The Detroit Pistons drafted Luke Kennard to fill a need for shooting, but some speculated about what the addition of Kennard might do for the Pistons and their plan for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. Rest assured Caldwell-Pope fans, Stan Van Gundy has made him his top priority.
The Detroit Pistons have been clear about wanting to retain Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and those plans don’t appear to have changed, even with the addition of shooting guard Luke Kennard via the draft.
#Pistons SVG says keeping Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is a priority in free agency; they've extended a qualifying offer already (about $5M).
— Rod Beard (@detnewsRodBeard) June 29, 2017
This isn’t unexpected. What could be unexpected however, is the Pistons potentially getting Caldwell-Pope this offseason at a discounted rate.
The Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers figured to be Caldwell-Pope’s biggest suitors this offseason.
However, the Nets have added to their back court D’Angelo Russell to pair with Sean Kilpatrick and Caris Levert, and the 76ers appear to be big players for J.J. Redick’s services.
The Nets, despite having Kilpatrick and Russell, are also in the mix for Redick, which means the Nets are still looking to add depth at shooting guard.
Therefore, the odds are still against the Pistons in terms of getting Caldwell-Pope for a big bargain, but perhaps the two sides could settle in the middle somewhere, while other teams fight over Redick.
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The most likely scenario remains Detroit forking over a max contract to Caldwell-Pope, but there chances of having to pay less have increased for Detroit.