Column: Detroit Pistons roster still incomplete with Joe Johnson signing

Joe Johnson signing with the Detroit Pistons only points out another flaw with the roster that will need to be addressed before Oct. 23.

The Detroit Pistons have two MVP’s on their roster entering training camp but the signing of the Joe Johnson, the Big3 MVP, creates another issue with the roster.

Johnson, 38, will compete with 23-year-old forward Christian Wood for the 15th spot on the roster. Johnson is on a partially-guaranteed contract while Wood is non-guaranteed with a guarantee date of Oct. 23, the season opener.

But if the Pistons are striving for roster balance and to fill two needs – small forward depth and a backup center – then there is a prime opportunity to keep Johnson and Wood on the roster. That would bring the roster to 16 if both were guaranteed, meaning there would need to be a corresponding move.

Look no further than the shooting guard position. Likely candidates to be traded include Langston Galloway and Khyri Thomas.

Galloway, 27, enters the final year of a three-year deal he signed in 2017. Last season he played in 80 games, shooting 38.8 percent from the field and 35.5 percent from 3-point range with a Player Efficiency Rating (PER) of 10.7. League average is 15.

While Galloway is a five-year veteran, his biggest value is his $7 million expiring contract, which could be used to lure in a bigger star, rotational depth or another asset to assist Detroit in another playoff run.

Detroit shouldn’t settle in finding a deal for Galloway, knowing that his salary can be used to match salary for a more expensive player through the Feb. 7 trade deadline.

That turns attention to Thomas, a 23-year-old two-guard that appeared in 23 games last season. Thomas was selected 38th overall in the 2018 NBA Draft but is undersized at 6-foot-3 on the wing.

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He was known for his 3-point shooting during a three-year career at Creighton, converting 40.9 percent of attempts. But his rookie campaign was less than impressive, connecting on 28.6 percent of his 35 3-point attempts. He only hit 35.3 percent of his 34 shots from inside the arc.

At 6-foot-8, Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk has more upside than Thomas, despite being selected nine picks behind him (47th overall) in the 2018 Draft. Mykhailiuk also hit 40.9 percent from 3-point range in his four-year college career at Kansas. He was slightly better in his rookie campaign, hitting 32.6 percent of 3-point attempts.

The intriguing hook that keeps Mykhailiuk in the fold is that, aside from his larger frame, Pistons coach Dwane Casey views him as a possible fit at point guard. One scout told the Detroit Free Press’ Vince Ellis that Mykhailiuk has a “high ceiling,” so the likelihood of him leaving Detroit is slim to none.

It isn’t likely that the point guards are moved, unless Reggie Jackson and his $16 million expiring contract are traded in a bigger deal. Derrick Rose is on a newly-signed two-year contract. Tim Frazier signed up on a one-year deal.

As it stands, Johnson and Wood are competing for the 15th roster spot. If both are impressive in training camp and make the team it will create a new roster issue and, with the logjam of undersized guards, the Pistons could look at shooting guards to move on from.

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