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Detroit Pistons Mock Offseason 2.0

By Richard Davisson

DETROIT, MI - APRIL 22: Ish Smith #14 of the Detroit Pistons warms up before Game Four of Round One against the Milwaukee Bucks during the 2019 NBA Playoffs on April 22, 2019 at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Brian Sevald/NBAE via Getty Images)
DETROIT, MI - APRIL 22: Ish Smith #14 of the Detroit Pistons warms up before Game Four of Round One against the Milwaukee Bucks during the 2019 NBA Playoffs on April 22, 2019 at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Brian Sevald/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Assumptions & Constraints:

  1. They aren’t Andre Drummond or Blake Griffin.
  2. They decline their team option on Glenn Robinson III.
  3. They pick up their team option on Svi Mykhailiuk.
  4. All cap holds are renounced except for Ish Smith’s $11.4 million cap hold.
  5. The luxury tax is projected to be at $132 million. The Pistons are willing to go over the tax, but only if an impact player is acquired.
  6. The Pistons enter the offseason with just over $128.1 million on the books, including the price tag for the 15th overall pick.
  7. I will be making selections based off of who is available at each Pistons pick from Jeremy Woo’s NBA Mock Draft 8.0.
  8. The Pistons enter this off season wanting to hold onto Ish Smith and get multiple wings to be part of the rotation.

The Game Plan

There are a number of reasons why the Pistons should want to keep Ish Smith. The Pistons saw what it was like when Smith was out of the lineup. Smith missed 26 games this past year and the Pistons lost 18 of those games. While there are other younger point guards on the market that could cost equivalent or even less money, the Pistons value Smith’s skillset and want to have a point guard they trust.

Smith has a large cap hold, and the Pistons will definitely try to bring him back for much less than the $11.4 million that he is currently taking up. Ideally, the Pistons would love to bring him back for less than the $6 million he played for this past year. However, the Pistons have bird rights on him, and convincing him to take less money just so Tom Gores can save some money on the tax means that the Pistons can’t expect him to accept a hometown discount.

Detroit also wants to invest in multiple wings who ideally can contribute on both ends of the floor. Outside of Bruce Brown, the wings on the roster by the end of the season were no more than glorified traffic cones. Andre Drummond was left to deal with the mess that was left. The Pistons are looking for the classic 3-and-D wing who can contribute on offense and stay in front of someone on the defensive end.