The Detroit Pistons need to revamp their roster again and will do it by any means necessary.
They will have more cap space than any other team this summer and could look to make a big splash in free agency even though the list of realistic impact targets is short.
Troy Weaver did nothing in free agency last season, a mistake I doubt he'll make again, but an even bigger mistake would be to sign the wrong guy, so here are some players he should avoid.
6 Free agents the Detroit Pistons should avoid at all costs
All of their own guys except Simone Fontecchio
The Detroit Pistons will have five free agents of their own, so let's start there.
James Wiseman, Evan Fournier, Troy Brown Jr and Malachi Flynn should all be allowed to walk in free agency, as the Pistons can find upgrades for each of them.
Detroit needs a quality backup center to replace Wiseman and there is no way they can extend him the qualifying offer of $15.8 million to make him a restricted free agent anyway, as he'd likely just accept it. Fournier has a team option that Detroit should run away from and then let him walk, as his 27 percent shooting from 3-point range hardly inspires confidence. Troy Brown Jr has done nothing, and outside of his 50-point anomaly, Flynn is just another undersized guard.
Simone Fontecchio is a restricted free agent who the Pistons will almost certainly bring back, as he showed enough shooting and surprising defense to think he's a great fit with their young guys, but other than him, it's time to clear the slate of all of these players.
Gordon Hayward
In his prime, Hayward was exactly the type of player the Pistons currently need, a versatile forward who can shoot, make plays and is at least a smart team defender.
But he's no longer in his prime. Hayward has shot over 41 percent from long range this season, largely due to his low-volume hot shooting since joining OKC. But he's playing minimal minutes and is not a guy who can be counted on to stay healthy.
Hayward has only played 49 games this season and has only topped 50 games once in the last five years when he played 52 games in the 2019-20 season.
Considering how badly the Pistons have been decimated by injuries the last few years, they can't take on another injury-prone player, even if he is a theoretical fit.
My guess is that Hayward will take a minimum deal next season to join a contender to play a role off the bench. The 26-year-old Hayward would have been great for Detroit, but they should stay far away from the 34-year-old version.
Miles Bridges
I know a lot of fans like Bridges and think he'd be a nice pickup for Detroit. I am not one of those fans.
For one, Bridges brings obvious bad energy and publicity to whoever signs him this offseason and the Pistons don't need any more of either. After enduring a 28-game losing streak, having a player arrested for assault and all of the question marks and negativity surrounding this team right now, the last thing they need is the attention Bridges would bring.
Bridges has averaged over 21 points and seven rebounds this season, so it's not like the guy can't play, but he's also an admitted multiple-time domestic abuser. The Pistons already handled the Rob Murphy situation in a questionable manner, so do they really want to be "that" team, the one that ignores obvious red flags in character?
The culture in Detroit isn't toxic enough?
Even if you don't care about culture, ethics, morals or the law, Bridges is a questionable fit. He's a mediocre 3-point shooter for his career and his defense has gotten worse every year (though defensive rating is an entirely flawed metric for individuals).
I don't like him as a basketball or culture fit for the Detroit Pistons, who need 3-and-D players, not athletic and inefficient slashers.