This year’s Las Vegas Summer League has been a mixed bag so far for the Pistons. The team has played well overall and they’ve had standouts in Ron Holland and Daniss Jenkins, but other rotation hopefuls have struggled, which may leave the Pistons searching for depth elsewhere.
Even after having his first great game of Summer League, Bobi Klintman has disappointed overall and questions linger about his ability to compete athletically at the NBA level. In an Eastern Conference replete with true double-big lineups, the Pistons may opt to find more established external options to add size off the bench instead.
The Pistons acquired a $14.3 million trade exception when Dennis Schroeder left for the Kings, which they can use on a backup power forward.
The Detroit Pistons have options
The top realistic power forward targets at this price range are going to be PJ Washington, Grant Williams, Brandon Clarke and Keegan Murray. All are players who offer good size and have some years of experience in the league, but are not quite on the older side yet.
Washington is someone that Pistons fans have targeted as a good pickup for a while now, and conditions might align perfectly for his departure from Dallas. The Mavericks have a lot of depth and money tied into their frontcourt currently, and they may seek to open up more minutes for Cooper Flagg if he lives up to the hype of being a generational talent. Washington has been a solid 3 & D wing since joining the Mavs, including shooting a very respectable 38 percent from three last season, and his size will be perfect to compete in a physical Eastern Conference.
Grant Williams has been a forgotten name in the last couple of years. He played just a few games for the Hornets last year before an ACL tear, and was unceremoniously dumped by the Mavs before that. But he is still a career 37 percent shooter from three and has been a tough defender with good size in the past. If he can return to something resembling his Celtics form, he would be a perfect option off the bench for the Pistons.
Brandon Clarke is another name that has dropped in relevance recently after a promising start to his career. He’s not much of a shooter but has a very nice touch in the floater range and can contribute well on the defensive end and the glass. If Memphis has another down year, they may be looking to unload him to a team that can absorb his contract.
Finally, Keegan Murray would be a dream target for the Pistons who may be a bit unrealistic. Drafted one spot before Jaden Ivey, he had a prolific 3-point shooting season from the power forward spot as a rookie but has had a couple of down years since then. Adding Demar DeRozan to the Kings caused Murray to have trouble fitting in last year, and he can return to his sharpshooting ways in a new environment. It wouldn’t really make sense for the Kings to trade away one of their only young players with good potential, but you never know with that franchise.
The Pistons definitely have options to pursue with their traded player exception, and should make sure they get the most out of it. Power forward is the position most in need of shoring up, and I hope they find a way to add more depth there.