The Detroit Pistons can’t count on 2023 free agency to save them

Detroit Pistons: 2023 NBA free agent possibilities

Here are the rest of the forwards that are projected to be free agents next offseason:

• Harrison Barnes: Has struggled so far this season. At his peak, he was a pretty good 3-and-D option, but his shooting has taken a huge dip so far this season. We’ll have to wait and see if he turns things around. He is just 30, so will be a name to watch, though not the most exciting one. I’d rather have Kuzma.
• Jerami Grant: He’s playing great right now for the Trail Blazers and has arguably been the MVP of their hot start this season. But we’ve been down that road and there are obvious questions about fit with their current roster.
• Kelly Oubre Jr.: He’s having the best season of his career and will definitely get a raise from someone. He would give the Pistons some much-needed athleticism on the wing and would certainly bolster their depth, but at what cost? I would love him as a bench piece who comes in and scores in bunches, far less as a starter making $25 million a season. He’s a possibility, and the right age, but could be a guy who is just putting up numbers (18 points per game) on a bad team.

• Derrick Jones Jr.: I’d rather see the Pistons take a risk on a guy like Derrick Jones Jr. than to pay big money for someone who might not move the needle. He’s athletic, can defend, and probably won’t break the bank, but he’s pretty much Hamidou Diallo, as he can’t score, so I’m not sure he’d be much of an upgrade.
• PJ Washington: He can block shots and shoot a little, so he’s another guy the Pistons might be interested in as a bench piece, but Washington obviously views himself as a starter. He’s better than Marvin Bagley III in some areas, but there are some questions of how he would fit into the rotation and he’ll be a restricted free agent.
• Grant Williams: I like Williams and wrote about him as a possibility already. He’s tough, can defend on the wing and is currently shooting over 51 percent from 3-point range. But he’s a role player on a very good team, so is he really good or is he just the product of a well-built team? He would be a risk, as he’d be asked to do more in Detroit, and he may just be more of a good role player on a good team.

The rest of the list is mostly populated by players with injury histories, who are past their prime, or middling young players who haven’t yet proven themselves.

It’s a deep group of names, but not all of them will be there or really fill the Detroit Pistons’ needs, so they may have to turn to trades to find their guy. I think we’re going to see Troy Weaver scouring the league for trades, as the free-agent options are limited.