The Detroit Pistons will be active in all stages of the offseason, from the draft, to trades to free agency, this should be a busy summer for the NBA’s worst team.
Free agency has become a tricky endeavor over the last few seasons, as changes to the CBA make it easier for teams to retain stars, which means fewer of them are hitting the market.
That leaves a lot of role players in free agency, and with many teams bidding for their services, they often get overpaid.
It’s just the nature of the game now, ask Tobias Harris, who has collectedmore money than any non-All-Star in NBA history by virtue of being a free agent at the right time.
It could happen for him again this offseason, when the pickings are slim and he’s one of the top names available again.
But the Pistons could go another route, seek out their star in a trade and use free agency to find role players and value contracts. Here are three players the Pistons might be able to buy low on this summer.
Detroit Pistons free agency: Buy-low targets
Max Christie
Most Pistons fans will be familiar with Christie from his one year at Michigan State, where he averaged just under 10 points per game as a freshman. He was drafted by the Lakers in the second round and hasn’t seen much action in two years, playing just 14 minutes per game in 67 appearances this season.
Christie is known as a quality defender with a sweet jump shot, who also has good size for a two guard at 6-foot-6. He shot over 41 percent from 3-point range as a rookie on a low number of attempts and hit just under 36 percent this season.
Christie is a restricted free agent and the Lakers have limited cap space, so if the Pistons wanted to steal him, they probably could. He’d be in line for the Isaiah Livers job (hopefully with better results) as a minimum 3-and-D guy off the bench. Christie is still only 21, so might be worth a flyer on a minimum deal, as he does have some of the skills the Pistons will seek this summer.
Isaac Okoro
Okoro is another restricted free agent the Pistons may be able to steal away with the right offer. He’s having the best season of his career for Cleveland, averaging 9.4 points and three rebounds for the Cavs, who are currently up 2-0 on the Magic. Okoro scored 10 points in their last win and added four steals.
Okoro is mostly known for his defense, as a 6-foot-5 wing who can guard several positions, but this season, he answered some of the questions about his shooting, hitting 39.1 percent of his 3-point shots on over three attempts per game, both career highs.
Okoro has improved his 3-point shooting every year since entering the league, so is on the right trajectory to be a valuable 3-and-D wing, exactly what the Pistons need.
Cleveland is showing that you can build a playoff team around defense, as they are top-5 in the league and Okoro is a big part of it. He’s an interesting fit with Detroit, who need defenders, but also dynamic offensive players, which Okoro is not.
But putting him and Ausar Thompson on the wing would be a good start to improving the worst defense in the NBA, so it will be interesting to see what kinds of offers Okoro gets this summer, as he’s a prime candidate to be stolen away from Cleveland.
Patrick Williams
Williams is one of the more interesting restricted free agents, and with a $12.9 million qualifying offer, he may end up on the unrestricted list.
Williams only played 43 games this season, averaging 10 points per game on 40 percent from long range. Have the Bulls seen enough to make him part of their long-term plans?
If not, he’d be an interesting option for Detroit depending on the cost, as he’s a forward who can defend and shoot the 3-ball, which is precisely what the Pistons need. Troy Weaver was reportedly enamored with Williams at the draft, which I am not sure helps his case, as we’ve seen Weaver go all in on “his” guys (James Wiseman springs to mind) only to have it blow up in his face.
The Pistons would likely have to overpay for Williams to pry him away from the Bulls, but at just 22 years old, they’d be paying for the player they hope he becomes rather than the one he is, which is always a risk. But if he reaches his ceiling, he’s a nice fit with what they have and could end up being a bargain.
If he doesn’t, you are looking at another Marvin Bagley III situation where you overpaid for potential instead of production.