6 Offseason tasks the Detroit Pistons should already be working on

6 Offseason tasks the Detroit Pistons should already be working on

#2: Put out feelers for trades

The Detroit Pistons have enough cap space to pursue any free agent out there, but they could also use that space to make trades. They also have several players that may not be fits, or who could be used as trade assets, so the feelers should be going out now. This task is really made up of three jobs:

• Is there a trade out there for Marvin Bagley III? He is making too much money to be a third center and the fit with him at power forward has yet to yield much in the way of positive results. The $25 million guaranteed he is owed won’t be easy to move considering he has missed significant time with injury again. The Pistons don’t want to get into a situation where they have to attach an asset to move MBIII, but if they could find a similarly onerous contract of a player who is a better fit and also needs a new team, they should identify and target that guy. Troy Weaver should be on the phone with every team that might need scoring punch at center.

• Who really wants Scoot Henderson? If the Pistons were to land the second pick and don’t feel Henderson is a good fit with what they have, it would give them a considerable trade asset and could open up a lot of scenarios. They need to identify the teams that are high on Henderson and start feeling out what they might be willing to give up. If Detroit sees Henderson as a prospect who is too good to pass up, then they will just take him and figure out the fit, but if they like someone else just as much, they could reap the benefits of trading back or even moving that pick for a more established player. If the Pistons like Miller anyway, trading out of the #2 spot makes a lot of sense.
• What about Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks? The Detroit Pistons didn’t end up moving their veterans at the trade deadline which was somewhat of a surprise. But if they want to make a move for a star player this offseason, these two veterans are their best trade chips. On their own, they aren’t going to net much more than mediocre draft assets, but if Detroit had the #2 pick, Bogdanovic and a third team, making a move for someone like Jaylen Brown could be possible. Even without a big move, will Detroit go into next season with two guys who missed most of the home stretch? Are these “injuries” keeping them out of the lineup real or are they just trying to make sure they are healthy for possible trades? What teams out there think Bogdanovic might be enough to push them over the top? All of these questions need to be explored and answered so Detroit can act decisively when the offseason starts.