4 Pistons who are playing for their future in Detroit

4 Pistons playing for their future in Detroit

1. Marvin Bagley III

MBIII has played pretty well since coming back from injury, but he’s also shown some of the flaws that make him a tough sell at $12.5 million per season, a deal that Troy Weaver would probably like back.

Bagley III does have value as a backup center who can get buckets, but he’s not a good defender, is inconsistent on the boards, and hasn’t been able to stay healthy in his career. The Pistons also recently added James Wiseman, so getting minutes for four bigs won’t be easy next season, and MBIII is making too much to be a third center who never plays.

Of course, with the health issues the bigs have had, it could be a moot point, as they may not all be healthy at the same time.

But if one big man has to go in an effort to better balance the roster and build a cohesive team, MBIII is the likely candidate, as his skills are fairly redundant with Wiseman’s, Duren is the better (and cheaper) long-term prospect and Beef Stew is one of the team’s only decent defenders.

Trading Bagley III won’t necessarily be easy given that he has two more guaranteed seasons left at $12.5 million apiece, but he could be packaged as part of a deal if Detroit is looking for a change.

Right now, he needs to show that he can be healthy for even a 20-game stretch and that he can complement one of the other bigs, two things that I wouldn’t bet on. Like Hayes, Bagley III could be moved if Detroit feels their roster needs more than just minor adjustments this offseason, which it does.