1 player Pistons must trade in 2024 NBA offseason

On the surface, it would not seem like the Pistons can get a lot for Fournier in the offseason. He was subjected to a reserve role with the New York Knicks the last two seasons before they traded him to Detroit in the deal that sent Alec Burks and Bojan Bogdanovic to New York. Fournier hasn’t exactly lit the world on fire as a Piston, either, averaging just 6.8 points per game while shooting 35.4% from the field with Detroit.

Fournier the player is not necessarily so desirable. However, his contract could be of use to many teams across the league. Detroit has a team option on Fournier for $19 million next season if they choose to opt into it. They could very well decline, but the Pistons should accept it and look to flip Fournier in the offseason.

There are going to be teams that will be looking to shed salary or could use a third or fourth team to make the money work on a blockbuster trade. That’s where Detroit could step in with Fournier’s salary and get themselves some free draft capital. Where the Pistons are as a franchise, any first-round pick they can get is worth the long-term salary they’d have to eat.

Fournier could also be vital in helping Detroit match salary for a big trade. The team was reportedly interested in trading for Zach LaVine from the Chicago Bulls at the trade deadline. LaVine opted to undergo foot surgery and kick the can of a potential trade down the road.

If those teams want to revisit these talks, Detroit would need Fournier’s salary to help make a deal work. LaVine is poised to earn over $43 million next season. Even accounting for James Wiseman and Simone Fontecchio’s cap holds, the Pistons would still have enough cap space to bring LaVine in simply by including Fournier in a trade. The Bulls surely would want more than that. Perhaps the Pistons include Jaden Ivey in a potential trade. But a trade like that is feasible if they accept Fournier’s team option.

Evan Fournier has not done much on the basketball court the last two years. His play alone will not fetch Detroit anything of note nor substance in a trade. However, that doesn’t mean he is completely worthless. His contract alone can help Detroit get some much-needed draft picks or players to improve this roster. The Pistons will have to be patient, but accepting Fournier’s team option boosts their flexibility and odds of landing one or the other. They should be open to anything regarding a potential Fournier trade.