Detroit Pistons: The true cost of Troy Weaver's horrible asset management

The Detroit Pistons were able to get a nice win in Chicago last night but still haven’t broken into double-digits in wins, a failure which can partly be put on the shoulders of GM Troy Weaver. 

Weaver did nothing to help his young core in the offseason, signing Isaiah Stewart to an early extension and then making trades for Joe Harris and Monte Morris, who gave the Pistons nothing.

He had a ton of dead money sitting on the bench and the Pistons suffered through the worst losing streak in league history. 

I’ll give Weaver credit where credit is due, as his trades for Simone Fontecchio and Quentin Grimes at the deadline look like good ones. Both are solid players who fit with the core and have already given the team a boost in 3-point shooting and defense, though in the case of Grimes, it cost the Pistons their two best veteran trade assets, players that Troy Weaver held onto for too long. I like Grimes as a future fit, but it was costly to get him.

But last night (coincidentally just after a win, so fans might not notice), it was announced that the Pistons had bought out Mike Muscala, one of two players the Pistons got in return for a trade based around Marvin Bagley III. 

It makes some sense, as Muscala was inexplicably out of the rotation, so the Pistons did right by a veteran by allowing him to go play for a playoff team. Bully for him. But how about helping the Pistons, you know, the team you are paid to manage? Weaver has spent more time helping teams like the Kings, Knicks and Nets than he has his own over the last two years.

It was a baffling move that put an exclamation point on another tale of botched asset management by Troy Weaver.