Trajan Langdon made some of us look silly when he orchestrated a flurry of moves that increased the Pistons’ cap space by around $4 million without losing anyone.
You get the sense that something more is coming, though fans are likely going to have to be patient and wait for the February trade deadline for it to happen.
The Pistons have myriad options but two that seem the most likely and one in particular that seems to be the consensus thought process currently.
Pistons package Tim Hardaway Jr. with their cap space and add talent
The Pistons could take back a roughly $30 million contract by packaging their cap space with Tim Hardaway Jr’s expiring contract.
That’s more than enough cap space to go out and get a player, the question is whether an expiring contract and some second-round picks is going to get one that matters.
The Pistons are frisky, and Cade Cunningham is playing like an All-Star, but they are still a long way from being a contender, and there might not be a trade out there that changes that.
It’s hard to imagine Trajan Langdon going big in his first season, especially when the list of available stars includes guys like Brandon Ingram and Zach LaVine, players that come with excessive risk and cost.
I threw the name John Collins out there as a guy who could help the Pistons now without a big financial burden or long-term cost, but dealing with Danny Ainge is usually not a smart idea and he may want far more than Detroit would be willing to give up.
With limited options to really improve and a team that is not there yet, Langdon may be inclined to use his cap space in other ways, let this team play out the season and see what happens in the draft.
The option no one is going to like
The most likely route for the Pistons is to use their cap space in a bigger trade where they take on an onerous contract in exchange for draft assets.
With teams like Golden State and the Lakers (among others) looking to make moves, the Pistons may be able to grab a few draft picks for renting out their cap space.
This isn’t going to excite the fanbase much, but the cupboards are bare when it comes to picks and the Pistons will need them if they ever want to make a big move for a star.
Fans aren’t going to want to hear the financial flexibility song and dance again, and hopefully the Pistons will find a way to make a pragmatic move and get better, but we might need to prepare for the eventuality of a salary dump.
It’s not exciting, but Langdon is trying to set himself up for a big move next summer when he’ll have the expiring contract of Tobias Harris to play with and possibly some extra draft picks to throw around in a trade.
It appears Pistons fans may have to dip into their limitless supply of patience.