The Detroit Pistons are just a handful of games away from entering their most important offseason in years.
They finally have a young star to build around in Cade Cunningham, will have another high pick in the 2022 NBA Draft and will have the cap space to add an impact free agent or several quality role players.
They have the option of trading Jerami Grant, possibly to a team like Portland for another lottery pick, to add even more young talent, or they could extend him to be part of the core moving forward.
Aside from Jerami Grant‘s future, the draft pick and possible free agent are the biggest decisions the Pistons have to make this offseason and all of them will be made with Cade Cunningham in mind.
The 2022 free agent class isn’t deep with stars, and the ones that will be available will be hard to pry away from their current teams. Here are the top three guys and their likelihood of leaving:
Top-3 2022 NBA Free Agents
- Zach LaVine: LaVine is a star in his prime and is versatile enough to fit in with any team. A backcourt of him and Cade would be one of the best in the NBA and make the Pistons into playoff contenders in the Eastern Conference. LaVine’s chances of leaving the Bulls are low. They can offer more years and money than anyone else and are in a position to compete now. If LaVine wants to leave there will be other suitors, including the Trail Blazers, who have the cap space to add two big contracts and could be eyeing LaVine and Jerami Grant to put with Damian Lillard. I still think LaVine stays with the Bulls, but he’d be my top choice if the Pistons could add anyone.
- Deandre Ayton: Ayton has shown he can be the center on a contender. He is getting better as a scorer and rim protector, has learned the pick-and-roll from one of the greatest point guards of all time and would give Cade Cunningham a weapon to work with that he doesn’t currently have. He’d solve a lot of problems for the Detroit Pistons, and is more likely to leave the Suns after they didn’t offer him an extension last offseason. If the Pistons were to offer him the max this offseason and the Suns are unwilling to match, I could see him coming to Detroit, where he would have a big role right away and could join an up and coming team. I think the Pistons will pursue Ayton and it will come down to whether the Suns are too cheap to match.
- Miles Bridges: Bridges has made a big leap this year and is the type of two-way wing that will fit on every team. For fans worried about position and fit, Bridges isn’t the obvious choice, as they already have Saddiq Bey who plays the same spot. But both players are versatile enough to play together and a team can’t have too many quality wings. Bridges is also a restricted free agent but the Hornets already have a lot of money tied up in the injured Gordon Hayward as well as Terry Rozier, and have LaMelo Ball’s max extension looming. Will they really pay another max to Bridges just to keep a team together that is currently the 9th seed in the East? If not, Bridges may have interest in returning to his home state to play for the Pistons, especially if they trade Jerami Grant.
The 2022 NBA Draft will obviously just come down to where the Pistons pick, as they could currently drop as low as 7th, but also have the highest odds to get a top-4 pick.
As of the writing of this, the Pistons have the third-worst record so have a 52.1% chance to stay in the top-4. So which combination of top free agents and draft picks would be the best fit with Cade Cunningham?
There are several dream scenarios.
Detroit Pistons draft and free agency: Best fits with Cade Cunningham
Zach LaVine and Chet Holmgren
In this scenario, which is admittedly a huge long shot that probably won’t happen, the Pistons trade Jerami Grant for a young player and draft pick, sign Zach LaVine in free agency and draft Chet Holmgren.
This would instantly be one of the most interesting starting fives in the NBA:
- Cade Cunningham
- Zach LaVine
- Saddiq Bey
- Chet Holmgren
- Isaiah Stewart
This lineup has scoring, play-making and 3-point shooting at four positions to go with a bruiser to handle the rebounding with Holmgren swatting shots from the weak side.
Cade and LaVine would be a nightmare for defenses and the entire starting five would be switchable on the other end, making it almost impossible to create distinct mismatches.
Unfortunately, I think LaVine is the least likely to come to the Detroit Pistons, so this one is probably a pipe dream, but let me dream!
The next possibility is a little more likely.
Detroit Pistons draft and free agency: Best fits with Cade Cunningham
Deandre Ayton and Jaden Ivey
In this scenario, the Pistons extend Jerami Grant to a 4 year/$100 deal and make Deandre Ayton their big target in free agency. They either fall to 4th or below in the draft, or decide that Jaden Ivey is their guy in the top-three.
