Is Deandre Ayton a bad fit for Detroit Pistons?

There is no question that Deandre Ayton might be the biggest, realistic prize on the NBA free agent market this off-season. However, one reporter believes it would be a mistake for the Detroit Pistons to sign him.

As of now, the Detroit Pistons are the 600-pound gorilla in free agency. They are one of five teams currently under the salary cap and only the Orlando Magic (by a mere $100,000) has more practical room to spend.

If they trade Jerami Grant ($20 million) or Kelly Olynyk ($13 million), and do not have to take any salary back in return, they then have a ton of cap space.

Technically, they might be able to offer big money to Zack Levine, Bradley Beal, James Harden or Kyrie Irving, all potential free agents, but let’s get real. None fit into the Pistons timeline plus … they are not coming here.

In the real world, the biggest name Detroit can shoot for would most likely be Phoenix Suns center Deandre Ayton.

A 7-foot center, Ayton has helped the Phoenix Suns become one of the top teams in the NBA. They made the finals in 2021 and were the No. 1 seed in the West this year (we will won’t talk about Game 7 versus Dallas in the playoffs).

And there are plenty of rumors swirling that Ayton and Suns coach Monty Williams are not exactly best buds at the moment,

He averaged 17.4 points and 10.2 rebounds this season, and will have just turned 24 when training camp starts, a great fit age-wise with Detroit’s core. Ironically, he was the first pick in the 2018 draft, with current Piston Marvin Bagley III selected second by the Kings.

All good right? Let’s have Detroit general manager Troy Weaver make a run at him.

Not so fast there.

Why Deandre Ayton would be a mistake going to Detroit Pistons

In a recent article, Greg Swartz, a veteran NBA beat writer for Bleacher Report, wrote about the wrong destinations for the top free agents. He thinks Detroit would be a bad fit for Ayton, mostly because he is used to winning, and the Pistons are used to, well, not winning.

Here is part of his argument:

"While Ayton could to play a big role in Detroit—perhaps even bigger than the one he has in Phoenix—the shift from championship contender back to lottery-dweller might make Ayton look elsewhere."

If Ayton is looking to play for one of the top teams in the league in 2022-23, yes, the Pistons are probably not a good fit. However, for the following few seasons after it, assuming the young players develop, Detroit’s fortunes could be much higher.

Why Deandre Ayton is a good fit for Pistons

Ayton has helped lead the Suns to a lot of success the past couple of seasons. But he is used to being in a rebuilding situation. Until Chris Paul arrived, Phoenix was not doing much better than the Pistons.

Having a dominant center opens things up for Cade Cunningham and Jerami Grant. No center is leaving Ayton to double-team, a key reason Devin Booker and Mikal Bridges get open shots.

A core of Ayton, Cunningham, Bey, Stewart, Jerami Grant, Bagley and (if learns to shoot) Killian Hayes looks pretty good, once they learn to play together and gain some experience.

And the bottom line is: Detroit went 23-59 last season. If they can get a talented player, they should.

Would Deandre Ayton get upset if the Pistons are not battling the Heat, Bucks and Celtics for first place next season? Obviously, Weaver and coach Dwane Casey would need to chat with him about that. But in the years after that, they certainly could be contenders with him in the lineup.