The Pistons have already struck out on plenty of future Hall of Famers this offseason, but LeBron James’ addition to that list is especially painful. Detroit’s complete exclusion from any LeBron free agency rumors seem to imply that LeBron doesn’t think they’re close to competing for a title yet and he would rather try his luck with a potential rival instead.
LeBron doesn’t consider the Pistons a real threat
After letting the Lakers know that he wouldn’t be coming back next season, King James has steadily narrowed his options down to 6 teams: the Cavaliers, Heat, Nuggets, 76ers, Timberwolves, and Warriors. Aside from the Warriors, where he has strong relationships with fellow aging star Stephen Curry, LeBron has chosen teams that appear to be on the cusp of title contention.
The Pistons should theoretically be in the same tier after winning 60 games last season and finishing as the top seed in the East. But Detroit has failed to make substantial improvements this summer while fellow rivals take big swings. Combined with the Pistons’ obvious playoff flaws that were exposed in April and May, they are giving LeBron too much doubt to consider taking his talents to the Motor City.
The Pistons’ ineffectiveness so far in the trade market has put them into a Catch-22 situation. They don’t have enough top talent to entice big names, but getting those big names is the only way to inject more top talent. The farther the offseason gets, the more appealing a big trade looks - even if that means parting with a bunch of future assets for an immediate upgrade.
LeBron’s decision could be doubly painful for Detroit
However, the Pistons’ own exclusion isn’t their only eye-catching detail from LeBron’s narrowed list. Of other note is the appearance of multiple East teams in Miami, Cleveland and Philadelphia. Of course, James has previous with both the Cavs and Heat; the Sixers would also be a huge threat if they added James.
Considering that the Cavs were already able to expose many of the Pistons’ weaknesses without James in the playoffs, they would become a very scary sight if the Akron Hammer came back home. The Heat are also a fearsome possibility with James potentially forming another big three next to Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo.
But the Sixers are perhaps the most underrated destination that’s perfectly suited for LeBron. After trading for Jaylen Brown, Philly has a truly intimidating starting lineup aside from their power forward position. If LeBron comes in to fill that role, they would have an All-Star talent at nearly every position.
Regardless of where he ends up, LeBron James will be the biggest remaining story of the offseason. In one way or another, his decision will end up having ramifications for the Pistons and they won’t be the ones to benefit from signing him.
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