Central Notes: Pistons, Butler, Bucks, Pacers

The Pistons and Bulls pulled off the first trade of the 2016 NBA offseason today, with Detroit sending 2014 second-rounder Spencer Dinwiddie to Chicago for Bulls big man Cameron Bairstow. According to Pistons GM Jeff Bower, the team wanted to give Dinwiddie a change of scenery, allowing him to get into a situation “that could benefit him long-term,” as Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press writes.

The trade came on the heels of the Pistons’ announcement earlier this week about the team’s new-look front office. As David Mayo of MLive.com outlines, Detroit’s front office restructure involved a promotion for Pat Garrity, who earned an assistant general manager title and will manage the club’s salary cap. Mayo has the details and quotes from Garrity on the 39-year-old’s new role.

Here’s more from around the Central division, including one more Pistons note:

• According to Keith Langlois of Pistons.com (Twitter link), the Pistons hosted six more prospects for pre-draft workouts today, with Kentucky guard Tyler Ulis among the participants. The other five prospects in attendance were Sheldon McClellan (Miami), Tim Quarterman (LSU), Bryn Forbes (Michigan State), Max Hooper (Oakland), and Josh Adams (Wyoming).
• Joel Brigham of Basketball Insiders attempts to put together five plausible trade proposals involving Bulls forward Jimmy Butler, with a focus on the Timberwolves and Celtics as Chicago’s potential trade partners.
• Whether or not the Bucks seriously consider Malachi Richardson as early as No. 10 in next week’s draft remains to be seen, but Milwaukee is fond of the former Syracuse wing, and director of scouting Billy McKinney has had his eye on Richardson for a while, writes Rick Braun of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
• Nate Taylor of The Indianapolis Star and Wheat Hotchkiss of Pacers.com explore whether the Pacers should opt for upside or select a safer, more proven commodity with their first-round pick in this year’s draft.