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What Can the Detroit Pistons Do in Free Agency?

By Richard Davisson

SALT LAKE CITY, UT - MARCH 25: Jae Crowder #99 of the Utah Jazz in action during a game against the Phoenix Suns at Vivint Smart Home Arena on March 25, 2019 in Salt Lake City, Utah. 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. (Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, UT - MARCH 25: Jae Crowder #99 of the Utah Jazz in action during a game against the Phoenix Suns at Vivint Smart Home Arena on March 25, 2019 in Salt Lake City, Utah. 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. (Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images) /
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MILWAUKEE, WI – MAY 8: Aron Baynes #46 of the Boston Celtics plays defense against Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks during Game Five of the Eastern Conference Semifinals of the 2019 NBA Playoffs on May 8, 2019 at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 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 Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)
MILWAUKEE, WI – MAY 8: Aron Baynes #46 of the Boston Celtics plays defense against Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks during Game Five of the Eastern Conference Semifinals of the 2019 NBA Playoffs on May 8, 2019 at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 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 Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Option 3: Trade Langston Galloway for a Cheaper Contract

This is the only reasonable avenue I have found for the Pistons to be able to spend their full MLE and BAE. However, trading Langston Galloway is easier said than done. If the Pistons want to free up space to operate under the luxury tax, this trade needs to be for someone who makes less money than Galloway. Ideally, this player would also be on an expiring deal.

The list of reasonable targets is short: Aron Baynes, Alex Len, Kris Dunn, and Patrick Patterson.

Patterson I don’t see as someone the Pistons would want, and with more money being opened up, I’d rather spend the full MLE on a point guard than go after Kris Dunn.

Alex Len could be expandable considering the Hawks have Miles Plumlee on the books for $12.5 million and a new rookie in Bruno Fernando. They also have Dewayne Dedmon that they could bring back if they want. Galloway could be another veteran off the bench who could bring shooting. The problem is that the Atlanta Hawks have a surplus of second round picks, which are the only sweeteners that the Pistons would be inclined to give up.

Aron Baynes projects to be the backup in Phoenix, but the Suns do have Richaun Homes that they could bring back at a price that is similar or even cheaper. The Suns seem to have identified shooting as a priority in the draft so someone like Galloway could bring more of that shooting to their bench unit.

The Suns may also want to stockpile assets in the process, so the Pistons are able to bring back Aron Baynes and his $5.5 million deal for Langston Galloway and two second round picks.

This now opens up the Pistons to spend their full MLE on a backup point guard and the full BAE on a backup wing.

Perhaps the Pistons would look to reunite Dwayne Casey with Cory Joseph. With the Pacers looking to bring in Ricky Rubio, Joseph could be available. While his counting stats weren’t anything to write home about, the impact he can make on the defensive end of the floor. Having someone who could be a ball handler alongside Luke Kennard on the second unit. He would also allow the Pistons to set the tone defensively in bench units. The Pistons decide to lock him up for three years and $29 million.

The wing market for the BAE might be able to bring in someone like Alec Burks, Jeff Green, or Wilson Chandler if they find themselves left out of the initial rush. All of these guys could get contracts larger than this, but someone will be left out in a similar way to how Brook Lopez was last year. If the Pistons could snag Jeff Green on a two-year deal for $7.4 million with a player option on the second year, that would be a pretty ideal way to get a wing rotation player.

Reflection

The Pistons still only get to 14 players. If they would have been able to trade for Alex Len’s $4.2 million contract instead of Baynes, they could have gotten a 15th player at the minimum. Nevertheless, if the Pistons were to get three legitimate rotation pieces from this point in the offseason and beyond, that should be considered a major win.