EDITOR’S NOTE: Bryn Forbes, who is one of the players elaborated upon in this article, was arrested on Wednesday after this article was published for allegedly assaulting a woman. He should no longer be considered a buyout option for the Detroit Pistons due to the serious nature of the allegations.
The trade deadline has finally passed for the Detroit Pistons, and now the buyout market is officially here.
The Detroit-Golden State-Atlanta-Portland four-team deal went through, meaning that the Pistons now have an open roster spot after sending out both Saddiq Bey and Kevin Knox, while only receiving James Wiseman in return.
There are plenty of ways to go with the open spot, and the Pistons may find additional spots if they decide to buyout any of their own veterans.
The most likely route for Detroit to fill holes this season is by taking shots on younger players trying to make a name for themselves in the league. This can be done by throwing out some 10-day contract offers and seeing if anyone proves that they should stick around for longer.
However, now that the trade deadline has passed, other teams around the league are starting to waive players taking up empty space and reach buyout agreements with guys who can find a home elsewhere.
I don’t expect the Detroit Pistons to be a big player in the buyout market, if at all. The vast majority of players bought out are veterans seeking to join a contender. Older players don’t fit Detroit’s timeline, and they can’t offer anything close to a win-now situation. But, if GM Troy Weaver and his front office see a guy that they think can prove himself as a contributor to next year’s team, they may surprise us by bringing someone in for an end-of-season audition.
If that’s the case, who are some free agent and buyout candidates that could fit in Detroit?