Trajon Langdon will evaluate the Detroit Pistons after the playoffs and tweak his roster accordingly, which could include adding a free-agent scorer like Norman Powell.
When I say “like” Norman Powell, I actually mean Norman Powell, as there aren’t any other players like him in what is one of the all-time dud free agent classes.
It is headlined by mediocre players on huge contracts with player options, guys like Trae Young and Zach LaVine, who aren’t going to turn down huge paydays.
You have LeBron (no) and a slew of older players, many of them like Kristaps Porzingis and Khris Middleton, who are probably on their way out of the league because of injuries.
Free agency is not what it used to be, as most players are trying to avoid it at all costs, instead hoping to be traded to their future team and extended without ever sniffing free agency.
This is a stark contrast to the past when the dream for a player was to hit unrestricted free agency in their prime to max out their possible payday. But the new tax rules mean teams have less cap space in general and are no longer looking to make their big splash in free agency.
That probably applies to the Pistons, who will be giving Jalen Duren a big raise this offseason and have to plan for the futures of Ausar Thompson and Ron Holland II.
There is one free agent who stands out, but even he will be tough for the Pistons to take on.
Norman Powell would be a nice fit on the Pistons
If the Pistons win a couple of playoff series, make the Eastern Conference Finals or even the Finals, then Trajan Langdon may head into next offseason thinking he doesn’t have much to do, but if they come up short, they will be looking for ways to add to a team that is already very good.
That would likely be on the offensive end, where Detroit could use another consistent 20+ ppg scorer, someone exactly like Norman Powell, who has quietly been one of the most consistent scorers in the NBA for most of his career.
Powell is averaging over 23 a game this season and doing it efficiently on 47/40/84 shooting splits that would look great as a second fiddle next to Cade Cunningham.
I was hoping the Pistons might make a move for Powell at the deadline, but they chose a less impactful and cheaper move in Kevin Huerter.
Powell will be an unrestricted free agent next summer, and the Pistons could have some amount of cap space depending on how they work their roster. Powell is a fit, but there are some problems.
The first is that he’ll be 33 years old next season, and it would likely take a lucrative multi-year deal to attract him to Detroit. Langdon has rightfully been cautious about giving out these types of deals to anyone over 30, but if he could get him for a similar deal as Tobias Harris, it could still work for the Pistons. But it does seem like someone will offer more.
Powell is one of the only attractive unrestricted free agents next summer, so every team looking for scoring pop will give his agent a call, making a 3–4-year deal more likely, which is something the Pistons should avoid.
In other words, if the Pistons make a big addition in the offseason, it’s not likely to be Powell or any other high profile free agent.