One of the biggest offseason questions for the Detroit Pistons is what is going to happen with 20-year-old forward Sekou Doumbouya.
I thought that Doumbouya could end up being the odd man out after the dust settles from the NBA Draft and free agency.
Doumbouya has shown flashes at times and had some good moments late last season, but he also had trouble getting off the bench on a team that won 20 games. He was initially being blocked by Blake Griffin but even after the Alpha Ginger went to Brooklyn, Doumbouya still didn’t have much of a role.
He is also the last remaining player that Troy Weaver didn’t bring in himself, so Doumbouya’s time could be limited. It sounds like he agrees.
He was recently asked how it felt to be the longest tenured Piston on the team and his answer was revealing about where he thinks he stands.
Today at the #Pistons Summer League press conference, @detnewsRodBeard asked #SekouDoumbouya what’s it like to be the longest tenured player on the team. This was his response: pic.twitter.com/xn1pvfPvGr
— Woodward Sports Network (@woodwardsports) August 6, 2021
Doumbouya uttered a few things that stood out, specifically when he said, “Whatever happens happens, it’s a business.”
When players start talking about the “business” of basketball, it’s never a good sign for their future with their current team.
But Sekou Doumbouya also asked an important question, which is “What’s next for me?”
Detroit Pistons: What’s next for Sekou Doumbouya?
Doumbouya is still just 20-years-old, and will reportedly be playing on the Pistons’ Summer League team when it kicks off Sunday.
These would be normal facts if Doumbouya weren’t entering his third season as a professional, but playing in the Summer League seems like a step backwards.
If he dominates in Summer League, which he should, then I could still see him making the Pistons’ roster, but the problem is where is he going to find minutes?
Doumbouya is behind Jerami Grant, Kelly Olynyk and probably newcomer Trey Lyles, who offers the shooting that Doumbouya does not.
Olynyk and Lyles will probably play some small-ball center, and Grant will play some on the wing, so there might be minutes for Doumbouya, but as it stands right now, it is going to be tough for him to get off the bench.
Another year in the G-League is a possibility, though I see that as unlikely, so what are some other options?