After months of trade speculations, point guard Brandon Jennings finally parted ways with the Detroit Pistons and along with forward Ersan Ilyasova, were traded to the Orlando Magic for forward Tobias Harris.
Jennings, since returning from injury, had been in the trade rumor mill while trying to find his previous playing form.
Despite all the talks, Pistons president of basketball operations and head coach Stan Van Gundy just recently expressed the team's intentions of keeping Jennings.
The Pistons seemed to have had a change of heart, though, as the trade deadline approached, with Jennings and Ilyasova now getting ready to play for the Magic once the season resumes.
Ilyasova, who was added by Detroit via offseason trade last year, was not really involved in rumors and was a starter in 52 games played so far for the Pistons this 2015–16 National Basketball Association (NBA) season.
Unfortunately, the 28-year-old forward's performance and efforts were not enough as he became a trade piece.
Jennings and Ilyasova are quality efficient players who can guide the youngsters of Orlando with their veteran leadership.
Meanwhile, the Pistons landed a major talent in Harris who is just 23 years old and has yet to peak in his young NBA career.
Harris is expected to immediately be a starter for Detroit once he returns from injury and will help the frontcourt led by All-Star center Andre Drummond.
The former first-round pick (2011) is averaging 13.7 points, seven rebounds, two assists, and one steal per contest in 49 games played and started for Orlando this season.
The trade deal between both teams is huge since it can affect the result of their remaining regular season campaign which is crucial to make it to the playoffs.
Currently, the two squads are among others battling for the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference standings.
The Pistons were already in the top eight but a string of losses pulled them down to the ninth spot with a 27–27 record. Meanwhile, the Magic thrived early but once 2016 arrived struggled and are 11th in the East at 23–29.
