Entering today, the Detroit Pistons found themselves in an unlikely position: Alone as the 6th seed in the Eastern Conference.
There is a lot of season left to play, but the Pistons are thoroughly in the mix for a playoff spot, something that seemed impossible after last year’s embarrassing debacle that caused Detroit to mercifully fire its front office and coaching staff.
The turnaround this season has been incredible, with All-Star Cade Cunningham leading the way. Aside from Cade, it’s been the veteran additions of Tobias Harris, Malik Beasley and Tim Hardaway Jr. that have made all of the difference.
Not only have these guys played well, but have added elements of leadership and stability that had been absent for years. They are a big part of this team’s chemistry and are making Trajan Langdon look like a genius, surely putting him in the running for Executive of the Year in just his first season as team president.
It’s been a great story, and one I can’t wait to watch play out this season, as this team is fun, has great chemistry and plays hard, entertaining basketball, which is all we ever wanted.
So, I’m not trying to put a damper on things, but it’s never too early to think about the future as we enter what could be a franchise-altering offseason next summer.
Detroit Pistons free agents: Big decisions looming
Of all the players listed above, only Tobias Harris is signed for next season, so the Pistons have some of their key players hitting free agency:
-Tim Hardaway Jr. (unrestricted free agent)
-Malik Beasley (unrestricted free agent)
-Dennis Schroder (unrestricted free agent)
-Paul Reed (unrestricted free agent)
Is the feel-good story from this season going to be enough to want to run it back with this group?
Pistons fans are desperate for the team to add another star, but quickly forgot that Jaden Ivey was starting to look like one himself. His injury was brutal for him mostly, but also robbed the Pistons of a chance to evaluate him further.
It may lead Langdon to wonder if he really needs to add a big name or if that guy is already on the roster. You could say the same about Ausar Thompson, who has been working into form and adding elements to his game that could make him a star.
Langdon may be inclined to see if continued improvement from those two guys (along with Ron Holland II) is enough if he just keep the team he has.
THJ has been solid as a starter for the Pistons, hitting a ton of big shots, suiting up nearly every night and adding stability and leadership. But it’s going to be difficult for the Pistons to bring him back, especially at anywhere near the rate ($16 million) he’s on now.
He seems to enjoy playing in Detroit, so it’s possible they’ll work something out, but the Pistons are going to be limited on cap space after Cunningham’s extension kicks in, so there will be some cap casualties.
Malik Beasley has expressed interest in staying but it won’t be easy to keep him given his salary, as he is going to get a pay bump after the way he’s played this season and there is only so much the Pistons can offer him. I hope the two sides can work something out, as Beasley has been great as a player, leader and energizer.
The recently-signed Dennis Schroder is still in the “pending evaluation” stage of his Pistons’ career, but if he proves himself to be a valuable backup point guard, it’s a role the Pistons might have interest in long-term.
He is friends with Beasley, and has talked about all of the love he’s gotten in Detroit, but like Beasley, he’ll garner interest on the free-agent market from other teams and the Pistons will have to bid for his services like anyone else.
Paul Reed has been good in his 3rd-center role when called upon, but is the least of the Pistons’ concerns, as they will have to fill out the rest of their roster before they worry about the 11th guy.
These are problems the Pistons probably didn’t expect to have, as all of these players were brought in as short-term stopgaps, but have proven to be a valuable part of the roster and culture.
Trajan Langdon is going to have to juggle keeping the momentum from this season with the need to add more talent to the roster, as he doesn’t want to give up quality depth to chase one guy. This is going to be an interesting summer.