The Detroit Pistons still have plenty of questions as they head into the 2024-25 regular season, but they answered one of them today with the announcement of a slew of roster cuts.
We wondered if any of the training camp invites could make the final roster, even as two-way players, and so far, the answer is no, though the Pistons could certainly decide to sign anothe two-way player before the season begins.
The Pistons announced that they waived five exhibit 10 and/or training camp contracts, including Aaron Estrada, Javante McCoy, Dereon Seabron, Tolu Smith, and Lamar Stevens according to Pistons PR:
The Detroit Pistons announced today that the team has waived Aaron Estrada, Javante McCoy, Dereon Seabron, Tolu Smith, and Lamar Stevens.
— Pistons PR (@Pistons_PR) October 17, 2024
Detroit’s roster now stands at 15, including one two-way contract.
None of these players were expected to make the final roster, so it’s not a big surprise, but it does leave one mystery for the Detroit Pistons.
Detroit Pistons roster: Who will fill the final spot?
As of right now, here are the 14 players on full-time contracts plus one player on a two-way deal. These are listed in order of the salaries they’ll be making next season:
Pistons roster |
|---|
Tobias Harris |
Tim Hardaway Jr. |
Isaiah Stewart |
Cade Cunningham |
Ausar Thompson |
Ron Holland |
Jaden Ivey |
Paul Reed |
Simone Fontecchio |
Malik Beasley |
Jalen Duren |
Marcus Sasser |
Wendell Moore Jr. |
Bobi Klintman |
Daniss Jenkins (two-way) |
What strikes me is that the 2025-26 season will be the first time in years when the Pistons’ best player is also their highest paid. Cade Cunningham’s extension kicks in next season and he’ll get a sizable pay raise from $13 to over 38 million.
The Pistons are also left with an open full-time roster spot, which I imagine Trajan Langdon planned, as the Pistons do still have cap space and expiring contracts, so he could potentially make a move at some point before the trade deadline.
The Pistons still have an opportunity to make a trade in which they take back one more player than they send out, which does give them roster flexibility.
There are also those who believe the Pistons should have used that cap space and roster spot to sign another veteran player, but having another minimum guy on the roster isn’t as valuable as having a bit of money and cap space, as it will give the Pistons several ways to adjust their roster throughout the season.
Detroit will soon have to make decisions on team options on five players before the end of the month, which will be the next big deadline for the roster. You can see all of the players eligible for options here.
The regular season is only five days away and the Pistons’ roster is set, at least for now.