The Detroit Pistons are a rebuilding team with new life after drafting Cade Cunningham with the number one pick.
Most of the narratives this season are going to revolve around Cunningham and the young core, as the Pistons finally have some promising talent to build around and hope to take the next logical step on their timeline for contention.
But there will be storylines that are not about Cunningham and there are three somewhat pressing ones that the Pistons will not be able to ignore.
Here are three narratives that are going to be around until some kind of resolution is made.
Detroit Pistons: Josh Jackson’s expiring contract
Josh Jackson is entering the final year of his team-friendly contract with the Detroit Pistons and they are going to have to make a decision about what to do with him.
He has shown some promise and there are likely some teams that would like to trade for him, especially considering he’s on an expiring deal that only pays him $5 million a year.
Has that promise been enough to warrant an extension with the Detroit Pistons? Jackson played good defense and had some big scoring games for Detroit, but he also shot the ball poorly and turned it over way too much.
The Pistons also have a similar and younger player in Hamidou Diallo, who does many of the same things and also has a shot that needs improvement. I can’t see the Pistons keeping two non-shooters, so unless one of them starts to knock down shots consistently, Jackson may have to go.
He’s one of the Pistons who may not finish the season in Detroit, so this storyline is one to watch.
Detroit Pistons: What is Killian Hayes’ role on this team?
After drafting Cade Cunningham, the Pistons have two young point guards who will both be trying to carve out a role next season as playmakers.
Having two playmakers is not a bad thing, and the two do complement each other somewhat, as they can both defend and Cunningham’s scoring could fit well with Hayes’ elite passing ability.
But Hayes has struggled shooting the ball so far and Summer League offered no signs that is going to change.
Much of the season is going to be spent trying to figure out this dynamic, which may force the Pistons to bring Hayes off the bench or possibly move him altogether.
I think the two young guards will be given every chance to figure it out, and I hope they do, but if one of them has to go, it’s going to be Hayes, as Cunningham has already shown superstar potential and will be an impact player right away.
Will the Pistons be able to figure it out? If they don’t would they admit Hayes wasn’t the right pick and move on from him? Will have have a role on the team if they are winning?
I think these are all fair questions and the Hayes/Cunningham dynamic will be one of the big storylines of the season.
Detroit Pistons: What are the long-term plans for Jerami Grant?
Even though Jerami Grant still has two years left on his current deal, it’s not too early to start talking about the Pistons’ long term plans.
There are certainly some pros and cons to re-signing Grant long term, though I feel the pros far outweigh the cons and that the Pistons should consider an extension as soon as this season.
Grant is a guy who is going to get a lot of trade buzz, especially if the Pistons start off poorly, as he is an impact contributor who is on one of the best value contracts in the NBA.
The trade talk is probably going to linger over the Pistons until they either make a trade or sign Grant to a long-term extension.
I think Grant wants to be in Detroit and is the perfect player to build around, as he is versatile, hardworking and will set the tone for the culture Detroit is trying to build.
But other teams are going to come sniffing around if they think he might be available and this is a storyline the Pistons don’t want hanging over their young team.
Hopefully the two sides will come to terms on a mutually beneficial deal that lets Grant get his money and gives Detroit the rest of his prime years at a fair cost.
Until that happens, this is a narrative that will be one of the most talked about in Detroit.