Detroit — It took some time for the dust to settle with the Pistons’ moves ahead of Thursday’s NBA trade deadline.
But in the end, the Pistons filled one of their biggest needs, getting a secondary ballhandler, with the addition of veteran point guard Dennis Schröder from the Utah Jazz in the final hour before the deadline, a league source confirmed to The Detroit News. The source spoke on condition of anonymity because the trade had not been finalized.
With Schröder, 31, the Pistons get an experienced ballhandler for the reserve group. Schröder started 41 games this season, including 23 with the Brooklyn Nets early in the season and 18 with the Golden State Warriors. Schröder is averaging 14.4 points and 5.5 assists and shooting 36% on 3-pointers — all of which will help bolster the Pistons’ reserve unit.
To acquire Schröder, the Pistons have rerouted wing players KJ Martin and Josh Richardson — acquired in separate trades on Wednesday — to the Utah Jazz. There are also other moving pieces in the bigger deal that landed Jimmy Butler for the Warriors on Wednesday night, a league source confirmed, adding that guard Lindy Waters III, whom the Pistons traded for, will stay in Detroit.
The Pistons (25-26) are in seventh place in the East and are one game behind the Miami Heat and a half-game ahead of the Orlando Magic, vying for the No. 6 spot and a playoff position.
