"Dream" plan for Pistons to steal another team's star in free agency

One of the big questions hanging over the Detroit Pistons this summer is whether they will finally be active in free agency. 

It’s an area they’ve mostly whiffed in the Troy Weaver era, especially last summer, when they inexplicably chose not to sign a single free agent, instead using their cap space on trades that were predictable disasters. 

The Pistons $30 million in cap space last summer spent most of the season sitting on the bench, playing for another team or out of the league altogether. Great job, Troy! 

With twice as much money at their disposal this year, the Pistons are in a better position to land impact talent, though there isn’t much of it available. 

A recent article in Bleacher Report named some “realistic” and “dream” free-agent targets for the Pistons. 

The “realistic” target is a name we’ve heard a lot, Tobias Harris, who would at least give the Pistons another consistent scoring option and a guy who is not a complete traffic cone on defense. Would Harris move the needle if he was the centerpiece of the offseason? Count me as doubtful. 

But there were also the “dream” scenarios, both extremely unlikely, but things the Detroit Pistons should at least explore. 

Detroit Pistons free agents: Paul George and Tyrese Maxey 

I would almost 100 percent rule out Paul George coming to Detroit, as he is at the stage of his career when he wants to chase rings, not lottery position. Being the best player on a terrible team might not appeal much to a 34-year-old. 

If the Pistons were literally the only team that offered him a max deal, then who knows, but do you really want an oft-injured player in his mid-30's who came to your team exclusively for money? Maybe, but it’s unlikely either way. 

Nearly equally unlikely is the prospect of luring Tyrese Maxey to Detroit, but it’s an idea they should at least entertain. All signs point to him returning to Philly given that he’s a restricted free agent and they have cap space. 

But the Pistons could throw the house at him, offer him the biggest possible deal, add all types of incentives and see what happens. Philadelphia would still probably match, but why not make them pay more? 

These scenarios are next to 100 percent not going to happen, but the Pistons should be aggressive in free agency anyway, as they can’t have a repeat of last summer when they allowed several quality role players to go to other teams and didn’t even make an offer to anyone of note.