Detroit Pistons rumors and news: Live updates from 2025 NBA trade deadline

Posted by author February 5, 2025 NBA

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The Detroit Pistons made their first in-season deal ahead of Thursday’s 2025 NBA trade deadline.

The Pistons are working multiple angles and still have $14 million in cap space, the only team with room under the cap. Their strategy remains disciplined under first-year president of basketball operations Trajan Langdon, despite overachieving expectations with a 25-25 record.

On Wednesday, they agreed to acquire KJ Martin Jr. from the Philadelphia 76ers, along with two second-round picks. Martin has a nonguaranteed contract of $8 million for the 2025-26 season. Martin, 24, was averaging 6.4 points and three rebounds in 24 games this season for the 76ers, before a foot injury sidelined since Christmas.

The Pistons have plenty of intriguing assets that will garner interest from teams. Follow our Pistons beat writer Omari Sankofa II on X.

Here are the latest updates and Pistons trades from Wednesday and Thursday leading into the 3 p.m. deadline for the 2025 NBA season:

Pistons trade rumors and news at NBA deadline 2025

Pistons trade needs

The Pistons have three trade needs that would help the current team, which is 25-25 and tied for sixth in the Eastern Conference. Here are the needs and targets, identified by our Pistons beat writer Omari Sankofa II.

Secondary/veteran ballhandler: Target guard Malcolm Brogdon, Washington Wizards.
Frontcourt shooting: Target power forward Bobby Portis, Milwaukee Bucks.
3-and-D wing: Target forward Torrey Craig, Chicago Bulls.

KJ Martin Jr. traded to Pistons from 76ers

Pistons are set to acquire Martin and two second-round picks from Philadelphia, which wanted to move his $8 million contract to avoid the luxury tax. Martin, 6 feet 6 and 215 pounds, has a nonguaranteed $8 million for next season. He brings elite athleticism as a power forward on both ends of the floor and can occasionally knock down an open corner 3. He averaged 6.4 points in 24 games this season before missing the past six weeks with a foot injury. Martin is 24 years old and the son of former NBA big man Kenyon Martin. Martin Jr. was the 52nd overall pick in the 2020 draft by the Houston Rockets.

Pistons trade assets

We ranked the Pistons’ assets, with Malik Beasley, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Isaiah Stewart as the players with value who could realistically be moved.

Hardaway has knocked down 37.4% of his 3-pointers and given the starting lineup another floor-spacer to surround Cade Cunningham. He’s on an expiring contract at $16.2 million, “making his salary a desirable one if the Pistons need to include one for salary-matching purposes, Sankofa wrote. “Otherwise, he and Beasley have been important enough, on and off the floor, to make president of basketball operations Trajan Langdon think twice about flipping them for assets.”

[ MUST WATCH: Previewing the trade deadline. Make “The Pistons Pulse” your go-to Detroit Pistons podcast, listen available anywhere you listen to podcasts (Apple, Spotify) ]