Pistons potentially three picks in a very strong draft, or at the very least more assets to use in trades. This move also adds another $3.3M in cap room to use in other trades and/or free agency this summer.
Why the Thunder say yes
Donovan Clingan and Chet Holmgren have to the potential to be a terror together defensively. Giving up one of their FIVE potential first-round picks in 2025 to make it happen should be an easy decision.
Pistons targets at #12
- Cody Williams – a swing on upside, again, from the Colorado wing who is a bit of an enigma
- Tidjane Salaun – a swing on upside from the big Frenchman who great physical tools + shooting potential
- Rob Dillingham – small, versatile guard from Kentucky with an electric offensive game
- Ja’Kobe Walter – rising guard from Baylor who has 3-and-D chops but inefficiency issues
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Detroit Welcomes Back Jerami Grant
Portland Trailblazers | #14
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Cap room remaining: $39,663,303 [-$24,737,976]
Why the Pistons say yes
Jerami Grant is a good defender and is shooting even better now than during his first stint in Detroit. His versatility on both sides of the ball make him a great fit in the front court for Stewart, Duren, and Ausar and an offensive fit with Cade. In light of the rising salary cap, his contract should not hinder Detroit this summer nor in the long run. The Pistons also add a valuable 2nd round pick in this year’s draft.
Why the Trailblazers say yes
Hovering just below the tax line is no place for a team as bad as the Trailblazers. Shedding some salary while getting your top draft target is a good day’s work. Drafting Clingan also gives the Trailblazers more freedom to trade Ayton for assets as they continue to figure out how to build around their stable of young guards.
Pistons targets at #14
- Jared McCain – guard from Duke who is one of the best shooters/scorers in the draft
- DaRon Holmes II – athletic big from Dayton who can block shots and shoot from deep
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Pistons Land Brandon Ingram and DeAndre Hunter
Three-Team Trade with Pistons (No.5), Pelicans (No.21) and Hawks
This last trade is an amalgamation of rumors, daydreams, and common sense.
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Cap room remaining: $18,867,180 [-$45,534,099]
Why the Pistons say yes
The Pistons have lacked difference-makers at the forward position for longer than I can remember. Brandon Ingram has shown he can be just that. There have been some warts lately and he is due for a big contract next summer, which is why he is potentially available. But Brandon Ingram is really really good at basketball, and when you have the opportunity to acquire that kind of talent, it’s usually worth the risk.
De’Andre Hunter hasn’t lived up to his draft status, but he is a capable shooter and defender on a decent contract. Adding Hunter and Ingram bolsters the forward rotation for the next few years, and getting the 21st pick allows Detroit to add a young player after sending two out in this deal. When all is said and done, the Pistons still would have enough cap room to address the starting center position.
Why the Pelicans say yes
Pelicans get to shed salary this year and swap Ingram for two players at positions of need: Murray who is cost-controlled on a great contract for the next 4 years and Duren who is still on his rookie contract. The Pelicans also have been rumored to be interested in trading out of the 21st pick to acquire future 2nd round picks if they can’t use it to acquire a proven talent; in this trade, they do both.
Why the Hawks say yes
Atlanta launches a soft rebuild with two top 5 picks and adds a future first to its treasure chest. They desperately need to clean up their books to make room for future extensions, and this move does that in spades. Ivey helps replace some of Murray’s minutes and gives Atlanta another young prospect with potential to take a gamble on or eventually include in a consolidation trade in the future.
Pistons targets at #21
- Johnny Furphy – guard from Kansas who fits any team due to his shooting/hustle
- Pacome Dadiet – wing from France who represents a ball of clay for a team to mold
- Kyle Filipowski – center from Duke who offers some stretch-five potential
Now it’s your turn! Which is your favorite trade? Is there a different move you would make on draft day? As always, we look forward to the passionate discourse in the comments!
