The Detroit Pistons have had an offseason that should set up some big future moves.
Trajan Langdon didn’t go wild with dramatic trades or long-term free-agent signings, but set a limit of two years on every addition, keeping the Pistons flexible and giving them plenty of future expiring contracts to work with.
Langdon is set up to flip veterans for assets at the deadline and eventually package a big contract (Tobias Harris) to make a move for a star in a trade.
Bleacher Report recently wrote about young players who need new homes and there were several names on the list who could interest the Pistons.
Of course, Jaden Ivey of the Pistons was on the list himself, which raises the question of whether there will be enough minutes for him after the Pistons signed veteran guards and drafted Ron Holland II.
Could Ivey be on the move as part of a package for a different young star? Even if the Pistons do keep Ivey, these players would make sense and are in situations that may lead to trades.
Anfernee Simons
The Trail Blazers are a strange team, as it appears they are rebuilding around the young talent they have started to collect, but still have veterans Deandre Ayton, Jerami Grant and Anfernee Simons, who is still just 25 years old.
If the Blazers decide to defer to their youth, Simons could be on his way out, though it’s hard to know if the Pistons would have any interest or the right trade package to land him.
Offensively, Simons would be a nice fit with Cade Cunningham as a secondary scoring option who can spread the floor with accurate and high volume 3-point shooting.
Portland will likely be looking for a young wing and/or draft picks for Simons, which the Pistons don’t currently have given that they still owe a pick to the Knicks, but Langdon will likely spend the next year trying to remedy that, possibly by flipping Ivey for a pick or two.
Nic Claxton
The Nets signed Claxton to an extension this summer but that was more because they didn’t want to lose him for nothing in free agency than because they think he is part of their long-term plans.
The Pistons reportedly pursued Claxton this summer to add some rim protection, which is something they still desperately need.
Jalen Duren is going to get some time to show he has improved and can hold down the middle defensively, but if he doesn’t, the Pistons are going to be looking for help, as it’s a big hole in their defense.
Claxton is on a fair contract that gets better as it goes, as the Nets front loaded it to make the deal more tradable.
If the Nets decide to go into full-blown tank mode this season, which they should, Claxton could be on the move after December 15th.
Duren and Ivey are going to get their chances, but Langdon also can’t make the mistake of holding onto them for too long, as he may miss his chance to cash in.
Alperen Sengun
While the Trail Blazers and Nets are looking to tank and continue rebuilding, the Houston Rockets are going the other direction and have some tough decisions to make.
The Rockets have a surplus of young players and they won’t be able to keep all of them.
Even though he had a breakout season and is still only 22, it could be Sengun who is the odd man out, as the Rockets actually played better without him last season after he was injured, and may decide to keep Jalen Green instead.
Sengun looked like one of the best centers in the league before he was hurt. He rebounds, is an excellent passer, can spread the floor a little and has active hands on defense.
He’s Nikola Jokic-lite, the kind of skilled big that is currently dominating the modern game.
Both Sengun and Green will enter the season on expiring deals with no extensions in place, so Houston may just let it play out and decide later which one they want to keep.
But don’t be shocked when one of them is on the move before the trade deadline and the Pistons should be preparing a package for Sengun if the big man does hit the market.