The Washington Wizards and the Detroit Pistons agreed on the second trade of this NBA season on Sunday morning, with the Wizards sending Danilo Gallinari and Mike Muscala midwest in exchange for Marvin Bagley, Isaiah Livers and a pair of second-round picks, as reported by Adrian Wojnarowski at ESPN.
Both teams have combined for 10 wins nearly halfway through the season, yet the exchange included few rotational contributors.
Bagley will be a welcome presence in D.C., given they only employ one true center in Daniel Gafford. He averaged 10.6 points on 59.1% shooting through 26 games, but was handed five consecutive DNPs in favor of the statistically inferior James Wiseman before his final game in Detroit, in which he scored 11.
He’s not much of a rebounder, unfortunately for the Wizards. They’re already dead last in boards per game with 39.8 and the only team in the bottom four of offensive and defensive rebounds, and Bagley’s only secured 4.5 total rebounds per game.
His per-36 minutes measurements suggest he can get up to 8.9 per contest if given a long-enough leash, it’s just up to the Wizards to see how much they trust his questionable defense.
Isaiah Livers is the other player coming over, and the Wizards would acquire him in the midst of his career low-point.
The supposed shooting prospect is averaging career lows in points (5), field-goal percentage (34.5%) and three-point percentage (28.6%), a shoot-first player who’s making almost nothing.
Unlike Bagley, Livers remained a rotational wing until the bitter end, managing over 20 minutes per game across 23 outings. The Wizards under Coach Wes Unseld Jr. will try to fish any potential productive offensive contributor out through his ugly splits.
The pivotal piece coming over will be the pair of future second-round picks, big for a Wizards team who haven’t exactly allowed the exiting assets to shine. They’ll bring in Livers on an expiring $1.8 million contract and Bagley’s guaranteed $12 million through the next two seasons.
Muscala and Gallinari have contributed to Washington’s backup big-man room through 38 games, and it’s been their lack of rebounding and defense that’s sunk the Wizards more times than one.
The 32-year-old Muscala and 35-year-old Gallinari have both been known for their long-distance shooting throughout their careers, but Muscala has shot a meager 27.5% from three-point range this season compared to his 37.5% career average, and Gallinari’s 31.3% doesn’t compare to his regular 38.1% clip.
Gallinari is more willing to score in multiple court zones with his old-man game and quick release while Muscala is more of a typical open big shooter, but they both look like they’re on their last legs. The younger Muscala, not quite as slow-footed as Gallinari, absorbed his minutes in the rotation.
The Pistons, already posting the league’s third-worst defense with 120.6 points allowed per 100 possessions, won’t see much improvement with these two, but likely hope that they can provide some revitalized shooting to give maestro Cunningham more options to dish to on the perimeter.
Detroit already employs multiple centers in Wiseman, Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart, so Gallinari’s transfer from Washington, where there was a dearth of size, allows him to play at his natural forward position. This could tax him less on defense, and the two could provide some veteran leadership to a team that’s been spiraling all season.
Gallinari, earning $6.8 million this year, and Muscala with his $3.5 million, will both arrive on expiring deals.
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