Why the Pelicans do this:

After a disastrous start to the season the pels seem keen to rebuild around the core of Queen and Fears. Trey Murphy probably holds the most value of anyone, possibly more than Zion, and would give them a good return. Taking on expiring contracts gives the pels flexibility, and allows them to retool quickly, should they wish to avoid a full rebuild.

Why the Pistons do this:

Despite a fantastic start to the season, the pistons are in need of another guy who can initiate offense. Teams will throw everything at Cade in the playoffs and I worry that if any team can nullify the threat of Cade, they can beat the pistons in a seven game series. Trey Murphy showed flashes last year and has been solid this year despite missing time and being on a losing team. He could relieve some of the pressure from Cade for the second half of the season and be a legit second option in the playoffs. I also love the addition of Alvarado, an elite 3&D guard, who is an improvement on Ivey and Sasser, and Saddiq Bey, a former Piston that is shooting above 40% from deep and could help add some more shooting to a roster heavily focused on attacking the rim.

Pistons Playoff Rotation:

Cade/ Alvarado, Robinson/ LeVert, Murphy lll/ Bey, Thompson/ Stewart, Duren/Reed