Why did the Detroit Pistons draft so many players with so little roster space?
Detroit also announced it has made qualifying offers to Saben Lee, Frank Jackson and Hamidou Diallo. That makes them restricted free agents, meaning the Pistons have the right to match any offer they receive and retain them.
If any of them accept the qualifying offer, they would become unrestricted free agents the following year, but it is doubtful any of the three would choose that option.
So, doing some quick addition and subtraction, the Pistons have eight players returning under contract and three players they have given qualifying offers to. That means 11 of the 15 roster spots are taken already.
Looks simple, add the four draftees and Detroit’s 15-player roster is set, easy peasy. However, that thing called free agency is coming up and the Pistons are, undoubtedly, looking to add a player or two.
The trading of Mason Plumlee and the three releases give Detroit some cap space to maneuver in free agency, despite having to carry the last year of Blake Griffin’s deal. If the Pistons do not pick up the team option of Rodney McGruder (which they do not have to decide until August 15), they could have a bunch more space than expected.
Pistons can get to about $22 million in room by waiving non-guaranteed Tyler Cook and Rodney McGruder and stretching Joseph/Sirvydis.
— John Hollinger (@johnhollinger) July 31, 2021
These moves were not made in a vacuum. Weaver and the Pistons are planning on doing something in free agency. It might be big, it could be a bunch of little moves. But they are certainly not going to be standing idly by, Weaver never does that.
That means they will need roster spots for those free agent players.