Detroit, MI
Terrion Arnold ‘maintains complete innocence’ in kidnapping, theft case
I represent Mr. Terrion Arnold in connection with an incident that allegedly occurred on February 4, 2026, in Tampa, Florida, which resulted in the arrest of five individuals on serious felony charges.
To be clear, Mr. Arnold had no involvement whatsoever in the activities that led to those arrests. He did not participate in, nor was he present for, any conduct related to the alleged offenses. There is no evidence in police reports, text messages, or witness statements that implicates Mr. Arnold in any way.
In fact, after direct communication with the lead prosecutor, it has been confirmed that no charges have been filed against Mr. Arnold in connection with this matter.
Recent media coverage has referenced an Order issued by Circuit Judge J. Logan Murphy, which improperly suggests Mr. Arnold’s involvement in the incident. That same Order also incorrectly identifies Ms. Devalle as Mr. Arnold’s girlfriend. Both assertions are false, misleading, and entirely unsupported by the record.
Mr. Arnold categorically denies these unfounded claims and maintains his complete innocence. He was not involved in the crimes allegedly committed on February 4, 2026, in Tampa, Florida.
We strongly urge members of the media to refrain from perpetuating inaccurate or speculative narratives. The facts are clear, and they do not support any claim of wrongdoing by Mr. Arnold.
Detroit, MI
Robert ‘Fish’ Jenkins helped Detroit students soar in sports and life
There was a time when many Historical Black Colleges had swimming teams. The late Robert ‘Fish’ Jenkins benefited from that era and then he spent much of his adult life lifting up youths in Detroit.
Black heritage tours teach travelers what they missed in history class
So much of America’s Black history isn’t taught in schools, but travelers can learn about some of those experiences on the road.
Cody Godwin, USA TODAY
The celebration of Black History Month throughout February provides an opportunity to share stories about Detroiters that have positively impacted the lives of others in a variety of ways.
And included among those stories that have been shared this month is a “Fish” story that is unique, without exaggeration.
That is because this story is about the late Robert “Fish” Jenkins Sr., a longtime Detroit educator and a groundbreaking coach, whose superpower was his ability to create life-changing opportunities for young people in unconventional spaces.
In 1969, Jenkins arrived at Detroit’s Northern High School as a physical education teacher and coach. During Northern’s heyday, the high school, formerly located on Woodward Avenue at Owen in the city’s North End, produced a host of high-profile sports stars, including basketball greats Bill Buntin — a two-time All-American center at the University of Michigan during the 1960s — and Derrick Coleman — the first overall pick in the 1990 NBA draft. And record-breaking sprinter Marshall Dill, Track & Field News’ High School Athlete of the Year in 1971, who set world records in the 300-yard dash while running for Michigan State University.
However, Jenkins specialized in coaching sports that were a little less popular among young people in Detroit, particularly Black students. Jenkins coached teams at Northern — and for one year at East English Village Preparatory Academy after he retired from teaching in 2001 — to 24 Detroit Public School League championships in swimming, golf and soccer.
“No matter what the sport was, he had the formula to make a team a champion,” Robert Jenkins Jr. said about his father, who died on Jan. 14 at the age 86.
“But more than that, my father had a profound impact on the minds of every student he touched. He brought golf, and all the lessons golf teaches, to the North End. And, in the summer, he had members of the swim team teach the younger kids in the neighborhood how to swim, which taught his swim team members how to give back to the community.”
During the evening of Feb. 22, Robert Jenkins Jr. took pride in sharing stories about young people who were coached and mentored by his father across multiple decades that went on to become “doctors, educators, business leaders, and parents” that have made positive contributions to the city of Detroit.
Robert Jenkins Jr. also described some of the friendly interactions that his dad had with notable people like U.S. Olympic sprint champion Wilma Rudolph and Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer Dick Barnett at Tennessee State University, where the elder Jenkins received the education and training that he needed to teach and coach student-athletes in Detroit.
But earlier that day, an equally compelling “Fish” story was told by another community member.
