PISTONS MOVE MEEKS TO MAGIC
The Orlando Magic acquired shooting guard Jodie Meeks from the Detroit Pistons for a conditional 2nd-round draft pick in 2019.
What does it give the Orlando Magic
Orlando was middling as a team last season at hitting the 3-pointer, so Meeks can help with that. He's also a solid veteran presence who can provide some locker room leadership to the Magic's mostly-young roster. His lack of durability is a concern, but when healthy he's a capable scorer and a very good perimeter shooter (with a .373 career mark from downtown). Expect him to be a rotation player for Orlando.
What does it give the Detroit Pistons
Above all this deal frees up salary for free agency in Detroit. Meeks drew a fairly hefty paycheck, so this is more about unloading that commitment than about adding assets from Orlando (and explains why the return--a future conditional 2nd-rounder--is so paltry). The Pistons got plenty of 3-point shooting talent in the draft (in Henry Ellenson and Michael Gbinije) so the injury-prone Meeks was expendable.
Fantasy impact
Meeks should have solid (but not stellar) fantasy depth appeal if he finds a significant role with Orlando and stays healthy. That said, don't draft him (but instead keep him on the radar as a potential in-season pickup). This deal has little fantasy impact on the Detroit side of things.
Player focus
Detroit Pistons
a conditional second-round draft pick in 2019