AUBURN HILLS – Some hand-wringing over the possibility of Avery Bradley leaving after the 2017-18 season aside, reaction to the Pistons abandoning the pursuit of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope by dealing Marcus Morris to Boston for Bradley was positive.
Most folks get it, Pistons fans included. NBA trades can almost never be judged solely on the basis of the talent-for-talent swap any more. The contract is 50 percent of the equation. You can’t separate a player from his contract in evaluating deals in a league governed by a salary cap.
But by acclamation, people see Bradley as a more accomplished, more rounded player than Caldwell-Pope today. Over the course of their next contracts, that could change. Emphasis on “could.” Bradley is more finished product. Caldwell-Pope perhaps has more room for growth. We have a pretty good handle on what Bradley will look like in 2020 and beyond, less so with Caldwell-Pope. There’s no guarantee, after four years in the league, he’ll become better off the dribble or a more consistent 3-point shooter.
There’s another interesting aspect of the roster shuffling in the two players the Pistons have added to fill the minutes Caldwell-Pope leaves behind.
Here’s a look at the per-36 minute numbers of Caldwell-Pope, Bradley and Langston Galloway from last season: