Pistons Possible Suitor Of Kings’ Marvin Bagley III

The Pistons are considered a “team to watch” in a possible trade for disgruntled Kings center Marvin Bagley III, according to Marc Stein of The Stein Line.

Bagley, 22, is 6-foot-11 and was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft. He has seen his role reduced under coach Luke Walton, and reportedly refused to check into the game during Monday’s loss to the Spurs.

Bagley’s agent also recently ripped the Kings for his client’s lack of playing time.

“It’s clear they have no plans for him in the future, and yet, passed on potential deals at last year’s deadline and this summer based on ‘value,’” agent Jeff Schwartz said in a statement. “Instead they chose to bring him back but not play him, a move completely contradictory to their ‘value’ argument. This is a case study in mismanagement by the Kings organization.”

It is widely believed around the NBA that Bagley is available and the Kings would prefer to move on sooner rather than later. So far this season, he has appeared in just one game and logged 10 minutes.

“While the Kings would presumably welcome the opportunity to trade Bagley, who is in the final year of his rookie contract, Stein says a deal is unlikely to be made until sometime after December 15, when more players become trade-eligible,” relayed Luke Adams of Hoops Rumors.

Bagley will likely never be an All-Star, but he did average better than 14 points and seven rebounds in each of his first three seasons, and perhaps all he needs is a change of scenery to become a productive big man again.

Meanwhile, the Pistons are in rebuild mode, and taking a chance on a player who has shown upside, such as Bagley, might make sense.

That may especially be the case after it was learned the Pistons are losing big man Kelly Olynyk for an extended period to a left MCL sprain.