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He might be the next big thing in NBA but at the moment, 20-year-old small forward Stanley Johnson is said to be struggling to find a fitting role in his team -- the Detroit Pistons -- and the possibility of him being traded can't be ruled out. 

According to a report by Detroit Free Press, Pistons' head coach and president of Basketball Operations Stan Van Gundy clearly said they had no identity for Johnson.

"Is he a big two-guard in the mold of Wes Matthews, Jimmy Butler who is going to go down and be a post-up guy against smaller twos, but then also develop into a good shooter. I think he has the capabilities probably of either, but I think we need to find an identity with him," Gundy said.

The coach didn't include Johnson in the home game against the Boston Celtics last Saturday (Nov 19) which the Pistons lost closely (92-94). He also made brief appearances in the two games against the Cleveland Cavaliers and Houston Rockets both of which Pistons lost.

However, Gundy is not counting the second-year player so soon. "We haven't in any way given up on Stanley... He's a key guy for us going forward and we need him to develop and everything else," he said.

The Pistons are currently placed 11th in the Eastern Conference table with six wins and nine defeats. They haven't won a game since beating the Oklahoma City Thunder on November 14 and lost four consecutive encounters, including two at home.

Things were different for the youngster even a year ago. According to an article in The Detroit News, Johnson, who was the No. 8 overall pick by the Detroit Pistons last year, was brimming with confidence as he said: "I just think I'm the best player in the draft." 

Johnson's performance in his maiden season raised a lot of expectations about him but this year, he has looked a different player - maybe because he is trying to too many things at the same time and not being to settle for anything.

According to Inquisitr's Ernie Howell, though rumors about the Pistons' trading Johnson haven't yet taken a serious shape but if the young player fails to raise his game soon, that could be a reality. A CBS Sports article, for instance, floated a possibility of the Pistons trading Johnson and two other players for the Golden State Warriors' Klay Thompson, the star player who has perhaps found himself associated with trade rumors more than anybody else.