Detroit Pistons: Pre-draft Q and A with The Athletic’s James Edwards III

Looking past the draft, will the Detroit Pistons have enough cap space to bring back Hamidou Diallo and Frank Jackson.

Edwards III: I believe so because they own their bird rights. I think they have Frank’s, but regardless I don’t think Frank is going to command a big enough salary that it’s going to impact it. They can release Corey Joseph and save $10 million. I think Hamidou, as long as the competing offers aren’t too much, I think there’s enough for the Pistons to bring back both those guys.

Are there any free agents that weren’t with Detroit last year that you think they have some interest in bringing in?

Edwards III: I’ve always kind of maintained that I don’t get the sense that they’re going to be super active in this free agency class. It’s not a great one, it’s not. It’s not one that you want to tighten your flexibility for. They have a lot of guys under contract. They like their young guys. They like their vets. I’m sure that there’s going to be a guy or two that they maybe bring in that wasn’t on the team last year just because that’s how that stuff usually goes. Bring them in on a vet minimum or something. I don’t think it’s going to be anything consequential that catches people by surprise. I don’t have a name, but I’m expecting there to be at least one guy who wasn’t on the team last year maybe to join this year. I think their priority is to develop the guys they have here, retain the guys they like that are free agents, and prepare themselves for next year’s free agency and the following year, when they have a lot more cap space and Blake comes off the books. I definitely think their eyes are not on this free agency but the next two.

How much do you anticipate Killian Hayes, Saddiq Bey, and Isaiah Stewart will play in the summer league this year.

Edwards III: This is all just speculation on my part. It doesn’t look like we’ll see much of Isaiah if at all. We all saw the photos of him wearing a walking book, and there was the photo of him with the crutch next to Johnny Kane. So that’s not encouraging. We haven’t gotten any information on the severity of the injury. Whenever he gets out of that I imagine he has to go through rehab, and I’m sure he’s not in shape right now because he hasn’t been able to run. He’ll have to get back in shape. I would be shocked if he played.

Saddiq is another one where he spent a good chunk of time at US Basketball. He’s a guy that proved himself as a rookie. I’d be surprised if he played in more than two or three games max, but you never know he’s young. They might want to put him out there and let him have this time because they didn’t have it last year.

I think Killian is similar. He’s the one with the injury history. I think obviously it’s important for him to develop. They’re going to want to get him out there and let him try different things and get into the flow of playing and try to see where he’s at. Again, he’s important to what they’re trying to do, so maybe there’s a world where he only plays two or three. There’s also a world where he plays the whole time.

I’m not really sure. Knowing these guys aren’t just players you’re putting on ice and you don’t have to rely on, they are guys you have to rely on next season. So, I’d be surprised if they played every single game, or, to be honest, I’d be surprised if they played the majority of games.