Over the last several seasons, the Detroit Pistons’ roster has had something in common.
They’ve had at least one spot populated by a veteran who was brought in to “mentor” their young players and contribute little else. Guys like Cory Joseph and Rodney McGruder played this part in recent years, providing the Pistons little without the hope of future upside.
As the team tries to pivot towards being competitive, they can’t waste roster spots on guys who aren’t contributing or offering hope for the future.
The Detroit Pistons still haven’t ruled out bringing back Rodney McGruder for their final roster spot, but this would be a mistake.
The Detroit Pistons have better veterans
If the Detroit Pistons are really looking for veteran mentors then I would like to put myself up for the job. If they just need someone to hustle around the gym and offer sage life advice, I am their man, and I have a long record of teaching and helping young people succeed as a former professor.
But I have a better idea: Get someone who can mentor AND play. Hopefully, the Pistons have that now with Monte Morris, who should be able to help the young players while also contributing on the court.
And with Bojan Bogdanovic and Joe Harris in the mix, the Pistons don’t need to waste a roster spot on a veteran mentor, unless of course they’d like to give that spot to me. I’ll happily take the veteran’s minimum.
The Pistons should take a stab at an undrafted free agent
For a team that has been so bad over the last four seasons, the Detroit Pistons have been unable to unearth a hidden gem late or even outside of the draft. The best teams find players on lowball contracts who can contribute, as the Lakers did with Austin Reaves, who is now one of the stars of Team USA, and a guy the Pistons could have had.
Wasting a roster spot on a known veteran commodity to be a back-of-the-bench mentor makes no sense for a team that needs to find impact talent. They may strike out again, but I’d keep adding long, athletic forwards until they eventually find one that sticks.
The Detroit Pistons may make another trade
Last year the Detroit Pistons traded for Bojan Bogdanovic in September just a week before training camp, and don’t be surprised if it happens again this September.
With star names like James Harden and Damian Lillard still likely to be moved, Detroit would be smart to save an extra roster space in case they can add multiple players as the third team in one of these deals.
The Pistons have left that spot open for a reason, let’s hope it’s to take a chance on a young talent or to add a couple more players in a trade, as they are not in a position to waste another roster spot this season.