The Detroit Pistons have reportedly traded their starting shooting guard Reggie Bullock to the Los Angeles Lakers for Svi Mykhailiuk and a 2021 second round draft pick.
Bullock was in the final year of his contract in Detroit and it was unlikely the team was going to re-sign him. The NBA Trade Deadline is Thursday.
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The move comes at a puzzling time, just days after Pistons team owner Tom Gores told the media the team wants to win now and would look at trades to improve the team. Most fans would not consider trading your starting two-guard and most consistent shooter for a backup and second round draft pick as an upgrade.
The move is getting ripped apart by writers and fans. CBS Sports said the Lakers "swindled" the Pistons in the trade.
"This is a puzzling deal from the Pistons' perspective. They're just one game behind the Heat for the eighth playoff spot in the East, and have been clear in their goal to get back to the playoffs after swinging a blockbuster trade for Blake Griffin last season," Jack Maloney of CBS Sports wrote about the trade.
From a cap perspective, the move makes a bit more sense for the Pistons., who are cash strapped with more than a few undesirable contracts on the books for the foreseeable future. Mykhailiuk is on his rookie contract and won't cost Detroit nearly as much as a Bullock extension would have.
My love for the city was nothing that I could explain over a tweet, THE LOVE EXTENDS BEYOND! @DetroitPistons thanks for a Lifetime MEMORY! Made me who I am today 🙏
— Reggie Bullock (@ReggieBullock35) February 6, 2019
So, who is Svi Mykhailiuk?
Mykhailiuk is a 21-year-old from Ukraine. He played college ball at Kansas from 2014-2018 and was drafted by the Lakers with the 47th overall pick in 2018.
Mykhailiuk was somewhat of a basketball phenom in Ukraine, playing in the Ukrainian Basketball SuperLeague and Ukrainian national team as a teenager.
In the 2017-2018 season at Kansas, Mykhailiuk set the school record for three-pointers in one season with 115.
Mykhailiuk was averaging about 10 minutes per game in his rookie season with the Lakers, averaging 3.3 points per game, shooting 31 percent from the three point line.
It's unclear how many minutes he'll play off-the-bat for the Pistons. He's not seen as ready for heavy minutes.