Troy Weaver could make the other NBA GMs cry if he wanted
As one of the few NBA teams with enough salary cap space to offer a max contract, Detroit Pistons general manager Troy Weaver could make life very uncomfortable for some teams, if he so chooses.
The Pistons walked away from NBA draft night with two promising prospects in Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren, plus plenty of money left over to spend when free agency begins.
With Detroit now firmly established as one of the up-and-coming franchises (how many years has it been since we could write that?), it is seen as a promising destination for free agents.
Which means Weaver could make life miserable for some of his fellow general managers.
According to Spotrac, Detroit has more practical cap space than any other team ($33 million) except the Orlando Magic. And, if the Pistons let some team options expire and renounce a couple of cap holds, they could have even more.
With Jerami Grant off the books, and no salary returning, I now project the Detroit Pistons to have just over $56M in cap space in July.
— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) June 22, 2022
There was a lot of weirdness on draft night, a lot of it from teams needing to clear cap space to either retain free agents (like Charlotte) or go after free agents they have targeted (Knicks). Weaver took full advantage, as he, somehow, got Duren for what should be a late first-rounder, three years from now.
Related Story. Pistons are winners in salary cap, while few teams have any. light
Sometimes perception is reality. While the standings show the Pistons have been one of the worst teams in the NBA the past couple of years, they are seen as ascending, a team on the rise that looks attractive to outsiders.
And with enough cap space left to offer a max contract, Weaver is a dangerous man for some NBA teams, hoping to keep their star players.