Detroit Pistons: Adding Wiseman makes Weaver’s offseason mission clear

General manager Troy Weaver of the Detroit Pistons (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
General manager Troy Weaver of the Detroit Pistons (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

When the Detroit Pistons traded forwards Saddiq Bey and Kevin Knox for James Wiseman, a couple of things became crystal clear.

The first is that the Pistons don’t need any more young centers for the foreseeable future, as they already have Jalen Duren, Marvin Bagley III and Isaiah Stewart to go along with Wiseman and all of them are 23-years-old or younger.

Before the Bey trade, you could argue that the Pistons did need to add another backup big, as MBIII has been completely unreliable, Stewart is more of a power forward and Nerlens Noel is washed and won’t be on the roster next season.

The second thing that is now crystal clear (as if it wasn’t already) is that the Detroit Pistons need small forwards, as they arguably don’t really have one on the team, though Bojan Bogdanovic will technically start at the position.

Bogdanovic is probably better at the four at this stage of his career, especially defensively, and if you take him out of the equation, there isn’t another starting-caliber wing on the team.

Hamidou Diallo can play there, but he’s on an expiring deal and it’s still up in the air whether the Pistons will re-sign him. Isaiah Livers can play some at wing, but he’s also better suited for the four defensively, as he has been one of the worst isolation defenders in the NBA this season, which doesn’t bode well for his chances on the wing.

Bey was somewhat holding down the position at times, but he too was likely miscast and is now an Atlanta Hawk anyway, which leaves a big gaping hole where a starting small forward should be.

Detroit Pistons: Troy Weaver’s offseason mission is clear

Troy Weaver will be under more pressure this offseason than he has been in his tenure as the Pistons’ GM. He has talked a big game about “being great” next season and it is time to get it done, and that starts by adding some wings that can actually defend the position.

The problem is that there aren’t a lot of great options in free agency. You have former Piston Jerami Grant, who is not really a small forward either, but would give Detroit a more versatile defender who has shown that he can be efficient off the ball.

In fact, none of the top free agents are true small forwards, so the Detroit Pistons could look to make some trades, or try to find their next starting small forward in the draft.

If the Pistons drop out of the top two, the draft option becomes a lot more viable, as almost all of the next tier of players are on the wing, including guys like Amen Thompson and Brandon Miller, who some think could end up being the #2 pick.

The good news is that the Detroit Pistons have a clear agenda heading into the offseason, so now all they have to do is get it done, as Troy Weaver will be judged more by wins and losses next season and has to add talent on the wing.