The Detroit Pistons finalized their roster ahead of the 2023-24 season but still have plenty of questions hanging over them.
The Pistons, for what seems like the 20th straight season, will start shorthanded with Bojan Bogdanovic, Monte Morris and Isaiah Livers all ruled out for the opener.
This is not ideal for a young roster that needs veterans and shooting, but it will give chances to players like Killian Hayes and Marcus Sasser, who should get minutes with both Bojan and Morris out.
We’ll start to get answers tomorrow, as the Pistons will take on the Miami Heat on the road to tip off the season.
Detroit Pistons final roster
Here are the 14 players on the Detroit Pistons full-time roster to start the 2023-24 season:
- Bojan Bogdanovic
- Joe Harris
- Marvin Bagley III
- James Wiseman
- Cade Cunningham
- Alec Burks
- Monte Morris
- Ausar Thompson
- Jaden Ivey
- Killian Hayes
- Isaiah Stewart
- Jalen Duren
- Marcus Sasser
- Isaiah Livers
Pistons two-way contracts
- Malcolm Cazalon
- Jared Rhoden
- Stanley Umude
We may see Cazalon or Umude early on, especially of Bogdanovic has to miss extended time.
What will the Pistons do with their final roster spot?
With only 14 spots filled, the Detroit Pistons will go into this season with an open roster spot. There haven’t been any waived players who caught their attention, so it’s likely they are now saving this spot for a future trade.
Having an open space allows the Pistons more flexibility to take back multiple players, which could happen if/when they decide to trade Bogdanovic, Burks and Joe Harris this season.
Will the Pistons be buyers or sellers at the trade deadline?
This remains to be seen. They have six expiring contracts plus Bojan’s semi-expiring deal, and if they are sellers, Detroit could trade some or all of them for younger players and picks, which would not go along with Troy Weaver’s goal to be competitive all season.
This could be the year when the Pistons look to package one or more of their veteran shooters and a young player or pick to land an impact player. I have a few in mind, but we’ll have to see how things shake out in the first half of the season before we know who will be available.