The Detroit Pistons should once again have a huge amount of cap space at the end of this season.
But the question is whether they will actually spend it. One of the biggest criticisms of Troy Weaver is that he has not used his cap space to acquire players who can help the team win games, instead continually punting it down the road, as he did with the expiring contract of Joe Harris. “Joe Harris’ expiring contract” is now his full name.
The Pistons could have even more cap space next offseason, as they will have as many as six players coming off the books. I feel like Charlie Brown thinking this will finally be the time he kicks the football before Lucy pulls it away, but could this be the year the Pistons do something with their cap space?
A recent article from Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report looked at some of 2024’s top unrestricted free agents and named the Detroit Pistons as an alternative landing spot for several of them. This article was no way saying that these players are going to end up in Detroit, in fact, with most of them, the Pistons have little to no chance.
Two NBA free agents who are not coming to the Detroit Pistons
Kawhi Leonard and Paul George
I’m just going to lump these two together because I see no chance either of them will ever play in Detroit. Both have huge player options for next season, and as B/R rightfully states, will likely sign extensions to stay with the Clippers. Both are LA guys and there’s no way they are going to choose Detroit in free agency.
Even if the Clippers flame out this season, they are far more likely not to bring back James Harden than either of these two, though there is an argument they should trade one of them and do a soft rebuild around the other, as this duo seems to have hit their ceiling.
Another free agent the Pistons aren’t going to get, but his teammate?
Klay Thompson
It’s hard to imagine a scenario in which Klay Thompson does not finish his career with the Golden State Warriors. He and the team are reportedly far apart on contract negotiations, but I have to believe Golden State will do what it takes to keep Klay.
That could include trading Chris Paul in the offseason or possibly cutting ties with a guy like Andrew Wiggins.
I don’t think the Pistons have any shot at landing Klay, though he would be a perfect fit next to Cade Cunningham, but the Warriors are a team to monitor, as guys like Wiggins and Jonathan Kuminga could become available if Golden State needs to cut payroll.
Wiggins has been bad this season so far, but this is a guy who was one of the best 3-and-D forwards in the league over the past several years, one season removed from making the All-Star team. He’d be a risk, as he still has three years left on his deal, but at a reasonable salary. He’s still only 28-years-old and if the Warriors wanted to move him for more long-term flexibility, a guy like Bojan Bogdanovic, whose final year is not guaranteed, could be an answer.
The Detroit Pistons could get Pascal Siakam, but do we really want him?
Pascal Siakam
The last player B/R named as a possibility for Detroit is Pascal Siakam, who is by far the most likely of this group.
Siakam is in the final year of his deal and will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. B/R predicts that he will be traded to the team that eventually re-signs him, but we should probably hope that team is not the Detroit Pistons.
Don’t get me wrong, Siakam is good, but he has some things going against him. The first is that Detroit might have to trade for him, a massive risk considering his pending free agency. If they really want him they should just wait so they don’t have to give up anything but money to get him. If some other team like the Pacers wants to swoop in, offer a nice trade package, and land Siakam before maxing him, go for it.
The second is that next contract. Are we sure we want to be paying max money to a 30-year-old Siakam? He’s still good, but there are reasons to be concerned about his future and his possible fit. He’s not a good 3-point shooter and his numbers have dipped even more so far this season, as he is hitting just 29 percent on over five attempts per game. Siakam is shooting just 45 percent overall, worst of his career, and all of his counting stats are down.
It’s still very early, but paying max dollars for a guy who is past his prime is not a recipe for success in team building. This is especially true when Isaiah Stewart is playing well and on a team-friendly contract.
Siakam may be gettable but the price will be high and it could burn the Pistons in the end.