First off, this won’t ever happen. BUT, it Ant was somehow made available or asked for a trade, wouldn’t that be the swing that Langdon is waiting for? The Pistons haven’t traded any of their future 1sts for “optionality” and this represents the best possible option! Ant is the EXACT type of player you want next to Cade. He doesn’t need to run the show, gets up nearly 10 3s a game on high efficiency, can iso and get his own bucket, and is an average (to above average) defender. Cade is also the exact type of playmaking guard that would help unleash Ant even more. They could easily find a Duren replacement, but they will never have the opportunity to add someone of Ant’s caliber again. Why not hold your chips and trade them all in for a 5 year window where you have the best 1-2 punch in all basketball (and the likely two faces of Team USA)?

Trading a top 10 player is never a good idea. But what if he asks out? What if the Timberwolves flame out in the 1st round? Or don’t even make the playoffs? Would/Could Ant ask for a trade next offseason?

This may be the best return they would get. An All NBA Center who isn’t even in his prime (22 years old), FOUR 1sts (way more than what Giannis and Brown netted), and a few 2nds and pick swaps tossed in.

Gobert has a player option that he would either decline, or they could look to trade Gobert and possibly McDaniels for even more draft capital. They could start with a new core of Duren and LaMelo (23 and 24 years old by next summer) and have a ton of draft assets to make something happen.