The Detroit Pistons' start to the offseason has been almost the exact opposite of what fans hoped to see entering the summer.
Detroit was reportedly big fish hunting with hopes of making a splash to finally give Cade Cunningham the reinforcements he's been hoping for, but instead, all they gave their star guard is additional reasons to be frustrated.
It's easy to blame Trajan Langdon and the Pistons' front office for the underwhelming moves up to this point, but in reality, a major reason for Detroit's struggles to make a sizable move this offseason stems from one team out West that's proven to be a thorn in the Pistons' side.
The Lakers put in end to the Pistons' Austin Reaves dream
The Pistons were linked to several big names ahead of the offseason, but according to many reports, the team's top target is the one player they never got the chance to speak to.
Detroit prepared to make a run at Lakers' star Austin Reaves in free agency, and it seemed like there was genuine interest from the guard to land in the Motor City if he did hit the open market.
However, the Pistons' hopeful pursuit led to Los Angeles making it a point of emphasis to never let Reaves hit free agency, which alone put a wrinkle in the team's plans.
To make matters worse, though, Rob Pelinka and the Lakers added even more issues to Langdon's plate.
Lakers sabotaged the Pistons' Jalen Duren issue in more ways than one
Not only did the Lakers set the bar high in restricted free agency for Jalen Duren when they elected to sign Walker Kessler to a four-year, $130 million deal, but their negotiations with the Pistons' big man prior to the move to land Kessler only added to Detroit's headaches.
According to The Athletic's Sam Amick, the Lakers' brass reportedly told Duren that they view him as a max-level player, and considering the Pistons were already lowballing the All-NBA center prior to free agency, it only added more motivation for the first-time All-Star to cash in on the market this offseason.
Obviously, suitors for Duren have fallen off the board left and right as free agency continues to unfold, but with Duren still not re-signing with the Pistons up to this point, it's clear the former first-round pick is set on landing his asking price one way or another.
Whether it comes by way of sign-and-trade or a standoff is to be seen, but what is obvious throughout the entire offseason is that the Lakers are to blame for the mess the Pistons are in.
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