Whatever chance the Detroit Pistons had to be competitive this season was evaporated by injuries.
I don't believe the Pistons would be good if they were fully healthy, but I don't think they'd be historically bad.
You can't blame the injuries on the GM, but you can blame Troy Weaver for constructing a roster that apparently was a Bojan Bogdanovic injury away from being one of the worst teams in franchise history.
Whether it is through injury or just plain ineffective play, the Pistons have a whole lot of money tied up in guys who are not producing at all.
Big money wasted on the Detroit Pistons
Bojan Bogdanovic: $20 million
Let's start at the top with the highest-paid player on the Pistons roster. Bojan Bogdanovic has been good when healthy and at first the trade looked like a home run for the Pistons. But Bogdanovic has now played just 59 games total for Detroit over last season and this one, not great value for money at $20 million.
There was a lot of talk about trading Bogdanovic last season and this is why. He is now a sunk cost and has no trade value at all unless he can come back healthy and produce before the trade deadline. If the Pistons can't or don't move him, they'll either be on the hook for another season at $19 million or have to buy him out for two and watch him walk for nothing. Not trading Bogdanovic now looks like a huge mistake.
Joe Harris: $20 million
Trading for Joe Harris might be the worst of Troy Weaver's moves. Instead of trying to add a free agent who could help, he went for another salary dump. Harris was awful when he was healthy and is now injured with no timetable for his return.
James Wiseman: $12.5 million
Speaking of horrible trades, I present to you James Wiseman! While Saddiq Bey is at least giving Atlanta rotation minutes as a forward who can hit 3-point shots (know a team that could use one of those?) Wiseman is basically unplayable, though Monty Williams did try against the Wizards with predictable results. Wiseman should probably be in the G-League and likely will be after this season.
Monte Morris: $10 million
This one is just bad luck, as Morris has yet to play for the Pistons and may not return until February, by which time the Pistons should be well buried. I was curious to see how a veteran point guard who can shoot and protect the ball would help this team, but we may never know.
Dewayne Dedmon: $2.7 million
Remember this guy? Well, he's still cashing Tom Gores' checks through next season even though he has never played a minute for the Pistons and is now in the G-League.
So if you are counting, that is approximately $65.2 million dollars, which represents 47 percent of the payroll, sitting on the bench contributing nothing. Injuries happen, but it's hard to look at all of that wasted cap space and wonder what the Pistons might look like if it had been used more effectively.
No need to waste your money too, thanks to BetMGM's instant $200 bonus available today only. If you sign up and bet $10 or more on any game today, you'll automatically get $200 in bonus bets. You need to act fast before it's too late - sign up for BetMGM now!