There have been plenty of pleasant surprises for the Detroit Pistons this season, starting with the fact that they have a winning record at the All-Star break, something few people predicted.
They’ve also gotten surprisingly good play from guys like Tim Hardaway Jr. and Malik Beasley, players on expiring contracts who were mostly viewed as stopgaps when they were acquired by the team.
Instead, THJ has been a solid starter providing stability and shooting and Malik Beasley has been one of the best 6th men in the league, has already broken the Pistons’ record for 3-pointers in a season and is in the running for 6th Man of the Year.
Their emergence has given the Pistons a lot to think about, and they have looming free-agent issues next summer with five guys coming off the books.
The Pistons may decide to bring THJ and Beasley back, which would put other roster spots in jeopardy. Here are the two players most at risk of losing their future roster spots.
Marcus Sasser
Sasser has been ok this season, but he’s a man without a role. He’s not a point guard, yet not a lights-out shooter either, and given his size, I’m not sure exactly what he brings to this team.
This is especially true now that Dennis Schroder has joined the team, effectively pushing Sasser out of the rotation, as Schroder can provide the ballhandling and playmaking that Sasser cannot.
Given that Sasser has a $5.1 million team option for next season (almost double his currently salary) it’s hard to see how he fits into the future. The Pistons have until Halloween to decide whether or not to pick up that option and my guess is that they won’t.
Unfortunately for Sasser, he likely won’t get much more chance to prove himself this season and my guess is that he’ll be a cap casualty next summer, as the Pistons may need that space for bigger moves.
Simone Fontecchio
Fontecchio has also been fine, not great, and like Sasser, does not have a clear role. He’s been more aggressive of late and dribbling the ball less, which is good, but he’s still shooting just 32.7 percent from long range on the season, which isn’t going to cut it.
He’s not big enough to be the backup four they really need, and with Bobi Klintman lurking in the shadows on a minimum deal for next season, we could be seeing the final 27 games of Fontecchio in a Pistons’ uniform unless he goes on an epic run and helps this team get into the playoffs.
He is owed $8.3 million guaranteed next season, a number that would be easy enough to move if the Pistons wanted to add more depth at the four. With Ausar Thompson and Ron Holland III on the ascent, it’s hard to see how Fontecchio fits in long term and I wouldn’t be surprised if he was traded in the offseason.