The Detroit Pistons are going to have a busy offseason.
I agree with Jerami Grant that the Pistons could do “something big” next season but it starts will having a productive offseason.
The Pistons need to nail their first round draft pick (wherever it ends up), find some more veteran talent and hope for big leaps in development from their rookies.
Their priorities in the draft should mainly be to find more impact talent at any position, as they are still not good enough to worry about fit.
They can smooth those wrinkles in free agency. Detroit has never been a big time free agent destination, so you can forget about guys like Kawhi Leonard, but there is a lower tier in which the Pistons can still find impact talent.
Some of these players will be restricted free agents, which means the Pistons would have to make them an offer that their current team refuses to match. This often means overpaying for guys, which Detroit might not be willing to do at this stage in their franchise rebuild.
But if they can find the right guy at the right price, they might be able to steal a RFA and still get a bargain, especially if their current team doesn’t have much interest in keeping them.
How much money money are the Detroit Pistons going to have to spend? Let’s take a look.
Detroit Pistons: How much cap space will the Pistons have in 2021-22?
The exact amount the Pistons will have to spend can fluctuate wildly depending on a number of factors. This has been a hot topic of debate on Pistons’ Twitter and everyone seems to be able to find a source that supports their point of view.
I think Pistons’ beat writer Keith Langlois did a good job of breaking it down here.
Essentially, the Pistons will have around $20 million in cap space if they don’t pick up Cory Joseph’s contract (they won’t), don’t make a qualifying offer to Dennis Smith Jr. (they shouldn’t) and let Rodney McGruder walk (they will).
However, the cap hold for a top-five pick (which the Pistons will hopefully have) could eat up half of that and then you have the issue of Frank Jackson and Hamidou Diallo.
In other words, there are too many moving parts to really project the Pistons’ cap number but it could be anywhere from 0-12 million depending on what they do with their own guys.
The Pistons could also make some trades between now and then, so I am looking at restricted free agents who could fit into that $10-12 million per season or less slot.
Troy Weaver could decide to just retain the guys he likes, run it back with a similar team next season and hope to make a big splash after they are out from under all of the dead cap they are currently carrying for Blake Griffin.
Here are three guys the Detroit Pistons could pursue in restricted free agency if they decide to go that route.
Detroit Pistons: Duncan Robinson could be a fit
The Miami Heat will be an interesting team to watch this offseason, as they are projected to be one of the teams with a lot of cap space and could use it in a number of ways.
They’d almost certainly like to add another big name to their core and are one of the top free-agent destinations, so the Heat could definitely add a star in free agency or via trade.
Duncan Robinson will enter restricted free agency at age 27 and has proven himself to be one of the best high-volume 3-point shooters in the game.
He has also done it on the biggest stage, which I like and has played enough defense to stay on the floor for most of the game.
He is averaging 13 points a game and hitting over 40 percent from 3-point range on 8.6 attempts per game and there aren’t many guys in the NBA who are as accurate on such a high volume.
The Pistons could definitely use a shooter, as they currently only have Saddiq Bey and Jerami Grant who could be considered above average in that department.
It has showed at times, as defenses tend to collapse on the Pistons’ dribble penetration, making it difficult for their slashers to find space. These lanes will open up more if the Pistons had a shooter like Robinson.
He is due to get a big raise and the Heat might not be willing or able to pay it, so this is a guy Detroit could probably steal with the right offer, as Miami will have bigger fish to catch.
How much is the question. Is Robinson worth $10 million per season? Would you rather have him over Hamidou Diallo? These are fair questions to ask.
If the Pistons could get him with a 3 year/30 million offer, they would have to consider it and it would be interesting to see if Miami is willing to match.
Detroit Pistons: Talen Horton-Tucker might be worth a gamble
If the Detroit Pistons wanted to find another young talent to add to their core, they could make an offer to Talen Horton-Tucker, who has been a nice find for the Lakers this season.
Horton-Tucker is playing just under 20 minutes per game this season and is averaging 8.7 points, 2.7 rebounds and 2.5 assists for the Lakers.
He is a tough player who fits the Troy Weaver profile, as he is strong and can defend his position well. He is also only 20-years-old, so the Pistons would be getting a guy who is on the upswing and will likely get much better with an expanded role.
But he also could just be the beneficiary of playing with two top-five players in the league, so Weaver would have to be comfortable that Horton-Tucker is not one of those LeBron James anomalies who looks good playing with the GOAT but will be below average anywhere else.
This one really just comes down to what the Pistons do with their own free agent shooting guards and whether the Lakers will have the cap space or any interest in keeping their only young talent.
If the Lakers win another title, who knows, they might decide they need to keep a pipeline of young players, but if they don’t, expect them to look to add another star somehow, in which case Horton-Tucker will be an afterthought.
He is on a league-minimum deal at the moment and probably won’t get a huge raise, so he is a player to watch.
Detroit Pistons: Josh Hart would fit into Detroit’s culture
One of my favorite players to watch is Josh Hart from the New Orleans Pelicans and I was hoping the Pistons would make a trade for him at the deadline.
He is a guy who almost perfectly fits what Detroit is building, as he is a versatile defender who plays hard, hustles and is the best guard rebounder in the NBA.
The New Orleans Pelicans will have the Lonzo Ball soap opera to sort out, so Hart won’t likely be their priority, and with big raises due to some of their guys, they might not be able to afford him anyway.
Hart might be out of the Pistons’ range as well depending on how their cap space shakes out and they would almost certainly have to move on from Hamidou Diallo to make this happen.
I would be ok with that, as Hart is better now and can do some things that Diallo can’t, namely shoot the 3-point shot, though his numbers have dipped somewhat. But he is tough and I love the idea of putting him with fellow Villanova alum, Saddiq Bey.
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 https://t.co/iglk4JLRcP
— Josh Hart (@joshhart) April 19, 2021
Hart is also hurt and going to miss the rest of the season, which could affect his value some, but he is still likely to get a fairly substantial offer from someone.
He doesn’t check all of the boxes for Detroit, but what I love about Hart is that he will do whatever helps the team. He is the ultimate glue guy who wouldn’t mind coming off the bench, can defend four spots and will always give 100 percent.
He would be a fan-favorite right away and would give the Pistons another versatile perimeter defender. He is a young veteran who is just entering his prime, so the Pistons could get all of his prime years.
He will likely get a deal in the $12-15 million per year range, which the Pistons might not be able to offer, but if they can free up the cap, he is a guy I would love for them to try and steal.