Detroit Pistons: Sekou Doumbouya asks “What’s next for me?”

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.

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?

Detroit Pistons: Trading Sekou Doumbouya at the trade deadline

The Pistons don’t have to be in a rush to trade Doumbouya unless they want to add another player or two and need his roster spot.

They could wait until next season’s trade deadline to move Doumbouya, as he might be a nice sweetener in a bigger trade.

The problem with this option is that if Doumbouya doesn’t play much next season, his value on the trade market will have evaporated and there wasn’t much there to begin with.

However, Doumbouya only has one more guaranteed year on his contract, as the second is a team option, so a team could take a flyer on a half season of Sekou with little or no risk.

This sounds like a classic “Trade him to Oklahoma City!” move, as they are a team that will be very young still and might want to take a chance on another raw prospect.

The Detroit Pistons will have to target rebuilding teams, as Doumbouya wouldn’t have a spot on a playoff team right now, which limits the market even more.

But there is another option.

Detroit Pistons: Trading Sekou Doumbouya now

If the Detroit Pistons think Sekou Doumbouya is going to get buried in the depth chart then they might try and deal him now.

Since he is still so young and still has some promise, trading him now might make the most sense, as there is still some mystery there and teams might be willing to give up something for that intrigue.

The problem with this is that no team is going to give up a real asset for Doumbouya right now, so the best the Pistons could probably hope for would be a  washed-up veteran or a second-round pick.

This would be giving up on Doumbouya and really just clearing him for the roster spot, which the Pistons may not be willing to do just yet.

Trade him now and you get a low return but trade him later and you might get no return at all.

When Sekou Doumbouya asked “What’s next for me?” he was speaking for all Pistons’ fans, as we are asking the same thing.

There isn’t an easy route except one: Doumbouya starts playing well, earns rotation minutes and starts to become the player we think he can be. Barring that, his future with Detroit is murky at best.