The Detroit Pistons have taken a modest approach to the offseason so far, with new president Trajan Langdon resisting the urge to blow things up and start over.
He needs to see what he has in his young players first, which should be easier to read now that they have a better and more complementary roster around them.
The dream season next year would include a competitive team that gets clear positive steps forward from all of its young players, so much like Langdon’s approach to the offseason, the dreams of Pistons fans are modest.
I wouldn’t expect a big trade or a splashy move before the season starts, but I do expect the Pistons to be busy if other teams start to deal.
The Detroit Pistons’ cap space and open roster spots
The Pistons have two things that could be useful if other teams want to make a big trade, which are cap space and open roster spots.
The Pistons have just over $10 million in cap space at their disposal, the only team in the NBA with any at all, so if there is a trade on the table that needs a third or fourth team to grease the wheels, the Pistons are going to get a call.
This is especially true of any teams over the first or second tax apron, as it starts getting prohibitively difficult to make deals.
The Pistons have shown a willingness to take on short-term money if they can gain assets, which is exactly what happens in a recent trade proposal that sees one of the biggest stars in NBA history change teams.