4 Forwards Pistons could poach from division rivals in free agency
The Detroit Pistons could be very active in free agency this season after essentially sitting it out for the last two years.
It’s been a while since the Pistons landed a significant name in free agency, but they will once again enter the offseason with more money to spend than any other team in the league.
New team president Trajan Langdon is currently evaluating his roster and it could look much different by the time free agency rolls around, especially if the Pistons end up making a draft day trade or two.
But for now, they have a need at forward, especially the four spot and could seek to steal a player from a division rival, which is always a bonus. These are teams the Pistons have to play four times in a season, so if they improve while making one of them worse, it's all the better.
1 Trade, 1 signing that could make the Pistons competitive next year. 1 Trade, 1 signing that could make the Pistons competitive next year. dark. Related Story
Let’s start with two players from the Chicago Bulls.
4 Forwards Pistons could poach from division rivals in free agency
DeMar DeRozan (Unrestricted free agent, Bulls)
This one is highly unlikely as the Bulls and DeRozan have expressed a mutual interest in a reunion.
But the Bulls are reportedly unwilling to offer more than a two-year deal to the soon-to-be 35 DeRozan, though they offered up a ton in annual salary according to reports.
If the Pistons wanted to go longer on the years, they may be able to steal him away, but that would be a massive risk given his age and probably wouldn’t lure him away anyway. If DeRozan leaves the Bulls, expect it to be for one of the teams in LA.
Patrick Williams (Restricted free agent, Bulls)
A more realistic option is Williams, one of the many top-10 picks from 2020 that never lived up to the hype. Williams has shown he can defend, and he’s hit 41 percent of his 3-point shots for his career.
The problem is that he hasn’t been able to stay healthy and has missed a ton of games. He’s also a restricted free agent, so the Bulls can match any offer, meaning the Pistons might have to overpay slightly to get him.
Overpaying for draft busts (he’s not quite a bust) was Troy Weaver’s specialty, so I doubt Trajan Langdon would want to start there. But Williams is young (22), plays a position of need and has the skillset Detroit needs there.