Crucial dates rapidly approaching for the Detroit Pistons

The NBA Draft is less than two weeks away and most of the focus is on what the Detroit Pistons are going to do with their 5th pick. 

There could be some interesting opportunities to trade back and accelerate the rebuild, so the focal point of the offseason is currently the draft, as it may be the Pistons’ most lucrative opportunity to improve. 

But there are other important decisions that will have to be made, some more difficult than others, and those dates are also rapidly approaching. 

Important dates to circle on your calendar for the Detroit Pistons 

June 29th 

This is the final day for the Pistons to extend qualifying offers to Malachi Flynn, Simone Fontecchio, James Wiseman and Jared Rhoden. It’s also the final day they can exercise the $19 million player option they have on Evan Fournier. 

Of the first group, only Fontecchio is likely to receive an offer, as it will make him a restricted free agent who the Pistons have every intention of re-signing. 

Flynn and Rhoden will almost certainly be allowed to walk and explore free agency. As for James Wiseman? It’s hard to imagine the new regime wanting any part of him, especially considering he would likely just accept his qualifying offer since it’s far more than he’d get in free agency. Wiseman’s QO has dropped to $7.7 million after he failed to meet the criteria for his full amount, but even that is still too much for a guy who projects as a third center at best. He’ll likely end up as an unrestricted free agent. 

Fournier is a little trickier. 

He certainly is not worth anywhere near $19 million as a player, but that salary could be useful in a big trade, so there is some chance the Pistons exercise his option just to trade him. 

It’s hard to see any other team wanting to eat $19 million of Fournier though, so I am not sure how this would advantage the Pistons and would be a stupid waste of cap space. Fare thee well, Fournier. 

June 30th 

The following day, the $4 million contract of Troy Brown Jr. would become guaranteed, something the Pistons are extremely unlikely to allow to happen. 

Trajan Langdon will want to have maximum cap space at his disposal, so bringing back a bad player for $4 million is not likely in the cards. 

The end of June will be the Pistons’ chance trim the dead fat off this roster and remove the stink Troy Weaver left with all of these quantifiably bad players. This will be addition by subtraction and allow Detroit to max their cap space for better players.