Detroit Pistons: If the Pistons want Diallo, someone else has to go

The Detroit Pistons’ roster is nearly set but they might have one more move to make.

Restricted free agent Hamidou Diallo is still unsigned, though the Pistons did extend him the qualifying offer of just over two million.

Diallo is undoubtedly looking for more, so I doubt he’s going to sign for that even though it would give him a chance to be an unrestricted free agent next season. He’d be betting on himself by taking the qualifying offer, but it could potentially be a very risky bet.

The Pistons traded for him at least season’s deadline, and Diallo showed enough to warrant another contract, though what that contract will be is still a mystery.

The other mystery is how the Detroit Pistons are going to fit him on the roster if they do decide to bring Hamidou Diallo back.

If the Detroit Pistons re-sign Hamidou Diallo, someone else has to go

The Detroit Pistons already have the maximum 15 guaranteed contracts and have extended both of their two-way contracts as well.

There isn’t an easy way to clear a space for Diallo unless the Pistons make a trade or decide to waive one of their players and eat the money.

I doubt guys like Rodney McGruder, Jahlil Okafor or Trey Lyles would get much return (if any) in a trade, so the Pistons are probably stuck just waiving one of them.

McGruder would cost the least to waive, so he is a likely candidate, though it then boggles the mind why the Pistons brought him back in the first place. From a talent standpoint, waiving Okafor would potentially open minutes for Luka Garza, who is more versatile offensively.

Lyles is another guy who the Pistons wouldn’t have signed in the first place if they were just going to waive him, so Okafor is probably the most likely candidate if that’s the route Troy Weaver chooses to go.

Weaver has shown himself to be creative when it comes to the salary cap, so he might find a way to make it work, but right now the Pistons would have to make another move if they want to keep Hamidou Diallo.