The offseason didn’t get off to a roaring start for the Detroit Pistons, as they quickly lost Malik Beasley to a gambling investigation, Tim Hardaway Jr. to the Nuggets and Dennis Schroder to the Kings. So much for running it back.
We watched some reported free-agent targets get snatched up quickly and the Pistons added just Caris LeVert to replace over 600 long-range makes from last season.
But Trajan Langdon saved the offseason with the trade for Duncan Robinson, which shipped out Simone Fontecchio and replaced some of Beasley’s shooting with a more dynamic offensive player. Robinson is a smart passer, ball mover and has added a dribble attack to his game over the last two seasons, while Beasley was pretty much just catch-and-shoot, though to his credit, he was better at it than anyone in the NBA.
We knew the Pistons were going to count on internal development more than anything, but the additions of LeVert and Robinson will hopefully work out as well as the veterans the Pistons signed last year and have since lost.
Even if the Pistons didn’t do anything else this offseason, they’d currently have a 11-man depth chart you could argue is as good or better than last season:
-Cade Cunningham/Marcus Sasser
-Jaden Ivey/Caris LeVert
-Ausar Thompson/Duncan Robinson
-Tobias Harris/Ron Holland II
-Jalen Duren/Isaiah Stewart/Paul Reed
The Pistons will obviously mix and match Cunningham and Ivey with the bench, which would have more dynamic scoring options.
But there are two clear holes, which is where we may see the Pistons add depth.
Detroit Pistons depth chart: Point guards and power forwards
Even if JB Bickerstaff staggers Cade and Ivey, there are going to be third point guard minutes, and it’s unclear if the Pistons would be comfortable using Sasser in that role, as he’s not really a point guard.
But the Pistons have other facilitators in Ausar Thompson and the recently signed LeVert, so I am not as concerned about third point guard minutes. A sure handed veteran would be a nice luxury, but the Pistons don’t necessarily need to invest big money.
The more pressing need may be at backup power forward, as the Pistons don’t have any depth or size there. Ron Holland II can definitely handle those duties at times, and the Pistons may also envision a larger role for Paul Reed, who played well at times as an agent of chaos in the playoffs, but the Pistons' lack of size is a concern.
Detroit could end up with a player exception from the Dennis Schroder sign-and-trade, and if so, we could see them try to add more size at power forward before the offseason is over.