Detroit Pistons: One big name or more depth in free agency?

Detroit Pistons: One big name or more depth in free agency?

Using cap space on one player

If the Detroit Pistons want to sign one of the top guys, then it is going to take most or all of their remaining cap space to do it.

As of the writing of this, Cameron Johnson could be the top target, as he is a good fit, could potentially be stolen from the Nets and will likely get an annual deal that falls within the Pistons’ budget.

Jerami Grant seems less likely, as his fate is tied to the Damian Lillard saga, and if Lillard stays in Portland, there is a good chance Grant does too.

So for now we will use Cam Johnson as the example player in this scenario. First off, there is a good chance that Brooklyn will match any offer made for Johnson, as they are not going to want to lose one of the big pieces of the Kevin Durant trade for nothing. If they can’t work something out, they could pivot to a sign-and-trade to at least try to recoup some of their value.

So if the Pistons are going to get Johnson, it won’t be cheap. They will likely have to tender an offer of more than $100 million over four years, which may be too expensive for a guy who is 27-years-old and only played 225 games.

But if Detroit can land him using just money, here is what their depth chart could look like going into next season:

• Cade Cunningham/Killian Hayes/Marcus Sasser
• Jaden Ivey/Alec Burks
• Bojan Bogdanovic/Ausar Thompson
• Cam Johnson/Isaiah Stewart
• Jalen Duren/James Wiseman/Marvin Bagley III

You can switch guys in and out of the starting five, but this would be the gist of it. This is not a bad team, as there is playmaking and shooting in the starting lineup and tons of defense and athleticism coming off the bench to complement them.

This team could likely compete for the play-in but would definitely need big leaps from their young players to get there.