Arguably the most underrated Pistons departure of this offseason has been Marcus Sasser, who was essentially salary dumped to the Mavericks in exchange for nothing of note. Sasser's career arc in Detroit followed a very disappointing trajectory and young wing Ron Holland II is in danger of meeting the same fate.
Sasser got a lot of opportunities in his first season with the Pistons, but quickly saw those diminish as Detroit entered a competitive era. However, the Pistons still chose to extend him on a team option that raises his salary beyond $5 million next season. Between his lack of playing time with the Pistons and the financial complications, Detroit was forced to trade him for nothing - something they cannot afford to repeat with Holland.
The Pistons should have learned a valuable lesson from Sasser
Even while Sasser was still on the team, he was a polarizing figure for Pistons fans because of his excellent play in short stretches. Sasser often provided the ball handling and shooting that Detroit needed in the backcourt, but his limitations as a playmaker and defender kept him off the court. Still, the offensive spark seemed to warrant more minutes that never came consistently.
Now, Sasser has been shipped out in a controversial trade during a summer full of controversial decisions by the Pistons. However, the groundwork for Sasser's trade was laid years in advance. Between accepting their team option on him and continuing to provide no opportunity, the Pistons dug themselves into a hole.
The Pistons might have been able to get something back for Sasser if they either gave him more chances or traded him earlier, especially at a lower salary. He's obviously got enough scoring punch to help some teams off the bench, but keeping him sidelined did nothing to showcase his trade value. And if the minutes were never going to come, he should have been traded earlier.
Detroit cannot do the same thing with Holland
Sasser's polarizing reputation in the Pistons fanbase might only be rivaled by Ron Holland II. Some fans view Holland as a future star capable of expanding his offensive game greatly, while others see him as a career-long role player. The truth might lie somewhere in the middle, but the Pistons must have a plan to find it.
While the Pistons extend more offensive opportunities to young stars like Ausar Thompson and (hopefully) Jalen Duren next season, they cannot forget about Holland too. It's essential that the Pistons get a good sense of his realistic offensive ceiling soon, or find a trade suitor if they can't. Either way, they don't want to end up in the same position as Sasser's situation. If the Pistons have to dump Holland for nothing in a year or two, it'll be a disaster.
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