Hierarchy of to-do items for the Detroit Pistons this offseason
By Tyler Dutton
The Detroit Pistons have a big offseason ahead of them.
Another writer here on the PistonPowered staff put together his perfect scenario for the Pistons offseason that can be found here. I figured I would follow up with the hierarchy of items I believe Detroit needs to do. Starting from what I believe should be their number one priority, to what should get done, but not immediately at number five. Let’s take a look.
Priority Number 1: Hire a President/Head of Basketball Operations
There are so many decisions to be made about this upcoming offseason. Will Detroit continue their current path, trust in the original groundwork that was laid, and go forth with their young roster? Or will they blow it up to an extent, and try to set this rebuild on a different path? All these are questions that cannot be answered until a new HOBO/POBO is named. It will be his or her job to make these decisions, and they are decisions that have to be made sooner rather than later.
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A few names have been thrown around to fulfill this job. Jon Horst, GM of the Milwaukee Bucks and Executive of the Year in 2019, Bryson Graham, assistant GM of the Pelicans, and some former players such as Tayshaun Prince. You can read more about potential candidates here.
Priority Number 2: Sign Cade Cunningham to a max deal
Once the HOBO has been named, their first order of business should be to sign the Pistons' franchise player to a max deal. Cade has shown that he not only can shoulder an entire franchise by himself, but that he has also begun to improve on previous weaknesses and become more of a well-rounded star. His injury history and average three point percentage concerns were put to ease this season as he played in 62 games even though 80 percent of them were meaningless, and was one of the league’s best three point shooters post all-star break.
By signing Cade to a max, you are not only showing him that this team’s future revolves around him, but you are sending a message to other players. After locking him up for the years to come, you can begin to pick players that are able to play off him, rather than try and fit current players together no matter the fit. You have to start somewhere, and Cade is the perfect starting point.