LeBron James sent shockwaves around the NBA by announcing his decision to sign with the 76ers for the next two seasons. The move should be a loud wake-up call for the Pistons, especially since trading for Jaylen Brown played a huge role in the 76ers landing LeBron.
Detroit was never considered a serious suitor for King James, although the Pistons were previously rumored as interested in Brown. Now, the Pistons must surely be regretting not pulling the trigger on a reasonable trade for Brown, especially considering the modest package that eventually landed him and the addition of LeBron as a nice cherry on top.
The Pistons have made plenty of questionable moves this offseason, but perhaps their biggest mistake has been their indecision in chasing bigger targets.
The Pistons just keep missing out
Sure the Pistons have made marginal upgrades at some key positions this offseason. But they didn’t address their biggest flaw by adding another surefire scorer for the playoffs. Despite plenty of stars getting traded who could have fit that role, Detroit remains without a solid second option for Cade Cunningham.
Of course Cade is great on his own but the Pistons continue to ask too much from him in the playoffs. Even worse, most of their offseason effort so far has been focused on re-signing Jalen Duren after Duren had a disastrous playoff run. With Duren’s extension still up in the air and no other stars joining, the Pistons don’t seem any better positioned for a deep playoff run.
Either Brown or James could have added a lot to the Pistons simply by being another formidable scorer. That alone could take pressure off Cunningham and give the Pistons more optionality with their playoff rotations. But Detroit continues to take a timid approach that’s costing them opportunities at great players.
The East is leaving the Pistons behind
At the same time, other Eastern Conference rivals continue to get better. The 76ers have effectively swapped out Paul George for both Jaylen Brown and LeBron James, making them a title contender when healthy. Elsewhere, the Raptors are in the process of acquiring Kawhi Leonard and the Heat traded for Giannis Antetokounmpo.
And dormant threats are ready to rise as well - the Celtics with a full season of healthy Jayson Tatum, the Pacers with a returning Tyrese Haliburton and the defending champion Knicks. Everywhere you look, the best teams in the East seem stacked with multiple star scorers. All except for the Pistons.
That’s not to say the Pistons won’t still be a threat and win a lot of games. For all we know, their constant strong defense and brilliance from Cade Cunningham could carry them to another 60 win season. But in the playoffs, those advantages shrink without other star talent to build on the foundation.
This should have been the offseason where the Pistons built on that foundation and reached the next level. Instead, they’ve struggled to keep their existing core together and sat idle as stars disappeared off the trade market.
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