Thu, Jul 9, 2015 at 5:18am

MARCUS MORRIS HEADLINES PISTONS-SUNS DEAL

The Detroit Pistons acquired combo forward Marcus Morris, swingman Danny Granger, and swingman Reggie Bullock from the Phoenix Suns for a 2nd-round draft pick in 2020.

What does it give the Detroit Pistons
The Pistons are taking on roughly $7 million in salary with these three players, but they're also (seemingly) rounding out their roster with some solid vets. Morris can start for Detroit at either forward spot (and still has good growth potential as a player), while Granger and Bullock add depth on the wing. The recent loss of star power forward Greg Monroe to free agency hurts, but as a result the Pistons have more than enough salary to add these players.

What does it give the Phoenix Suns
This move not only opens up roster space for the Suns, it more importantly opens up salarly cap space--roughly $7 million of it. Their recent free agent signing of center Tyson Chandler shows they're serious about re-tooling with veterans (as does their acquisition of experienced big man Jon Leuer). Phoenix is clearly angling for another free agent, and this gives them the financial room to do so.

Fantasy impact
Marcus Morris will probably see the biggest fantasy improvement of the players involved in this deal, since he may step in as a starter for Detroit (at either forward spot alongside Ersan Ilyasova). Morris' arrival probably hurts the fantasty fortunes of rookie small forward Stanley Johnson, at least in the short term. Granger and Bullock likely don't see any change in their already-negligible fantasy fortunes. Meanwhile in Phoenix, it's too early to speculate how the deal changes things fantasy-wise (since the Suns roster is still in significant off-season flux). Stay tuned.