This offseason isn’t yet over for the Detroit Pistons but it’s not too soon to start looking at next offseason. Ok, so it is, but I am going to do it anyway.
Why? Because next offseason, unlike this one, the Pistons are going to have a big advantage in that they will be one of four teams projected to have any cap space.
The Pistons are likely to have at least $30 million in space to play around with and could use it to try and pry a restricted free agent from another team or sign a big time unrestricted free agent outright.
The list of unrestricted free agents for next season is pretty short, but there are some very interesting restricted players who are just entering their prime and would be great fits in Detroit.
The Pistons would love to grab a guy in his mid-20’s to grow with their young core, and the right guy could push them over the top in the Eastern Conference.
Here are three guys who all seem like good fits. I’ll list them from least likely to somewhat more likely.
Detroit Pistons: Restricted free agent Zach LaVine
Because Zach LaVine can make way more money by playing out this season, he is very unlikely to sign an extension with the Bulls until next offseason, and though I think he is the least likely to leave his team, a lot can happen between now and then.
If the Bulls flame out with their very expensive new roster, it’s possible they will shake things up by trading LaVine sometime before the deadline, but it’s far more likely that they will try to lock him up to a max deal.
A backcourt of LaVine and Cade Cunningham has a lot of appeal, as they would create mismatches on offense and be elite defensively. LaVine is only 26-years-old, so whoever he signs with will get his prime years but they aren’t going to be cheap, as he is an unrestricted free agent.
LaVine might be the biggest name available so he is going to get a bag. Do the Bulls want to pay him $30+ million a year? LaVine’s name is going to be in a lot of rumors this season.
Detroit Pistons: Restricted free agent Michael Porter Jr.
Porter Jr. is a guy who would fit in the “very unlikely to leave his current team” category, as he is a rising star and just 23-years-old.
Like LaVine, the only way I could see the Pistons getting him is by making an offer the Nuggets didn’t want to match, and that offer might not exist, as the Nuggets can go over the cap to re-sign their own guy.
But Nikola Jokic is soon eligible for a super-max extension and they already Jamal Murray locked into a max, so the Nuggets are looking at spending over $90 million on three guys if they re-sign Michael Porter Jr.
Their window for winning titles is still open, as all of these players are young, so it probably depends on how they do this season. If the Nuggets were to take a big step backwards, then they might consider breaking up this trio, but if not, they will probably lock them all in for the foreseeable future.
Porter Jr. would be a great fit on the Pistons as a potential future replacement for Jerami Grant or to play alongside him. Porter Jr. can pretty much do it all, though he is not a great playmaker, and he has definitely not hit his ceiling, so whoever gets him next might be getting one of the next superstars of the NBA.
I’m sure both the Bulls and Nuggets will do their utmost to keep their young stars, but they are two to keep an eye on as the season progresses.
Detroit Pistons: Restricted free agent Mikal Bridges is one to watch
The Suns have always been one of the tightest teams in the NBA when it comes to spending money and they will have a couple of big time free agents potentially hitting the market at the same time in Deandre Ayton and Mikal Bridges.
Ayton seems like the guy they are most likely to lock up long term, which means the Suns will have three max players with him, Chris Paul and Devin Booker.
This could make Mikal Bridges available if the Pistons were willing to make a huge offer for him that the Suns were reluctant to match.
If the Pistons were to offer Bridges a max deal, the Suns might not be willing to go that far into the tax to keep the 24-year-old Bridges, who averaged 13.5 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists on very efficient shooting splits that include 42.5 percent from long range.
The Villanova alum is a hard-nosed player with a huge wingspan and elite athleticism, which sounds like a Troy Weaver guy, but would he be worth a potential max deal?
We’ll have to see how he continues to progress this season, but Bridges could price himself out of the Suns’ comfort zone in which case the Pistons could be a suitor even though he is a restricted free agent.
All of these players are long shots for the Detroit Pistons, but a lot can happen between now and next offseason, so they will be guys to watch.