The Pistons should be ready to make some aggressive moves in an effort to address weaknesses this offseason, but they've already seen some solid offseason targets taken off the board. The latest example was Aaron Wiggins, who the Thunder traded to Atlanta on Sunday, but he's not the only one. Wiggins joins CJ McCollum and Collin Gillespie as potential Pistons targets that have already been locked down by other teams.
Getting the right pieces won't be easy for the Pistons
Unfortunately, the Pistons don't have the best asset pool or financial flexibility for adding new talent. Many of the Pistons' tradable pieces aren't highly coveted around the league, since there is a perception that their talents are being maximized in Detroit. Even their future draft picks carry less value, since the Pistons have proven they can finish as a top seed in the East for years to come.
This whirlwind of challenging asset management could force the Pistons into some tricky situations this summer. They may have to end up taking on some bad trades or dish out big contracts to make susbtantial upgrades.
Adding to the difficulty of their own assets being undervalued is the challenge posed by fellow contenders vying for the same trade targets and free agents. For example, Wiggins is a solid 3-and-D wing with a growing game; many teams would love to have him for the price that the Hawks paid (2 second-round picks). But in the end, Atlanta got him because they had a trade exception to take on his contract without sending any players back, thus helping the Thunder manage their payroll.
Role players who can shoot without being defensive liabilties are a very popular commodity around the league, so the Pistons will have to compete with other teams whenever one becomes available. In particular, they might face a lot of opposition from the Timberwolves and Rockets. Both of those teams are in similar spots as Detroit, up-and-coming with solid defense but lacking more shooting and ball-handling.
Trajan Langdon has a tough balancing act
The pressure of other suitors in trade talks or free agent negotiations could tempt the Pistons to dangle too much. Their front office will have to walk a fine line this summer between beating out rivals to acquire new pieces and not limiting the team's ability to fill out the roster elsewhere. These considerations also extend to the Pistons' extension talks with their own players.
Wiggins and McCollum are the first two obvious examples of missed targets but they surely won't be the last. The Pistons have done a good job recently of pivoting when they lose out on their first choice and they should be prepared to do that this summer as well.
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