Pistons roster crunch will force one player out

Right now, most of the focus around the Detroit Pistons is on the Jalen Duren situation, as it is holding up the offseason and remains as some of the only unfinished business. 

But the eventual Duren signing will also bring with it a decision, as the Pistons already have 15 players on their full-time roster, so when/if Duren signs, the Pistons will have to cut someone to stay under the roster limits. 

The Pistons have a deep roster and just about everyone has some kind of argument to at least get a shot at the rotation, so who will Detroit eventually get rid of? 

The Pistons’ roster decision comes down to four players 

When you look at Detroit’s roster and depth chart, there are four players who stand out as guys who will likely be on the outside of the rotation looking in for most of the season. 

Tolu Smith, Chaz Lanier, Taurean Prince and Gary Harris won’t start the season in the rotation, and one of them will likely not be on the team at all. 

Strangely, Smith may be the most important player of this group, as he is currently penciled in as the third center, so the Pistons could need him if they suffer any injuries to their top two bigs. 

Smith appeared in 15 games last season as an emergency backup, so it’s even more likely we will see him this year when there are only two players in front of him. 

Chaz Lanier had a good Summer League, but he’s like 35 years old, so he should. I kid, but it’s hard to see a place for Lanier in the rotation after the Pistons added shooters at his position. 

I am not sure that’s enough for Lanier to get cut, but it’s possible we’ll see him bumped down to a two-way at some point if the Pistons need his roster spot. Lanier still has some upside, but the clock is ticking, and I could see him being the one cut if the Pistons want to go with veterans instead. 

Speaking of veterans, Taurean Prince is the more likely of the two listed above to actually see the floor next season, as the Pistons don’t have much power forward depth and they value Prince’s 3-point shooting off the bench. 

That leaves veteran Gary Harris, who is probably the most likely to get the axe when the Pistons sign Duren. Harris only appeared in 48 games last season, and didn’t do much, but it will be interesting to see if the Pistons value his experience more than Lanier’s upside, as Harris has been around and has been a good role player at times in his career. 

Hopefully, Duren will sign soon, but when he does, it’s likely that Chaz Lanier or Gary Harris won’t be on the team long enough to see the ink dry. 

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow