Possible Pistons free agent target reportedly wants insane money

The Detroit Pistons will likely head into next offseason with a ton of cap space and a lot of holes to fill.

Sound familiar?

This has been the case for the last three offseasons, and Troy Weaver did little with the cap space, ending up with Alec Burks, Joe Harris, Monte Morris and a few second-round picks after spending $60 million on salary dumps.

Unfortunately, 2024 free agency isn't a whole lot better, as there are a few unrealistic options at the top, a couple of possible targets and a bunch of role players, so Troy Weaver is going to have to explore every avenue when it comes to improving this roster around his young core.

Some are clamoring for a big trade, and Zach LaVine of the Bulls has been mentioned as a possible target, though that move makes little sense if the Pistons are going to include Jaden Ivey in the deal.

That left another Bull who I thought would be a target for Troy Weaver, though that may change based on some recent reports.

Patrick Williams reportedly wants huge money in free agency

When I said that Patrick Williams was destined to end up on the Detroit Pistons, I was being partly facetious with a splash of serious. Part of Weaver's modus operandi as GM of the Pistons is to take chances on "high ceiling" draft busts, as he has with guys like Marvin Bagley III, James Wiseman, Kevin Knox and many others. The fact that Williams is also from the 2020 NBA Draft (that Weaver is in love with for some reason) and was high on the Pistons' draft board, makes it almost inevitable that he'll end up in the Motory City.

But there are a couple of problems.

After having a mini-breakout last season, when he scored in double digits and hit over 40 percent from long range, Williams has regressed this season, averaging just six points per game, playing fewer minutes and hitting just 34 percent of his shots overall and 30 percent from 3-point range.

Those numbers probably wouldn't scare off Weaver, as he loves the low-risk/high-reward guys even though none of them have worked out for the Pistons so far. Williams is a fit on a paper and has shown he can play, so I wouldn't rule him out just because he's having a bad season.

But what will remove him from NBA wishlists (even the Pistons') is a recent report that he is looking for a massive payday on his next contract.

Excuse me? Unless this is a typo, Patrick Williams, who has been absolutely terrible this season, is hoping to get a max deal. Based on what exactly?

This is the same type of delusion that Saddiq Bey had last season when he reportedly was looking for an extension in the $25-28 million per season range, part of the reason the Pistons decided to ship him out.

I hate to break it to Williams, but he'll be lucky to get above a minimum deal based on what we saw last offseason, as guys like Kelly Oubre Jr. and Christian Wood, who have both accomplished far more than Williams, had to settle for minimum "prove it" deals just to get a job.

The Pistons' options in free agency were already limited, and if Williams really thinks he's getting anywhere near that kind of money, you can cross him off the list as well.