The Detroit Pistons have signed three players in free agency. Are they finished making moves this offseason?
The 2019 offseason has gone well for the Detroit Pistons. With not much expectations to make a big time move, the Pistons did what they could do best with their current situation.
They started the offseason off by making an excellent trade with the Milwaukee Bucks. They traded Jon Leuer for Tony Snell and the 30th pick in the NBA Draft. If you had told any NBA fan before the trade that Jon Leuer would net the Pistons a solid role player and a first round pick, they’d call you crazy.
But they did. The Pistons went into the NBA Draft with one goal. They had to come out of the draft with the best wing prospect on the board. With luck turning their way, the Pistons were able to select Sekou Doumbouya with the 15th overall pick.
The Pistons had Doumbouya number five on their overall big board. And most scouts had him being drafted in the top 10! This wasn’t the only gold the Pistons were able to strike. They flipped the 30th pick to the Cleveland Cavaliers for four second round picks and 5 million dollars in cash!
The money received in the trade is the largest amount traded for a pick. And four second rounders eventually helped the Pistons receive the 37th and 57th pick in the NBA Draft. They selected Deividas Sirvydis and Jordan Bone. This trade was an absolute no brainer for the front office.
Now with a wing player selected, the Pistons needed to focus on signing a backup point guard in free agency. And the Pistons wasted no time. They signed Derrick Rose to a 2 year 15 million dollar deal to play the backup role behind Reggie Jackson. This was a huge steal by the Pistons. Many point guards were getting overpayed. And to get Rose at a cheap deal with their mid-level exception was sweet victory.
They weren’t done though. They were able to sign Tim Frazier to play the third string point guard role. And their last move they brought in Markieff Morris. Markieff will play the backup four behind Blake Griffin.
These are all great moves by the Pistons. But that leaves the question. Are the Pistons done here?
The Pistons still have some money left in their mid-level exception. The Pistons are likely going to try to snag a backup center for a minimum deal. Thon Maker could potentially play backup center behind Andre Drummond next season. But he played poor in that position to end the season and playoffs. Look for the Pistons to make a move for a backup soon.
And with the roster filling out, Langston Galloway‘s role with the team continues to shrink. Galloway is entering the final year of his contract. He’ll be making 7 million for his final season. The Pistons could potentially trade Galloway for a role player with a longer term deal. This benefits the other team participating in the trade because of Galloway’s expiring contract.
And lastly the Pistons have been rumored to be interested in a couple all-star players. Bradley Beal‘s name has been linked with the Pistons for almost a year now. With the Wizards looking to rebuild, Beal could potentially be on the move. But the Wizards have made it clear that if a team wants Beal, they would have to take John Wall with them. Beal could decline an extension with the Wizards. This could force the Wizards to explore options with Beal.
The other player that has also been linked to the Pistons is Russell Westbrook. The Oklahoma City Thunder shocked the world when they traded Paul George to the Los Angeles Clippers for Danilo Gallinari, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, five first round picks, and two pick swaps. Paul George will be joining Kawhi Leonard in LA.
This leaves Russell Westbrook alone with Steven Adams as the second best player on the roster. The Thunder will be looking to move Westbrook and his ginormous contract before the NBA season begins. Westbrook will be making 38 million next season and will skyrocket up to 46 million by the 2022-2023 season.
The Pistons could try to snag Westbrook without having to give up their future core in a deal. They could also potentially avoid giving up multiple first round picks. They would only sacrifice future cap flexibility. A huge risk/reward scenario if the Pistons were to make a deal with OKC.
What do you think the Pistons should do?