“Mr. Jenkins was a very important person in my life and he is one of the reasons why I have always tried to do my part when it comes to providing opportunities for young people in our city,” said Gary Peterson, who has coached young swimmers in Detroit for 47 years, including at Detroit’s King High School, where he coaches boys and girls swimmers today.
Long before Peterson coached high school swimmers — and youth swimmers of virtually all ages when he was a full-time swimming instructor for the city of Detroit’s Recreation Department — Peterson was on the swim team at King High School (Class of 1974), when Robert Jenkins Sr. came into his life.
“There were coaches at other schools that helped young swimmers that wanted to improve and go to another level, and Mr. Jenkins was one of those coaches,” said Peterson, who was coached at King High School by Clyde James, a lifelong friend and teammate of Jenkins on the Tennessee State University swimming team during the late 1950s and early 1960s, when they brought national attention to the school’s swimming program.
“Mr. Jenkins would make his pool at Northern available to students from other schools that wanted to get in extra practice. Then, as I got closer to going to college, Mr. Jenkins was the person who introduced me to the colleges that were recruiting Black high school swimmers.
“At that time, there were more than 20 HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) that had competitive swimming programs. Today, there is only one (Howard University in Washington, DC). But back then, Mr. Jenkins wanted to make sure we had the opportunities and exposure, which included sending a small group of us to South Carolina State for a recruiting trip.
“Afterwards, Mr. Jenkins even came over to King from Northern to present me with my scholarship to South Carolina State, while I was sitting in a King classroom. I couldn’t believe it and I was ecstatic, but everything that he did for me and other young swimmers in the city he did so willingly. And that’s what I always thought I was supposed to do as a coach.”
Peterson said he would do even more with Jenkins when Peterson returned to Detroit from Orangeburg, South Carolina, after graduating from college.
“In the late 1980s, a team I was coaching at Johnson Recreation Center and Mr. Jenkins’ team at Northern, traveled to Washington DC as one team in February to compete in the Black History Invitational Swim Meet. And that tradition of Detroit competing as one team at that meet continued every year until COVID,” said Peterson, who also recalled that Jenkins coached softball and even junior varsity football for a time, in addition to swimming, golf and soccer.
“Just as Mr. Jenkins thought it was critical for us to come together and take our kids to DC for that swim meet because it was the biggest showcase for Black swimmers, he wanted all the young people he coached to have good training and exposure. And in my case, as the son of sharecroppers, I can say that Mr. Jenkins inspired me as well, as a swimmer and a coach.”
Every time Peterson walks into King High to coach the current group of swimmers at the school, he said he is reminded of Jenkins and other important people that paved the way for Black swimmers in Detroit.
For example, in 2023, the natatorium at King was rededicated as the Clyde James Natatorium by the Detroit Public Schools Community District. Peterson says the renaming was not only a salute to James, who was a finalist in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Championships in the 100-yard butterfly during the 1960-61 season while swimming for Tennessee State, but also a tribute to the fabled swimming program that was once housed at the Brewster Recreation Center, which helped to develop James, Jenkins and many other Detroit swimmers that competed nationally. Brewster’s early swimming program was led by the legendary Clarence Gatliff, an all-city swimmer at Cass Tech during the 1920s.
Another pleasant reminder of the history and evolution of Black swimmers in Detroit that Peterson sees when inside King High is 54-year-old Robert Jenkins Jr., an educator like his father, who is teaching personal finance this school year at King and hopes to honor his father’s legacy this summer by offering a swimming and golf program to students.
“I want to make sure that Detroiters understand my father’s legacy,” said Jenkins, a 1989 graduate of Northern High School, who explained that his father and mother (Norma Jean Jenkins) taught him and his sister (Dr. Marlo Rencher) that “we don’t half do anything.”
And that includes community service.
“My father was a servant leader and he would offer encouragement to any young person he was around, not just the students he coached. And paying it (that support) forward was a lesson he always taught in the process.”
