2 trade targets Cavs should consider pursuing on the Pistons

Potential target #1 from Pistons: Alec Burks

The first possible trade target that the Cavaliers should consider from the Pistons, as far as realistic targets it appears, is Alec Burks. Other guys such as Saddiq Bey and Bojan Bogdanovic, the latter of whom the Cavs have long been linked to, are players that are seemingly going to command a far higher asking price.

With that caveat, Burks is a veteran wing that could help the Cavaliers, and thus far this season, has had averages of 13.7 points and 2.2 assists per game, and has shot 45.0 percent from three on 4.5 attempts per contest. As has occurred for most of his career, he’s been in a bench role.

Burks is a 6-foot-6 wing that can create for himself off the dribble with change-of-pace, from catch-and-go ability in set situations and in transition, and his pull-ups, pick-and-roll play and drives can lead to quality offense. Paired with his shot creation, Burks has always been a willing and able passer that can help the Cavs in stretches off the bench, or feasibly in closing situations if needed, and typically, he makes sound decisions.

Part of the reasoning to highlight Burks here, though, is he does have prior postseason experience, he’d provide an added veteran presence, and he has historically been a more reliable perimeter shooter than LeVert.

Is Burks the shooter of Bogdanovic, his current teammate on the Pistons? No, but for his career, Burks has connected on a fairly robust 38.4 percent from three. And despite playing on a number of teams, including the Cavs a brief bit for 34 games in 2018-19, he’s hit 40.1 percent from deep since that campaign.

So, with him as part of the return in a potential package for the expiring LeVert, that could aid the Cavaliers, with Burks’ on and off-ball scoring abilities, steadying presence and playmaking chops. Burks could be signed through 2023-24 as well, when he has a club option for $10.5 million, and could be a vet the team maybe looks to keep around; maybe a fairly reasonable deal could be the alternative to the option.

Given Detroit’s outlook, the 31-year-old Burks could seemingly still be attainable, too. Would Cleveland include LeVert in a deal for him, though?

One would have to see, but in the grand scheme, his more polished perimeter shooting and affordable deal could play into him being a solid rotational option for the Cavs, too, and Burks has often been a seamless fit wherever he has been.

Granted, the Pistons do reportedly hold Burks in high regard, and they have shown “very little interest” in trading him, as of a couple weeks back, per James L. Edwards III of The Athletic (subscription required). Despite that, given Detroit’s standing, one couldn’t blame Cleveland for inquiring about the veteran.