Pistons' free agency stance would leave them out of Lakers sweepstakes

The Detroit Pistons need to add talent this summer and could do so by making cap space to sign a free agent or by making a big trade. It will likely be some combination of both, but when it comes to the big names, they probably aren’t coming to Detroit via free agency. 

Insider Marc Stein (subscription) said that the Pistons were more likely to add via trade than by free agency, mostly because it would make extensions for Jalen Duren and Ausar Thompson less complicated. 

That would mean that the Pistons are out on their reported interest in Austin Reaves unless they are going to trade someone (likely Jalen Duren) to get him. Reaves and teammate LeBron James are two of the top free agents this offseason, but if the Pistons have decided not to go that route, it’s unlikely them or any of the top free agents end up in Detroit. 

That doesn’t mean the Pistons won’t add a big name, but the free agency route is probably not the way to go. 

Free agency would cost the Pistons more than money 

To get anywhere near the kind of cap space they would need to sign a free agent like Austin Reaves, the Pistons would have to renounce all of their team options, partially guaranteed contracts and free agents to do it. 

That means no Duncan Robinson, Tobias Harris, Kevin Huerter (no loss there), Paul Reed, Daniss Jenkins or Javonte Green. 

While that might not be a list of All-Stars, it’s a lot of minutes to replace, and the Pistons may need some of those contracts (particularly Duncan Robinson) to make a trade. 

Dumping Robinson’s partially guaranteed deal would not only lose them a trade chip, but their only real shooting threat. 

None of these players are irreplaceable by any means, but that doesn’t mean they’d be easy to replace as a group, so the cap space route would not just be about money. 

The Pistons have their own concerns 

Detroit is also looking to lock up Jalen Duren and Ausar Thompson this summer, which would be more complicated if they have another hefty salary on their books and less to work with. 

The smarter move would be to sign those guys first and then use some of their players and draft assets to make the trade they need.

There’s also the chance the Pistons will do some of both by orchestrating a sign-and-trade for Duren, but that seems less likely if the two sides can come to a reasonable agreement. 

As with all offseason intel, you have to take it with a grain of salt, but it doesn’t look like the Pistons will be a big player in the free agent market, at least not for the top names. 

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