Detroit faces big drop off in targets after Kawhi Leonard spurns Pistons

The Detroit Pistons have been aggressively exploring the free agent and trade market but have so far come up empty. 

They tried to land Tyler Herro, but Milwaukee had other plans, though that deal may still be fluid. Detroit reportedly made a big move for Austin Reaves, which forced the Lakers to speed up their plans and give him a max deal. 

Next up was Kawhi Leonard, who was apparently on Detroit’s radar up until the point he said he would never sign an extension in Detroit, which is shocking to absolutely no one. 

The Pistons cleared salary in the Isaiah Stewart trade with the goal of landing a big target, but with free agency looming next week, those targets are starting to dwindle, and there is a big drop off from the names we’ve been hearing. 

Did the Pistons have a plan or a dream? 

I have to say, I thought the Isaiah Stewart trade would be followed by something big happening almost immediately, as they wouldn’t trade the heart of their team without a plan in place...right? 

It was clear Stewart was going to be moved this summer, but it’s somewhat disappointing and surprising that the Pistons did it without a clear plan already in place. It’s possible that they still do, and are just biding their time to execute it, but given that they’ve struck out on all of their targets so far, it’s not a great sign. 

Why the pivot to free agents? 

The Pistons weren’t expected to go the free-agent route, as it was going to be difficult for them to cobble together the cap space to do it without cutting several rotation players. 

I always figured trades were their best avenue, as top free agents rarely change teams anymore. 

There’s also a massive drop off in talent once you get past the top guys, so I was somewhat surprised to see the Pistons clearing cap space to make a run at a free agent like Reaves. 

The Pistons seem to be working their way down a list, and unfortunately, there is a big gap between Kawhi Leonard and the next realistic target. 

Trading Beef Stew away only to sign 33-year-old Norman Powell would not be a great tradeoff for Detroit in terms of asset management and value. 

Powell alone is also not going to move the needle much for a team that needs more than chuckers. They also need guys who can handle the ball and create, and Powell is more of an isolation player. 

Past him, it gets even more grim, with players like John Collins or Bennedict Mathurin. 

I trust Trajan Langdon will eventually land an impact player, but after missing out on some of the top guys, the options are not as appealing. 

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