Scott Talley is a native Detroiter, a proud product of Detroit Public Schools and a lifelong lover of Detroit culture in its diverse forms. In his second tour with the Free Press, which he grew up reading as a child, he is excited and humbled to cover the city’s neighborhoods and the many interesting people who define its various communities. Contact him at stalley@freepress.com or follow him on Twitter @STalleyfreep. Read more of Scott’s stories at www.freep.com/mosaic/detroit-is/. Please help us grow great community-focused journalism by becoming a subscriber.
Detroit, MI
Fox 2 Detroit anchor Amy Andrews updates viewers on her medical leave
TV and newspapers: Detroit media history
The Detroit Free Press has been publishing since the mid-19th century.
Fox 2 Detroit (WJBK-TV) morning news anchor Amy Andrews took to social media on Thursday, Feb. 26, to share with viewers why she has been off the air again.
Andrews posted on Instagram that she is on a “physician-directed medical leave” as she continues treatment for dysautonomia, which she described as “a disorder of the autonomic nervous system that affects things like heart rate, blood pressure, and circulation.”
Wrote Andrews, “For me, it can cause significant dizziness, vision changes, brain fog, and sudden drops in blood pressure, making live television unsafe until it’s properly stabilized.”
According to the Dysautonomia Project, a nonprofit collaborative effort to provide education on the condition, an estimated 70 million people across the globe have some form of dysfunction to the autonomic system that regulates “functions that are automatic in nature such as heart rate, blood pressure, digestion, excretion, perspiration, temperature regulation, pupil dilation, circulation, and respiration” and more.
“Often dysautonomias are invisible illnesses. Patients may not look sick, and yet they have symptoms that make it difficult to work, go to school, and perform activities of daily living,” the collaborative effort says.
Andrews explained on her post that she doesn’t take her decision to step back from work lightly “I love what I do, and I love serving this community. Right now, my focus is following my doctors’ guidance so that I can return safely and consistently.”
She added, “I miss our mornings together more than I can say. Please know I am working hard, I am not giving up, and my goal is to return as soon as I am medically able. Thank you for the incredible support so many of you have shown me over the years. It means everything.”
Andrews received several supportive comments to her posting, including from Local 4 News (WDIV-TV) anchors Rhonda Walker, Karen Drew and Jason Colthorp.
“From your friends and competitors across town: Get well soon. Hope to look up and see your face soon,,” wrote Colthorp.
Andrews, who is an anchor of “Fox 2 News Mornings,” returned to work in September 2025 after an extended absence for what she said at the time on social media were health issues, describing symptoms like “extreme dizziness, balance issues, brain fog and blurred vision.”
Before that, in July 2025, she wrote online to thank staffers at the Michigan Institute for Neurological Disorders (which has several locations in metro Detroit) for taking “amazing” care of her and wrote shortly afterward in August 2025: “My neurologist was able to rule out what would’ve been a devastating diagnosis! … However, that means I move on to different specialists and different tests until we figure this out.”
Andrews has been open about her medical challenges in the past and is also an advocate for mental health awareness. Through social media, she revealed in 2022 and 2024 that she had taken medical leaves to deal with depression and anxiety.In 2021, she underwent back surgery to remove herniated disc fragments in her lower back after an injury suffered during a vacation in Florida.Andrews is an alum of Indiana University, Oakland University and the Specs Howard School of Media Arts. She worked at TV stations in Colorado, Nevada, California and the Flint and Saginaw market before joining Fox 2 Detroit in 2011.
She is involved with many community causes including Gleaners Community Food Bank, C.A.T.C.H Children’s Charity, the Crohn’s Colitis Foundation of America, Habitat for Humanity, the American Heart Association and Angels of Hope, according to her Fox 2 Detroit biography.Contact Detroit Free Press pop culture critic Julie Hinds at jhinds@freepress.com.
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