The Detroit Pistons have come up in nearly every conversation regarding teams that are expected to be aggressive this offseason.
Trajan Langdon is determined to land Cade Cunningham some help, and though it's at the top of his to-do list, his options are already starting to become limited.
Free agency is less than one week away, and the Pistons' reported interest in Austin Reaves and Coby White suggested that Detroit could be looking to make a splash to bolster J.B. Bickerstaff's squad.
However, with Reaves inking a deal to return to the Los Angeles Lakers, and the Charlotte Hornets quickly pivoting to lockdown Coby White after shockingly trading LaMelo Ball out of the blue, Detroit's options in free agency are starting to run thin.
The lack of free agency options is frustrating, but it always felt like the most likely avenue to bolster their roster would be the trade market.
Still, the Pistons have no time to waste, and if they don't move quickly, they could be forced to turn their attention to the worst-case scenario by signing Norman Powell on the open market,
Pistons are banking on the trade market
Detroit's move to offload Isaiah Stewart's $15 million contract on Wednesday seemed like a precursor to a bigger move incoming.
Names like Trey Murphy III and Tyler Herro have been floating around, but the Pistons aren't the only team who have their eyes on these top names.
The Pistons can't afford to miss out on a top option, feeling like Powell is an acceptable backup plan, because, in reality, inking the veteran guard to a deal would be a short-sided solution, whose financial implications could put the team in a bad spot.
With names flying off the board in free agency, Detroit may need to turn up their pursuit to make a splash before they're left trying to talk themselves into a less intriguing option.
Could they turn their attention to pursuing Kawhi Leonard? What about putting all their chips into pursuing an All-NBA talent like Jaylen Brown?
Either of the above moves comes at a risk, given that Leonard is looking for an extension, and Brown's situation is trending towards the same future, though he's still under contract for three more years.
Regardless of what avenue the Pistons decide to go down, it feels like the likelihood of a free agency move being where a splash occurs is decreasing by the day, unless Powell truly is their Plan A.
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