Per Vince Ellis at the Detroit Free Press:
Batum was traded from the Portland Trail Blazers to the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday. The Pistons had expressed interest in Batum before the deal, according to person with knowledge of the organization’s inner workings who declined to speak publicly because of the sensitive nature of off-season maneuvering.
The Pistons’ interest shows that their efforts to acquire a starting-caliber small forward are underway. And with the team open to trading down from the No. 8 pick in tonight’s NBA drat, you get the idea that the return of the right small forward could be enough to get them to move down.