The Detroit Pistons were connected to several stretch fives in rumors last offseason, but they chose not to make a dramatic move, which turned out to be the correct call.
For weeks, we heard rumors about the Pistons being interested in players like Myles Turner and Naz Reid, and at the time, the idea made some sense. The Pistons didn’t have any bigs who could stretch the floor, and they were still unsure about the offensive futures of Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart.
It’s doubtful the Pistons’ interest was ever that serious, especially after seeing Turner and Reid get lucrative long-term contracts, the type that Trajan Langdon has avoided so far for everyone except Cade Cunningham.
Serious or not, the Pistons bet on their own guys, which turned out to be the right decision
Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart are one of the best center tandems in the NBA
It’s hard to imagine this now, but there were plenty of people wondering about Jalen Duren’s future with the Pistons back in the summer. He was still a big question mark, especially on the defensive end, and there were a lot of people clamoring for the Pistons to make an upgrade.
Duren has since proven them wrong by making significant strides on both ends of the floor and is making a strong case to make his first All-Star team this season. He’s added to his offensive game with more work off the dribble, is a very good short roll passer and is even taking short jumpers now and again.
He’s getting to the line at a high rate and knocking them down, which has made him into an efficient scorer. Duren is now on track for a huge raise and being one of the top 10 centers in the league if he’s not already.
The Pistons could certainly use more shooting, but Isaiah Stewart has held his own in that department. He's currently shooting over 41 percent from 3-point range and is launching far more of them after barely looking at the rim from outside the arc last season.
He doesn’t shoot at the volume of Turner or Reid but he’s shooting a higher percentage right now and is starting to look more like a weapon from long range. When you factor in his elite rim protection and salary, Isaiah Stewart is a steal.
Detroit’s two big men have been a huge part of their success so far this season on both ends and have proven the Pistons were right not to chase hard after free agents they didn’t need.
The Turner contract in particular could look ugly by the end, so Detroit stayed flexible financially and is far better off for it moving forward. Both players were tantalizing options, but the Pistons were smart to resist.