With point guard Brandon Jennings out for the season, the Pistons are looking into the possibility of trading for the Heat’s Norris Cole, Chris Haynes of The Northeast Ohio Media Group reports. The talks between the two teams have been described as exploratory, and no deal is imminent, Haynes notes. Detroit is in search of a point guard to add to its depth, and the current plan is to acquire a short-term option and evaluate that player at the end of this season, Haynes adds. This Pistons were also reportedly interested in D-Leaguer Lorenzo Brown, who is set to ink a 10-day deal with the Timberwolves instead.
“We definitely got to get a third point guard, there’s no question,” said Detroit’s president of basketball operations and coach Stan Van Gundy. “To go out and get a guy who would be a huge difference maker, you probably have to give up something that would hurt you down the road. We’re not in panic time here. We’re not going to do that and be sitting here in the summer kicking ourselves for trying to do something short-term that would hurt us in the long-term.”
Cole would certainly fit the Pistons’ criteria, since he is set to become a free agent at the end of this season. The Heat are reportedly open to dealing the 26-year-old out of Cleveland State, and Cole was reportedly a part of a proposed deal with the Nets for Brook Lopez. Miami team president Pat Riley has denied that he made any proposals to Brooklyn, and he insists that the that Heat haven’t made any offers to any team. The Hornets have also been mentioned to have interest in Cole, with Charlotte seeking to add depth in the wake of Kemba Walker‘s injury. Walker is likely to miss at least six weeks of action.
In 39 appearances this season, including 23 as a starter, Cole is averaging 6.2 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 3.4 assists in 24.4 minutes per game. His slash line is .386/.239/.711. His career averages over four seasons are 6.2 PPG, 1.8 RPG, and 2.5 APG.