Detroit Pistons show interest in familiar free agent

Trajan Langdon made a splash immediately as president of basketball operations for the Detroit Pistons, firing his GM and head coach and starting with a clean slate. 

It had to be done, as the Pistons were coming off the worst season in team history and had to hose off some of the stink. 

Langdon added veterans without disrupting the young core, as he wants to see how they look with a competent and coherent roster around them, something players like Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey have never had. 

The Pistons aren’t a title contender or likely even a playoff team, but they should be better, maintained their financial flexibility and didn’t do anything they might regret in terms of free-agent signings or trades, all of which set a timeline of two years. 

And the Pistons aren’t finished yet. They are still waiting for two major trades to be completed to see if they might be able to get involved as a third team before they use their remaining cap space. 

The Pistons have around $11 million in space to go along with the $8+ million mid-level exception at their disposal and if Langdon can’t find a way to turn that into an asset in a trade, he might have a free agent in mind. 

Detroit Pistons free agency: Marcus Morris 

According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Pistons are one of several teams that have expressed interest in free-agent Marcus Morris, who previously played for Detroit from 2015-2017. 

That seems like a lifetime ago, as the Pistons were trying to win with Stan Van Gundy leading a team of good/not great players with mediocre results. But Morris was a fan favorite as a 3-and-D enforcer who averaged over 14 points per game in his two seasons in Detroit. 

Things have certainly changed, as being mediocre and competing for a playoff spot seems like a pipe dream after the last five seasons of egregious tanking and losing.

Morris is not the same player either, as he is now a journeyman role player who is 34 years old and averaged just 16 minutes per game last season. 

But he’d be a nice fit for Detroit for a few reasons. He’s a veteran who knows how to play and will push the young guys. 

The Pistons need power forward depth, as they don’t really have much behind Tobias Harris without pigeonholing players into a position that does not suit their strengths. 

Morris can still hit shots, knocking down over 40 percent of his 3-pointers last season. 

It’s more likely that Morris chooses to join a contender (likely Philly) and chase a ring, but if he wants a different type of role, the Pistons could have a spot for him.