Getty Images Marvin Bagley III is headed to the Washington Wizards
Two teams at the bottom of the Eastern Conference made a curious trade Saturday.
The Washington Wizards sent forward Danilo Gallinari and center Mike Muscala to the Detroit Pistons for 2018 No. 2 overall pick Marvin Bagley III and forward Isaiah Livers as well as two future second-round picks, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
The deal shouldn’t have any real ramifications on the playoffs, as the Wizards and Pistons sit 14th and 15th in the Eastern Conference, respectively. What the trade does do, though, is give the Pistons a bit more salary cap space for the upcoming season, one that will undoubtedly include a lot of roster reconstruction.
Detroit got rid of Bagley’s $12.5 million guaranteed salary for next season in the deal and acquired two expiring contracts in Gallinari ($6.8 million) and Muscala ($3.5 million.
Washington, meanwhile, acquired a starting-caliber forward in the process and an extra two first-round picks to take on Bagley’s big salary. Bagley averages 10.2 points and 4.5 rebounds per game this season with a 59.1% shooting percentage in just 18.4 minutes per game.
Gallinari and Muscala also give the Pistons some more veteran shooters for their youthful roster. Gallinari isn’t as good as he once was, but the 35-year-old converts around 31% of his three-point attempts while Muscala shoots at a 27.5% clip from behind the arc.
Bagley, Livers Embrace Teammates After Trade News
It’s not often that players find out about a big transaction during the middle of practice, but that’s exactly what happened to Bagley and Livers after the news hit on January 14.
The duo were seen walking about the practice court and saying their goodbyes in person before heading off to Washington to join their new team.
Marvin Bagley III and Isaiah Livers saying goodbye to their teammates. You don’t see this kind of immediate reaction too often in pro sports.
Bagley spent four seasons with the Sacramento Kings before being sent to the Pistons in a four-team trade on February 10, 2022. He re-signed with Detroit on a three-year, $35.7 million contract the following offseason. Livers was a second-round pick by the Pistons in 2021 and played his entire career in Detroit.
Pistons Building Toward Big 2024 Offseason
Detroit is thinking big-picture with this season already effectively over. The Pistons are at the bottom of the NBA with not a lot of room to grow but can make splashes this offseason after they shed Bagley’s contract.
The Pistons are projected to have $64 million in salary cap space this offseason, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks, which would be among the highest in the NBA.
Detroit will also likely finish with the best odds to land the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 draft as well, meaning the Pistons could put together a quality roster with that cap space, their first-round rookie and the young backcourt of Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey and Ausar Thompson.
Wizards Get Low-Risk, High-Reward Player
Bagley has not been as good as many predicted he’d be coming out of Duke in 2018. He had an inconsistent start to his career with the Sacramento Kings before he joined the Pistons.
But that doesn’t mean he can’t contribute. The seventh-year player averages 13.5 points and 7.4 rebounds per game. That’s not necessarily top-flight play for a forward but it’s certainly serviceable for a team like Washington in search of any help.
In Bagley, the Wizards get a quality big man who can score and rebound the ball. His presence should allow Kyle Kuzma and Deni Avdija more space to operate from the wings rather than play down low.