This is a more traditional lineup but still has a lot of potential:
- Cade Cunningham
- Jaden Ivey
- Saddiq Bey
- Jerami Grant
- Deandre Ayton
Cunningham and Ivey would give the Pistons a dynamic young backcourt to build around and the two are a very nice fit on paper, as Cade can be the scorer/facilitator and allow Ivey to play more off the ball.
This lineup would be less switchable on defense, but would also give the Pistons a potentially deep bench with bigs that have a variety of skill sets.
If the Pistons drop out of the top-3 of the draft, Ivey is definitely an option, and Ayton is a guy the Pistons will at least inquire about in free agency, so this one is much more likely.
Detroit Pistons draft and free agency: Best fits with Cade Cunningham
Miles Bridges and Paolo Banchero
This is an interesting scenario to consider, as Paolo Banchero has been the most impressive of the top draft prospects in the NCAA Tournament.
He’s also the favorite of Cade Cunningham, who said he thought Banchero’s combination of size, athleticism and playmaking ability made him the best player in the upcoming draft.
If the Pistons were to pursue Miles Bridges, I assume they’d trade Jerami Grant, so this is what their lineup could look like.
- Cade Cunningham
- Miles Bridges
- Saddiq Bey
- Paolo Banchero
- Isaiah Stewart
This is an interesting lineup that doesn’t have a traditional two-guard, but would be very switchable with guys who can all defend multiple positions.
There could be spacing issues with a lack of 3-point shooting, but this team would get after it on defense, have two potentially elite playmakers in Cade and Paolo but would definitely require both Bridges and Bey to improve as 3-point shooters.
The entire starting five would be under 25 and would almost certainly compete for at least a spot in the play-in tournament.
Detroit Pistons draft and free agency: Best fits with Cade Cunningham
Deandre Ayton and Chet Holmgren
The Pistons have lacked rim protection this season outside of Isaiah Stewart, but that would all be over if they went the jumbo route this offseason.
In this scenario, the Pistons trade Jerami Grant for one of Portland’s picks, pursue Ayton in free agency and draft Chet Holmgren, presumably with one of the top-3 picks. I’m also going to throw in an idea for who to take with that second pick if the Pistons did end up trading Grant.
This lineup would turn the Detroit Pistons into one of the biggest teams in the NBA.
- Cade Cunningham
- Bennedict Mathurin/Shaedon Sharpe
- Saddiq Bey
- Chet Holmgren
- Deandre Ayton
How about a starting five where everyone is at least 6-foot-6? Players are getting taller and more skilled and a lineup like this might be the norm someday.
This would give the Pistons plus size at every position, rim protection with Holmgren and Ayton, 3-point shooting at four positions and a million options in the pick-and-roll.
I know some fans are down on Holmgren after he had a lackluster performance in the NCAA Tournament, but his ceiling might be the highest of any player and the idea of putting him and Cade together to have two big playmakers who can shoot is pretty appealing.
But there is one option I like even more.
Detroit Pistons draft and free agency: Best fits with Cade Cunningham
Deandre Ayton and Jabari Smith
If I were to pick the perfect duo to pair with Cade Cunningham, it might be Deandre Ayton and Jabari Smith, as they solve a whole lot of the Pistons’ problems.
In this scenario, the Pistons would trade Jerami Grant for the 9th pick in the draft, so I have an idea for that spot.
This is a starting five with a ton of potential:
- Cade Cunningham
- Johnny Davis
- Saddiq Bey
- Jabari Smith
- Deandre Ayton
With Ayton you get a big man who is efficient at the rim, can finish a lob and run the pick-and-roll. With Jabari Smith, you get a 6-foot-10 forward who is already a very good spot up shooter and would be a perfect fit with Cade Cunningham.
I have the Pistons taking shooting guard Johnny Davis, who gives them another scoring option off the bounce, giving the Pistons a great combination of playmaking, shooting and inside play.
This would be a fun and competitive team right away and would still have plenty of room for development and improvement.
It’s going to be an interesting and possibly franchise-altering offseason for the Detroit Pistons, and if they can land the right free agent and draft pick, the restoration might be close.