The Detroit Pistons receive: Bennedict Mathurin (from the Indiana Pacers), $919,590 trade exception (Jaden Ivey)

The Indiana Pacers receive: Daniel Gafford (from the Dallas Mavericks)

The Dallas Mavericks receive: Jaden Ivey, 2026 first-round pick (both from the Detroit Pistons), $4.3 million trade exception (Daniel Gafford)

Shifting away from the forward position, with Harris sticking around, the Pistons make this move if they view Mathurin as a significant upgrade over Ivey. Mathurin, 23, is averaging a career-high 17.8 points a game on a bad Pacers team forging on without star point guard Tyrese Haliburton (Achilles).

Don’t write off Mathurin as simply taking advantage of the team’s low expectations this year. In his first playoff run in 2024-25, Mathurin blew up on the largest stage in two NBA Finals games, scoring 27 and 24 points for the Pacers. The Pistons get a bigger, more reliable scoring wing to relieve some of the defensive pressure on Cunningham.

Ivey, also 23, has struggled to stay healthy the last couple of seasons. As the team’s No. 5 pick in 2022, Ivey has yet to live up to his draft position; Mathurin, No. 6 behind Ivey, has done more in his still-young career.

The Pacers are known to be seeking a starting-capable center, filling that hole with Gafford from the Mavericks. The Mavericks get out of his multi-year deal, getting a look to see if Ivey can blossom with a fresh opportunity in Dallas, along with a late first-round pick in the upcoming NBA draft.

Notes: The Pistons can choose to use the preexisting Dennis Schröder trade exception ($14.1 million, expiring on July 7) to take in Mathurin, which would generate a new $10.1 million trade exception for Jaden Ivey (expiring a year from the trade, presumably 2/5/27). Indiana uses the Mathurin expanded traded player exception to acquire Gafford.

Bonus concept: Fold the Murphy/Mathurin deals into a four-team swap. Take Looney out of the deal, relocate Ivey, Alvarado, etc., and tweak the first-round picks a bit. Detroit would be cashing out significant draft capital, pushing its chips in for a chance to compete with the likes of the Oklahoma City Thunder in an NBA Finals matchup. With Duren and Mathurin getting new contracts next season, Detroit can field a roster under the second apron, barely.

Email Eric Pincus at eric.pincus@gmail.com and follow him on X @EricPincus and Bluesky.