The Detroit Pistons' offseason has come to a screeching halt after a flurry of early moves that saw moderate changes to a roster that won 60 games last season.
The offseason is not over, but while we are waiting for the Jalen Duren saga to end, now is a good time to look at who benefitted the most from the moves they've made so far and who came out on the other end.
Winner: Cade Cunningham
I thought about putting Cade in both categories, as I do think there is an argument that he was also the biggest loser of the offseason. The Pistons failed to get Cade Cunningham a second scorer, and he's heading into year six with the same glaring problem he had in year one.
The Pistons also didn't do much to improve their ball handling to help ease the burden he carries in that department, so the Pistons haven't yet checked off all of the to-do list they had coming into the offseason.
But they have improved their 3-point shooting by adding John Collins, Isaiah Joe, Taurean Prince and Gary Harris, which should have a ripple effect on their spacing, ball-handling and hopefully turnovers.
Cunningham will have a legit stretch-four for the first time in his career, along with several players who shoot over 40 percent from 3-point range after having just one real threat last season. There is going to be more space for him to operate, which should make things easier for Cunningham.
Loser: Jalen Duren and restricted free agency in general
Regardless of how this contract situation turns out, Duren has easily been the biggest loser of the offseason. He's not going to get the max contract he's eligible for and now we've spent the summer talking about how he's not worth it.
The team has lowballed him, Duren is clearly not happy about it, so this is going to linger on into August with no clear ending in sight.
Duren will eventually have to accept less money than he's eligible for or play out next season on the qualifying offer, which would be a huge risk. This can still have a happy ending, but it's not been a great summer for JD.
Restricted free agency has also taken a hit as teams try to navigate max deals and the tax aprons, so we are likely to see more of these situations play out.
Winners: Daniss Jenkins and Paul Reed
We went into the summer talking about all sorts of options for secondary creation, all of which would have pushed Jenkins further down the depth chart.
Instead, the Pistons just added a 19-year-old rookie for him to compete with, so unless there are further changes, Jenkins will have a real shot at the backup point guard spot next season and even an outside chance of being the starter.
That should be ample motivation for him to work his butt off this summer, which I am sure he will, and return in an even larger role next season.
The same could be said for Paul Reed, who was bumped up a spot on the depth chart when the Pistons jettisoned Isaiah Stewart. Reed should get real minutes next year and will finally have the role he has deserved.
Winner: Kevin Huerter's bank account
The Pistons signed Kevin Huerter to a confusing deal that seems to be an overpay for a guy who is not likely to start the season in the rotation.
I get why they did it. Huerter offers insurance against trading Duncan Robinson and it's a contract that could easily be aggregated into a bigger trade. The Huerter signing was more about future scenarios than present ones, but he'll still be cashing those checks.
Huerter will start the season as a deep bench player who is not getting paid like one, which is good work if you can get it.
Losers: Fans who wanted a splashy move
Pistons fans have turned into Charlie Brown every offseason and trade deadline, as we keep thinking this is the time they are going to make the splashy move we've been talking about for years, only to have the front office pull it away at the last minute.
The "big move" was all anyone talked about and it did seem like there was momentum at times this summer with every name from Kawhi Leonard to Kyrie Irving to Kevin Durant thrown out there.
But it never happened for one reason or another so all of that anticipation for the big announcement was for nothing, which is understandably frustrating for some fans. But don't worry, there is always next trade deadline!
The Pistons offseason hasn't had extreme highs or lows but there were some winners to go with players and fans who wish things had gone differently.
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