The Detroit Pistons are set to enter this offseason period with plenty of cap space. While Troy Weaver does have a number of decisions to make on who stays and who goes, the hardest decision is whether to keep Hamidou Diallo for another season.
A few months ago, we discussed how Diallo was playing himself into a bigger contract. Now that the decision is coming up, let’s discuss where he could potentially end up if he doesn’t re-sign with the Detroit Pistons.
Detroit Pistons: Hamidou Diallo Makes History
Hami had a career year, shooting 57 percent from the field, the highest mark in his five years in the league. Not only did he lead all NBA guards in field goal percentage this season, but he made history by sporting the 9th highest FG percentage by a guard in NBA history.
While most of Diallo’s shots came at the rim, setting the three-point attempts aside and focusing on his strengths was beneficial for him in a contract year. While Diallo may not be the most complete player (that shot limits his ceiling) he is still a young player with upside. Mostly relegated to a back of the bench role at the commencement of the past two seasons, Diallo has played himself into minutes in each. This past season, he was a plus whenever he was on the court. For a season in which development took precedence over winning, Diallo was a bright spot.
Hamidou Diallo will by no means be a primary free-agent target, as estimates place his next contract in the 8 to 10 million dollar a year range. Hami’s last free agency stint didn’t play out as well as he would have hoped, finally accepting a lowball offer to stay with theDetroit Pistons, but the landscape is much different than it was last time. His solid play and positional versatility at least earned him a chance to score a bigger contract and there are a few teams in the league that may be potential suitors.
Sacramento Kings
The Kings will be looking to continue this brand new playoff streak (of one) and a player with the speed, athleticism and hustle that Diallo brings to the court could be a great fit. The Kings sported the league’s highest offensive rating this past season, and were first in transition attempts per game and frequency. In short, the Kings really like to run. On the opposite end of the court though, the Kings were 7th to last in defensive rating. The Kings know where they need to improve for next season and upgrading defense while keeping that pace up is most likely where that will be.
Diallo would fit the offense like a glove, especially surrounded by Sacramento’s abundance of shooters. Getting out in transition and putting the ball in the basket with a thundering dunk is definitely a strength for him. On the less glamorous end of the floor, Hami fits in as a serviceable stopper. He has shown that he can play all the way up to the five, (Diallo vs. Valunciunas ftw) and could provide a burst of speed and energy. Is there a more solid fit here for Diallo than the Kings?
With Harrison Barnes hitting free agency and Richaun Holmes obviously needing a change of scenery, the Kings could have the cap space to make this work.
3 teams that could steal Hamidou Diallo from the Detroit Pistons
Utah Jazz
The Jazz rebuild is moving at lightning speed. Danny Ainge came in, cleaned house and collected a boatload of draft picks. As we know, he didn’t stop there.
Walker Kessler was a steal in the Rudy Gobert trade, looking like the center position never changed players. Finnish giant Lauri Markkanen broke out in a big way. A few others, such as lottery pick Ochai Agbaji, Talen Horton-Tucker and Collin Sexton all flashed potential as well. Even former Detroit Piston Kelly Olynyk proved his shooting in the state of “Salt and Lakes” (I for one, am all about rebranding the Jazz the Utah Salty Lakes as of this moment).
Utah projects to have oodles of cap space this offseason. With Jordan Clarkson, Horton-Tucker, Olynyk, Rudy Gay and Damion Jones all potentially hitting the free-agent market, the Jazz will most likely have even more oodles of this aforementioned space (So many oodles!). Who to keep, and who to bring in, will be a big topic of discussion in Utah.
Athleticism is needed with this team, a solid spark off the bench as well. Diallo also appears to fit the timeline this team is currently on.
3 teams that could steal Hamidou Diallo from the Detroit Pistons
Denver Nuggets
Surprised to see this one here? Denver may not appear to be a great fit for Diallo at first glance, but something big is coming this offseason for the Nuggets.
Bruce Brown currently provides the spark and swiss-army knife slot for the Nuggets. He has played so well this season that a big payday is definitely on the horizon. Rumblings around the league are that he will be taking off in free-agency and chasing a bag. Who can blame him? He has a player option for this season and may not return, so how will the Nuggets fill the gaping void left over by his departure?
Hamidou Diallo is no Bruce Brown, he would be a band-aid here. However, while not as much of a swiss-army knife as Brown is, Diallo has shown that he can wear many hats. He can score at the rim, he can get those steals and he can hold his own on the defensive end.
Here is a bit of a comparison for reference.
- MPG – Diallo 17.8 – Brown 28.5
- PPG – Diallo 9.3 – Brown 11.4
- FG% – Diallo 57.3 – Brown 48.3
- 3P% – Diallo 23.8 – Brown 35.8
- FGA – Diallo 6.7 – Brown 9.3
- AST – Diallo 1.0 – Brown 2.3
- STL – Diallo 0.9 – Brown 1.1
- REB – Diallo 3.5 – Brown 4.1
Brown may be a better facilitator, but they are surprisingly close.
Who do you think could swoop Hamidou Diallo away? Do you have any ideas on fit? Let us know in the comments below.