The deal
Lakers get: Reggie Bullock
Pistons get: Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk, 2021 second-round pick
Get more trade grades for every deal here
Los Angeles Lakers: B+
Because of his bargain $2.5 million salary, Bullock is an ideal pickup for the Lakers as they battle for a spot in the Western Conference playoffs. In the short term, Bullock provides some insurance for the Lakers as a backup wing as Josh Hart battles knee tendinitis that sidelined him during Tuesday's blowout loss in Indiana.
Bullock's value could be greater the rest of the season, depending on what the Lakers do before Thursday's trade deadline. If they deal guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope for a frontcourt player, Bullock could fill Caldwell-Pope's spot in the rotation. If the Lakers are in fact able to pull off a blockbuster deal for Anthony Davis, Bullock would probably become their starting shooting guard, providing valuable depth for a team that would need every bit of it possible.
It took Bullock five seasons and three teams to establish himself as a starter after he was drafted in the 2013 first round by the Lakers' co-tenants, the LA Clippers. Since signing a two-year, $5 million deal to stay with the Pistons in the summer of 2017, Bullock has emerged as a useful 3-and-D player. He's a 40 percent career 3-point shooter, and that's a better mark than any of the shooting-challenged Lakers have managed this season. At 6-foot-7, Bullock is capable of defending either wing position, versatility that will come in handy as the Lakers try to hide their defensive liabilities.
Although Bullock is an unrestricted free agent at season's end, his low salary means a modest $4.75 million cap hold this summer. The Lakers will have full Bird rights on Bullock, meaning if they strike out on adding a max player, they can exceed the cap to re-sign him after utilizing the remainder of their space on outside free agents.
Getting Bullock does carry a cost. The Lakers were excited about 2018 second-round pick Mykhailiuk after a strong summer league, though he hasn't been an accurate shooter (32 percent on 3s) in sparse playing time as a rookie. The Lakers are already out their 2019 second-round pick, so this one will put the Lakers down two going forward.
Detroit Pistons: D+
I'm surprised the Pistons are acting as sellers rather than buyers at the deadline. After Tuesday's road win over the lowly New York Knicks, they're just a game back of the Miami Heat for the No. 8 seed in the playoffs, and by all accounts, getting back to the postseason is an important goal for Detroit. The Pistons have just one playoff appearance in the past 10 seasons, after all.
It's hard to believe that Detroit is that enamored with Mykhailiuk after passing him over not once but twice in the 2018 second round to take a pair of other wings: Bruce Brown, who has emerged as a starter, and Khyri Thomas. Mykhailiuk's skills are also somewhat duplicative of the Pistons' 2017 first-round pick, Luke Kennard.
From a value standpoint, getting a recent second-round pick and a future one for Bullock isn't bad business, particularly if Detroit thought re-signing him this summer would be impossible due to luxury-tax concerns. Still, for a contending team to trade away a starter at its weakest position strikes me as unexpected. We'll see if this move, which gives the Pistons a little more wiggle room under the tax this year, presages another to come before the deadline.