The Detroit Pistons are under some amount of pressure to improve next season, as they’ve used up all of their tanking good will and need to show fans some results.
Troy Weaver’s seat will start to get hot soon if his vision does not come to fruition, which would include being competitive in the Eastern Conference next season.
But that’s nothing compared to what the Milwaukee Bucks are facing.
The Bucks have a rapidly aging roster around Giannis Antetokounmpo, who refused to sign an extension until he sees some proof that the Bucks will be contenders for the foreseeable future.
That’s not going to be easy for a capped out team with a lot of key players on the wrong side of 30, including Jrue Holiday, Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez.
This is precisely why ESPN’s Zach Lowe thinks the Bucks are going to make a move.
Detroit Pistons: Milwaukee Bucks feeling the heat
On a recent episode of the Lowe Post podcast, NBA guru Zach Lowe explained the challenges the Bucks face when it comes to keeping their two-time MVP.
Antetokounmpo has made it clear that he wants to win more titles and doesn’t care where that happens, even hinting that he would go join Golden State if needed to.
But Giannis has also said that he would be happy spending his entire career in Milwaukee, so the Bucks have two seasons to show Giannis that they are the best spot for him to rack up more rings.
Zach Lowe thinks that means at least getting to the NBA Finals next season or winning a title to show that the Lopez, Holiday, Middleton group has a few more runs left in them.
But they are going to need help for that to happen: Enter the Detroit Pistons.
The Bucks have several interesting assets, including a 2029 1st-round pick that could be extremely valuable given the age and timeline of their roster.
Lowe thinks the Pistons may have exactly what the Bucks need.