The Detroit Pistons will head into the offseason with plenty of questions hanging over the team.
They have to decide whether to bring back head coach Dwane Casey, who still has a year left on his contract, and will also have to make decisions on several players who are going to be free agents.
Most of the free agent decisions are pretty easy, though Hamidou Diallo’s recent play has made that one a little more difficult. Unfortunately, Diallo was recently ruled out for the season, so he may have played his final game in Detroit and will be left out of this discussion, as his case is already made.
Isaiah Livers and Isaiah Stewart are also likely to be back, and we could see both of them get extensions this offseason if the price is right.
But there are four players who are fighting for their future with the team right now. Let’s start with two guys on the fringe.
4 Pistons playing for their future in Detroit
4. Cory Joseph
I can hear eyes rolling around the state of Michigan. It’s not likely that CoJo will be back, as he is having one of the worst seasons of his career. But if Dwane Casey stays, you never know, as he has shown an affinity for the veteran. If the Pistons end up with an extra roster spot or two after everything is settled (unlikely) they could look for a veteran to fill the 3rd point guard spot, a job that Joseph is tailor-made for. But they can probably do better, so even though Joseph is playing big minutes right now and Casey trusts him, it’s likely he’s done in Detroit after this season.
3. Eugene Omoruyi
Omoruyi was a curious roster addition given that he is already 26-years-old, but he’s been a bit of a late bloomer who didn’t even touch a basketball competitively until he was in his second year of high school.
He’s currently on a 10-day contract and likely to get plenty of run with all of the injuries the Pistons have right now. Omoruyi had a nice game last night against the Wizards with 15 points, six rebounds and steal while playing decent defense on the wing. He’s extremely unlikely to get a full-time roster spot, but he’s a prime candidate for a two-way deal next season, as Detroit has gotten nothing from their two-way players this year and need some guys who could actually come in and provide some depth in a pinch.