Troy Weaver has a tough balancing act to navigate this offseason for the Detroit Pistons.
On one hand, he doesn’t want to rush the rebuild by making a questionable signing in free agency, but on the other, he is under some amount of pressure to build a winner in Detroit.
Most fans understand this, and will be happy if the Pistons just make some progress next season. We’ve been patient thus far but it would be nice to see some evidence that there is an end to all of this losing in sight.
Weaver is also hampered by the fact that the Pistons still owe a future first-round pick to the Knicks and the 2023 free-agent class isn’t that great, which will make it more challenging to add a star-level talent this offseason. He’s going to have to resist the urge to overpay a role player, which is the exact thing that has doomed the GM’s that came before him.
And as much as fans don’t want to hear this, it might be smarter to hold onto some of that cap space, as there are possible free agents in 2024 who are better than anyone available this summer.
Detroit Pistons: 2023 NBA free agents
When looking at the possibilities for unrestricted free agents in 2024, the first name that really stands out is Jaylen Brown. Brown is already a proven two-way star who can do everything you want from a modern wing. He’s averaging just under 27 points and seven rebounds per game, can shoot the 3-ball, and is a tough defender across several positions.
He’d be a perfect fit with Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren and the timing might be right, as the Pistons will potentially have the cap space and will finally be in a position where adding a star could make them a contender in the Eastern Conference. If you look at how Cleveland was able to first get to the play-in, then add Donovan Mitchell, it makes sense that Detroit could do the same if they make a leap into play-in contention next season.
Brown was recently non-committal when asked about his future in Boston, so who knows, he may go looking for greener pastures. Brown is better than any free agent this offseason, will be in his prime and the timing and fit could be perfect.
He’s not the only one, as the 2024 free-agent group also includes Pascal Siakam, Kristaps Porzingis, Klay Thompson, and Domantas Sabonis to go along with a long list of quality role players.
Of course, many of these players could re-sign with their current teams or get traded, so the Pistons can’t just sit on their hands waiting and hoping. Weaver has to find a way to improve the team this offseason without completely hampering them financially for the next one.
I don’t envy him, as it’s no easy task to placate the impatient while trying to look years into the future.