The Detroit Pistons are down bad right now, with the worst record in the NBA and nearly their entire team in health and safety protocols.
It’s ugly and going to get even uglier this season, which has some fans down about the state of the “restoration” which is now in season two.
But the Pistons will have cap space next offseason, and barring a miraculous turnaround, will be choosing in the top five of the 2022 NBA Draft.
Those two things, along with internal improvement from guys like Cade Cunningham, Saddiq Bey, Isaiah Stewart and Killian Hayes, should be enough for the Detroit Pistons to take the next logical step towards contention next season.
I am also going to assume in these scenarios that the Pistons did not trade Jerami Grant.
So who will these two players be? There are a number of combinations, so let’s take a sneak peak at what the Pistons’ roster might look like in the 2022-23 season with the addition of a top draft pick and one big free agent acquisition.
Detroit Pistons NBA Draft and free agents: Possible roster in 2022-23
Draft: Paolo Banchero-Duke
Free agent: Mo Bamba- Orlando Magic
In this scenario, the Detroit Pistons draft forward Paolo Banchero from Duke and steal restricted free agent Mo Bamba from the Orlando Magic.
The Magic already have a young center in Wendell Carter Jr, who is locked up through 2025-26, so Bamba could be the odd man out.
Bamba is a 23-year-old center who would averages nearly a double-double with 2.2 blocks per game, the type of rim protection the Pistons could use. He is also a legit seven-footer, giving the Pistons some size on the interior and pushing Beef Stew to the bench.
Banchero would give the Pistons a boost of athleticism and scoring, and would be great next to Cade Cunningham as foundational pieces.
- Cade Cunningham/Saben Lee
- Killian Hayes/Frank Jackson
- Jerami Grant/Saddiq Bey
- Paolo Banchero/Kelly Olynyk
- Mo Bamba/Isaiah Stewart
This group would be big, athletic and could protect the rim, and the second unit would actually have some talent, as Bey and Stewart get pushed to the bench to go along with Kelly Olynyk and Saben Lee.
I like this group a lot and think they could compete in the Eastern Conference next season.