Pistons missed on one unicorn but could target another in free agency

Detroit Pistons: Pursuing Kristaps Porzingis in NBA free agency

One player to watch this summer is Wizards’ forward Kristaps Porzingis, who was the original 7-foot-3 unicorn in the NBA.

Porzingis has a player option for next season and has until June 21st to exercise it or he becomes a free agent.

He is due to make $36 million next season, so turning it down would be somewhat of a gamble, but considering he’s coming off his best season as a pro, he’s likely to decline the option in favor of a long-term deal.

There is every indication that the Wizards are going to offer him one, as they will be desperate to keep some talent around Bradley Beal. They can offer Porzingis a four year extension up to $180 million, making the total deal worth around $216 million, so he’d be leaving some money on the table if he were to go to free agency.

There’s also the fact that many other teams would have interest in Porzingis if he hits the market, as he averaged 23 points, 8 rebounds and 2.7 assists this season in 65 games, second-highest of his career. The big man shot just under 50 percent from the floor and 38.5 percent from 3-point range while blocking 1.5 shots per game.

When Porzingis is healthy, there aren’t many players with his combination of scoring prowess and rim protection, so if he does hit the market, the Detroit Pistons would not be the only team interested, but they are one of the few with the cap space to get him, though they would have to move some things around.

It’s hard to believe that the Wizards would just let him walk, so the possibility of a sign-and-trade is also there, which would complicate things significantly for the Pistons, though they could still potentially work something out around Bojan Bogdanovic.

It’s a long shot, but after missing out on Wembanyama, there might not be a better fit than Porzingis.