The Detroit Pistons will head into free agency with more money to spend than they’ve had in recent years, and they’ve got an easy target.
Heading into free agency in 2020, the Detroit Pistons will have around $40 million in cap space. While the free agent class is more underwhelming than it’s been in years prior, there are still some interesting players here and there.
Detroit will certainly need to get their priorities in order before anything else, and the biggest one will likely be re-signing Christian Wood. Beyond that, possibly extending Luke Kennard.
One of the interesting names that will highlight the upcoming free agent class is Harry Giles.
Giles’ team option for 2020-2021 was declined at the beginning of the season, and it left a lot of Kings fans concerned and scratching their heads.
To make a long story short, it appeared to come down to his history with injury problems. Sacramento signed Dewayne Dedmon and Richaun Holmes over the summer, as well as turning Marvin Bagley into a stretch-five.
These moves seemed to be precautionary in the event that Giles wouldn’t be able to stay healthy throughout this season. After sitting out the entirety of what was supposed to be his rookie season, he played 58 games in the following year.
It felt as if they were creating a contingency plan for their front court.
The hype surrounding him was substantial. Kings media and fans alike were raving about his defensive efforts and his tenacity around the rim.
Then he suffered a thigh bruise and was sidelined for the remainder of the season.
The Kings also may not of had much of a choice here. With Buddy Hield receiving his contract extension worth $86 million, Sacramento will also likely have to pay De’Aaron Fox, Bogdan Bogdanović, and eventually Bagley a lot of money all together.
So eventually, you’re going to have to part ways with some assets without much of a choice. They’re going to be teetering with the luxury tax for years to come and unfortunately the Kings made a tough decision.
However this opens up a door for other teams, specifically the Pistons.
Now that they’re in the midst of starting up their rebuild, adding Giles to their frontcourt alongside Blake Griffin and Wood could prove to be an unbelievable force of power.
He tends to be inconsistent along the boards and with his scoring output, but he’s also been subject to a lot of inconsistent playing time. His minutes have been all over the place in Sacramento this season.
This isn’t something Pistons fans should be concerned about though. When Detroit played Sacramento in their most recent match up in February, Giles was a catalyst in what would eventually be a come from behind win for the Kings.
He’s an exceptional team and crowd energizer. He finished with just 12 points and 7 rebounds, but he was the spark they needed in order to begin their comeback.
He’s still a project, but he’s also still only 21 years old. This could quite honestly be one of the most ideal options for the Pistons right now.
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Giles is a quality screener who works well in pick and roll opportunities and he can be a force at the rim defensively.
As it stands, he could make for a great second option coming off of the bench behind either Wood or Griffin, or he could switch roles with Wood. The former may be more optimal.
If he were to come off of the bench and play 20 minutes per night, he’s not over exhausting his body and he’s also getting the opportunity to develop alongside Derrick Rose, one of the NBA’s most lethal point guards to this day.
What the future is for Thon Maker in Detroit remains to be seen, but as a restricted free agent this summer there’s a real possibility that the Pistons could let him walk. This would open up the possibility to bring in Giles.
Someone with as much upside as he has, at the very least needs to be considered. With Sacramento declining his team option, other franchises will be able to offer him substantially more money.
At the end of the day, no, the Pistons do not have to spend every single penny that they have. In reality, it’d be wise not to. But Giles could immediately become a foundational piece moving forward.