Detroit Pistons: Monte Morris breaking up the offseason narratives

The Detroit Pistons entered the offseason with a wad of cap space in their pockets and fans dreamed about landing a big free agent.

Reality quickly set in and it became apparent that players like Cam Johnson and Jerami Grant were not coming to Detroit. That may have been for the best, as it would have taken a boatload of money and neither of them expressed any interest in the Pistons.

So with just two more rookies and two veterans to show for their offseason so far, you can understand why some fans are disappointed. Sure, they may have improved, but hardly in ways that are going to have fans making reaction videos on YouTube.

So along with excitement over Monty Williams and Ausar Thompson, two of the dominant narratives of the offseason have been:

• The Detroit Pistons can’t draw a free agent
• The Pistons “didn’t do anything” this offseason

There may be some truth to both of them, but Monte Morris is one player who actually wants to be in Detroit and is eager to prove his addition wasn’t just for an expiring contract.

Detroit Pistons: Monte Morris breaking up the offseason narratives

Monte Morris didn’t come to the Detroit Pistons as a free agent, and yes, it is true that Detroit has never been a marquee free-agent destination. But Morris, who is from Michigan, said that he “dreamed about playing for the Pistons” since he was a little kid, and was ecstatic when he found out he had been traded back to his home state and the team he grew up watching:

Morris will be a free agent at the end of the season, and as quality backup point guard who protects the ball and shoots a high percentage from 3-point range, there is every reason to believe the Pistons will try to retain him.

Other teams will be after Morris as well, but this is one of the rare situations where Detroit might actually have an advantage in the free agent market. The top guys are never going to flock to Detroit (until they are good at least) but there are quality players out there who aren’t just looking to end up on a coast and these are the free agents that Detroit will target.

Having players around who chose Detroit should have a beneficial effect on the culture they are trying to build, but Morris is more than that.

The 28-year-old is a very good player who should help solidify and improve the Pistons’ guard ranks in the same ways that Ricky Rubio did for Monty Williams in his first season with the Suns. Morris will give Williams a reliable veteran to lean on, so expect Morris to play big minutes and often be on the floor during crunch time.

While he may not be a star, Morris is a lot more than “nothing” and actually wants to be in Detroit, two things that will benefit the young Pistons’ roster next season and add some positivity to otherwise negative narratives.