The beginning of the Pistons free agency period was business as usual. A handful of moves grabbed headlines, yet there’s an argument to be made that the deals flying under the radar have a far greater impact. These are the moves that don’t move the needle in terms of fan excitement. The Pistons essentially swapped out similar shooters/ players. What they have not found yet is the lengthy, athletic scorer who can go inside and out. The sign and trade with the Heat for Duncan Robinson, along with signing a pure scorer in Caris LeVert, doesn’t look great on paper, especially considering who the Pistons let walk in free agency and what those veterans meant to the younger nucleus.
Pistons Swap Shooters, Still Searching for Missing Piece
Big Contract, Big Trouble
Arguably, the biggest blow to the Pistons offseason has been the federal investigation surrounding Malik Beasley. He was reportedly set to re-sign with Detroit for three years and $42 million. However, it would be surprising if he were in any uniform for the opening game next season. It’s such an unfortunate situation at a time when his value had never been higher, and the Pistons had a reliable scorer and seasoned veteran. He was finally in a good situation in Detroit basketball-wise. We will watch this story closely, but losing his production and his presence in the building will be a huge blow for this team.
Big Names Still Unsigned
Now comes the tricky part. What is Detroit’s biggest need/needs heading into the second week of free agency? There are some older veteran guys out there who could step right in and help. Whether or not those players make sense financially is another story. It wouldn’t make a ton of sense to try and snag a big name player past their prime like a Russell Westbrook, Chris Paul, Al Horford, DeAndre Jordan, etc. It says a lot about those guys that they are still playing this late into their careers with respectable numbers. A week or two ago, I would have been totally against it. As we sit today, it’s slowly starting to grow on me. At the right price, it couldn’t hurt to take a guy like Horford, who has some gas left in the tank.
Frontcourt Help While Replacing Key Veteran
The Pistons have a solid frontcourt duo in Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart. Even after acquiring Robinson, it leaves them without much frontcourt depth. A few teams in their own division can trot out extremely lengthy lineups. The Pistons are not one of those teams right now.
Dennis Schröder signing with Sacramento is a blow to the depth in Detroit. Jaden Ivey will return this season and add some punch, but it still stings to lose a veteran two-wat player like Schröder. There have been whispers as to what the Pistons will get back from the sign-and-trade. They either like a player the Kings are willing to part with or they can use this for a $14 million trade exception.
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