Building the perfect offseason for the Detroit Pistons

Detroit Pistons: Going after Deandre Ayton in free agency

With rumors running rampant that Deandre Ayton and Suns coach Monty Williams were not getting along in the locker room mixed with the Suns front office refusing to give him a max contract twice now, it is likely that Ayton could leave the team that drafted him.

The Detroit Pistons would be able to give Ayton the money that he is looking for with upwards of $30 million in potential cap space, most of any team. Ayton would come to the Detroit Pistons with a chip on his shoulder after being the #1 pick and not being offer a max extension.

This could become a sign and trade scenario as Phoenix would want something in return for their star big man. A possible package would be Frank Jackson, Kelly Olynyk, and a couple seconds as teams don’t typically receive a lot in return during sign and trade deals.

If the Detroit Pistons had to give up real assets to get Ayton, then they should walk away, as he is a restricted free agent, so they can always just force the Suns to match or exceed their offer without giving up anything.

Remember, LeBron James was traded to Miami for only a handful of picks.

Deandre Ayton could drastically change the perceived timeline for the Pistons as he has Finals experience, and his strengths complement the Pistons perfectly.

Imagine Cade Cunningham with a lob threat like Ayton running the paint off a pick-and-roll. The Pistons would quickly become very difficult to guard, as they could punish defenses in a variety of ways while also improving their team defense.

Ayton would add height to a team that desperately needs it as Stewart is undersized, as are the rest of the bench outside of Olynyk.

This would allow the Detroit Pistons to clean up any mistake that they make offensively while also keeping other teams from doing so as well, especially if Stewart plays some time at the four.

Ayton would also give them more of a presence inside the painted area making teams have to think of another factor before creating a game plan for them.