The Detroit Pistons have the second-worst record in the NBA right now, so talking about the playoffs next season might be a bit of a pipe dream.
But if you have watched the games, you’ve seen that the Pistons are a talented young team who plays competitively, has a top-12 defense in the NBA and might be ready to make that leap sooner than expected.
I feel that the Pistons will make the playoffs next season if they have a good offseason, which is going to start in just four games.
There could still be a lot of movement in the NBA Draft lottery odds between now and then, so I won’t venture a guess about where the Pistons will be choosing, but as long as they are in the top five, fans will be happy.
That pick will determine a lot, as the Pistons could get the type of impact talent that could propel them into the playoffs with the right complementary moves.
Here is a five step plan to get the Detroit Pistons back to the playoffs next season.
Detroit Pistons: Step one, cut the fat
Troy Weaver had a great first season, especially when it came to the draft, where he found Saddiq Bey and Isaiah Stewart to add to lottery pick Killian Hayes.
But Weaver also did a pretty good job with trades and free agency, bringing in a mixture of smart veterans who were good mentors, didn’t really block anyone from getting minutes and didn’t take much off the table.
But some of these guys have to go.
The Pistons should cut ties with Cory Joesph, as he is owed $12.5 million if they pick up his contract, far too much for his services. He is the one guy in this group I would consider keeping at the right price. The Pistons will owe him around $2.4 million if they don’t pick up his contract, and if they could get him for just over that, I wouldn’t mind if they kept him.
If he gets a bigger offer somewhere else, so be it and see you later.
They should not bother with Dennis Smith Jr., who has not shown enough to give a qualifying offer to in my opinion, as he might take it and the Pistons would be stuck paying him way too much. No thanks.
Rodney McGruder should be waived before his contract kicks in and Wayne Ellington should be allowed to walk in free agency.
If the Pistons could find homes for Josh Jackson and Jahlil Okafor, they should consider moving them, as they are probably not part of the long-term plans and the Pistons might be able to clear some extra cap space.
Detroit Pistons: Step 2, nail the NBA Draft
It’s not hyperbole to say that this is the most important NBA Draft for the Detroit Pistons in a long time.
After hitting a few home runs in last year’s draft, Troy Weaver needs to do it again, especially with their first-round pick.
Obviously, the Pistons would love to get the first pick, take Cade Cunningham and pair him with Killian Hayes as the backcourt of the future.
But if they don’t get this lucky, there are still a lot of options.
Jalen Green is a hungry two-guard with a chip on his shoulder who ticks all of the boxes for the Pistons. Evan Mobley could improve their rim protection and give them a huge offensive weapon, and Jalen Suggs looks like he could be the next great point guard in the NBA.
Whoever they take, the Pistons have to get an impact player who makes them better right away if they want to make the leap to the playoffs next season.
When it comes to the second round, the Pistons should use their picks to either trade up for additional first-round talent or fill one of their needs.
If they could get a plus 3-point shooter in the second round, that would be great, as the Pistons need more volume and accuracy from behind the arc.
The Detroit Pistons could not only walk away from this draft with the future star of their team but with valuable role players who can make them better right away.
If this happens, step two will be a success.
Detroit Pistons: Step 3, exercise caution in restricted free agency
If you are team like the Detroit Pistons, it is not easy to lure the top-tier free agents, as you don’t have a coast or no state income tax as a selling point .
One way around this is to just draft all of your talent but that takes time and by the time you have amassed enough talent, some of it is ready to leave.
Another route is to try to steal a restricted free agent from another team.
This has been a sound strategy for some teams in the past, as you can target a team that has other free agents to lock up and might not be able to match the offer or tie up their cap space waiting.
I made some suggestions of restricted free agents they could target, but this step all comes down to how much cap space the Pistons have after taking care of their own free agents.
They may have to wait on guys like Hamidou Diallo and Frank Jackson if they want to target another team’s free agent.
Restricted free agency can be a way to get an undervalued player but it can also be a way to overpay for guys, so this step all depends on cap space and Troy Weaver’s eye for talent.
If the money or talent isn’t there, then this step can and must be skipped.
Detroit Pistons: Step 4, fill obvious needs with low-cost veterans
Like I said, the Pistons are not going to get any of the top free agents but that’s ok.
If Troy Weaver can find more players like Mason Plumlee to fill immediate needs, the Pistons can make a leap as a team.
They will need rim protection and could target a guy like Nerlens Noel to provide it, as he should be relatively low cost and does this one thing extremely well.
If the Pistons could trade Okafor for literally anything and replace him with a guy like Noel, that would be a huge upgrade, as right now they are getting nothing from that spot and could really use a guy who can block shots consistently.
They also need shooting, even if they are able to get a shooter in the draft. That guy could be Frank Jackson, as he has shot over 41 percent from deep this season, but the Pistons could also grab another veteran shooter to add some additional depth.
Personally, I would move on from Wayne Ellington, but he is one name that could draw some interest at the right price.
The Detroit Pistons have enough rangy defenders at this point and could easily have a top-ten defense next season, so now they need to focus on getting some scoring and rim protection, two things they should be able to acquire in free agency.
Detroit Pistons: Step 5, don’t overpay your own guys
I would love to see the Pistons trade Josh Jackson this offseason, as his value is much higher than when they signed him and he is redundant if they choose to re-sign Hamidou Diallo.
Diallo is one of the only Pistons’ free agents that they should consider re-signing and only if they can get him on a team-friendly deal similar to the one Jackson is on now.
The Pistons should also consider retaining Frank Jackson if they can get him on a league minimum or close.
He can be instant offense off the bench, similar to Jordan Clarkson, and could grow into the sixth man of the future.
Other than that, the Pistons will have some tough decisions to make. Saben Lee might have to settle for another two-way contract, as there might not be a roster spot for him.
If some other team decided to offer him a guaranteed deal then the Pistons might have to walk away.
If the Pistons kept Hamidou Diallo and Frank Jackson, they will need to make some additional trades if they want to have any cap space depending on where their first-round pick slots.
The Detroit Pistons are a year away from having the type of serious cap space necessary to make a splashy move, but if they can cut some of their own fat, retain two guys on low-cost deals and plug the rest of their holes with veterans, this team will have a good chance to make a leap into the playoffs next season in the Eastern Conference.