The offseason is well into the most boring part of the NBA calendar, with nothing much happening, so now seems like the perfect time to look to the future of the Detroit Pistons.
There are only a handful of locks for the rotation so far, and the Pistons’ roster could still look much different by the time preseason rolls around. Don’t be surprised to see a September trade, but as of right now, things have gone quiet in Detroit.
It probably wouldn’t be the smartest idea to place bets at this time of year, but you can find good value at times as rosters are not completely set and a couple of big moves could drastically change the landscape of the NBA and cause a big shift in the odds.
Getting locked in now can be a way to find value but also a way to make a bet that makes you feel like an idiot 20 games into the season.
Here are some early odds and bets for the Detroit Pistons and whether you should play or pass.
Play or pass? Best future bets on the Detroit Pistons
All of these odds come from Fanduel.
Pistons to win the title (+50000): PASS
Unless you like throwing your money away, this is an obvious pass, as the Detroit Pistons are not going to win the title next season. I do think they have improved, but unless Cade Cunningham comes back as the MVP, this is a few seasons away from being a realistic possibility.
The Celtics have the best odds at +470 with the Nuggets right behind at +480 to repeat. When it comes to value, I hate to say it, but I kind of like the Lakers at +1500, as they’ve made some nice low-key additions this offseason.
Play or pass? Best future bets on the Detroit Pistons
MVP: PASS
There wasn’t a single member of the Detroit Pistons listed as an MVP candidate, which is fair. Even if Cade Cunningham or Jaden Ivey were to bust out for a huge year, they haven’t put in the time and likely won’t have the team success necessary to even be part of the conversation.
Nikola Jokic has the best odds at +430, with Giannis at +500, Luka at +650 and this year’s MVP Joel Embiid at +700 to repeat. Jokic probably should have won last season and is a good bet to win next year as long as the Nuggets are good.
Ausar Thompson to win Rookie of the Year (+5000): PLAY
Obviously, Victor Wembanyama is the favorite at -140, but behind him it is wide open. Wembanyama is going to be handled very carefully by the Spurs, who have already talked about load management for the young center. If Wembanyama doesn’t play enough games, the field is wide open behind him, which is why I do like Scoot Henderson at +460, especially if the Trail Blazers trade Lillard.
Ausar is a long shot here for a reason. He might not even be in the starting five at the beginning of the season, but he will stuff the scorecard either way, and who knows, if the Pistons make a big leap in wins and he is an obvious reason for it, then he could have a shot. I wouldn’t be putting your house on the line, but a small, long-shot bet is always fun.
Cade Cunningham to win Most Improved Player (+1300): PLAY
This one is another long shot no matter what the odds say, as any player could come out of nowhere to win this award. In some ways it’s the most difficult to predict, as we don’t know which guys are going to make a big jump statically.
But Cade has the second-best odds behind Mikal Bridges (+650) who figures to have the same featured role in Brooklyn that he had to finish last season. But is he really going to put up numbers that are better than the 26 ppg that he had last season in 27 games for Brooklyn? If he does that over a whole season, this award may be his.
But Cade was playing at an All Star level before he got injured, and has the advantage of not having a big body of work to look at. If he puts up 22/6/6 on efficient shooting and takes the Pistons to the play in, then he’ll get a lot of attention for this award.
Play or pass? Best future bets on the Detroit Pistons
The Pistons will select Bronny James in the 2024 NBA Draft (+4600): PLAY
2024 has a chance to be one of the most hilarious NBA Drafts of all time. LeBron James has made it clear that he wants to play with his son Bronny, and has arranged his contract so that he can be a free agent and go to whatever team drafts him.
I don’t care if Bronny is any good, and I really don’t care that LeBron is past his prime. If I were the Pistons, I would 100 percent draft Bronny if it meant LeBron would come and play a few seasons in Detroit. Why not? The two of them together would be the biggest story in the NBA, draw a ton of attention to whatever team does it and potentially give them the chance for one of the greatest players of all time to end his career in your city. It will be an absolute circus and I am here for it.
I doubt Troy Weaver would look at it in the same way and is probably not going to draft Bronny just to bait LeBron, but he is predicted to be a lottery pick (by some) and if the Pistons were in the late lottery or just outside of it in 2024, who knows.
Another fun bet that I wouldn’t put more than a pack of gum or so on. The Lakers have the best odds at +500.
Bojan Bogdanovic will win Clutch Player of the Year (+50000): PASS
He was the only Piston listed and I found it kind of funny that he was there at all, especially given the odds. Jaden Ivey was actually better in the clutch last season, and it’s possible that the Pistons aren’t going to be playing a lot of close games that they win next season, so I’d stay away from clutch Bojan, who shot 36 percent from the field and 27 percent from 3-point range in the clutch this past season.
Play or pass? Best future bets on the Detroit Pistons
Monty Williams will win Coach of the Year (+6000): PLAY
The best bet for the Detroit Pistons might not be on a player, but new head coach Monty Williams, who has already won the award twice.
This one is a long shot because the books are not confident that the Pistons will win enough games next season for Monty to really be considered. They might have a point, but there are a couple of things that make these odds a value bet.
The Pistons won just 17 games last season, so they have a chance to make the biggest leap in wins in the entire league. If they were to get to say, 35 wins, make the play-in while being competitive all season, then Monty Williams will get some buzz for the award, as he’ll be viewed as one of the primary reasons for the improvement.
Realistically, they would have to win more like 42 games to make the play in, and then probably win their game to get into the playoffs for Monty to really get any attention.
But I do like the Pistons to potentially double their win total, and if the rest of the Eastern Conference is down, who knows? Another long shot that might be worth a cup of coffee level bet.