More depth or big trade coming after Pistons most recent signing?

The Detroit Pistons made another value signing yesterday when they claimed big man Paul Reed off free agency waivers according to Shams Charania of The Athletic: 

The Pistons will take on the final two years of his contract at just under $16 million total, not bad for a guy who played 82 games for a good team last season. 

The Pistons can use the Room Exception for Reed if they want, which means they’d still have over $21 million in cap space, but at worst they will have around $14 million remaining.

Reed fits a type and continues a very good offseason for Trajan Langdon. 

The Detroit Pistons added another player in the same mold 

Paul Reed is similar to most of the other players the Pistons have added since Trajan Langdon became team president. 

He’s on a value deal that doesn’t extend past two years, which is the timeline Langdon has set for his young team to improve. 

Like Tim Hardaway Jr., Tobias Harris and Malik Beasley, Reed is a guy who suits up most nights, as he played in all 82 games for the 76ers last season, one of a small number of players to play in every game. 

Reed is a versatile player with a defensive focus, blocking a shot per game in under 20 minutes while adding 7.3 points, six rebounds and 1.3 assists. 

I also love that he’s a hustler and was a fan favorite in Philly. It’s always a good sign when fans are unhappy they lost a guy and think his new team got a great deal on a player. 

Of course, this immediately led to Pistons fans speculating what this might mean for their other big men and there are really only two options, one which is far more likely than the other in my opinion. 

Option #1: Paul Reed adds depth to the Detroit Pistons 

As soon as the news about the Reed signing broke, many fans of the Pistons speculated this meant one of the other bigs would be on the move (more on that in a second). 

I saw a lot of people saying something along the lines of “Paul Reed is too good to be a third big,” but these fans must have short memories. 

I’m old enough to remember guys like Marvin Bagley III, Mike Muscala and Danilo Gallinari, who all played rotation minutes at center for the Pistons just last season. 

Isaiah Stewart played 46 games last year, 50 the year before that. Jalen Duren has played 67 and 61 games in his two years in the league. 

You need three capable big men in the NBA, especially when you have two guys who have had problems with injuries. Big men are going to get hurt, so having insurance is a good thing. 

Reed and Stewart are also versatile enough to play with other bigs. Stewart improved his shooting last season, as did Reed, though he doesn’t fire many from long range. He did hit nearly 37 percent of the ones he did take. 

Pistons fans are not used to seeing so many competent NBA players on the roster, so as soon as there are three of them at one position, a trade is the first thought. 

How about we just keep them all? Having versatile big men who can play either spot and defend is a good thing, no? 

But there is a small chance that this signing means a big trade is coming. 

Option #2: The Detroit Pistons trade Isaiah Stewart or Jalen Duren

The Pelicans are trying to move Brandon Ingram, which is no secret. It’s also no secret that Trajan Langdon, former GM of the Pelicans, is very familiar with Ingram’s work. 

Add in some previous trade speculation about Isaiah Stewart and you have the perfect storm for a trade rumor. 

With Reed now on board, the Pistons could send Stewart and Ivey (for example) to New Orleans for Ingram, which would give Detroit another star they didn’t have to draft, develop or sign in free agency. 

If Ingram went back to launching more 3’s, as he did the last time he had a point guard that wasn’t a 300 lb. offensive lineman, then he could be a nice fit with Cade Cunningham. 

I don’t see this as likely, as Langdon didn’t offer Ingram an extension when he could have and so far, he seems reluctant to go beyond two years on any deal, which he would need to do to secure Ingram for the long term. 

As of now, the Pistons have three competent big men, two who are very versatile and all three can handle minutes. That sets up the roster at center, and if everyone stays healthy, who knows, the surplus could be used in a trade. 

I’m not ruling it out, but I’m also not ruling out that the Pistons just completed their big man rotation and got another player on a value deal without hurting their financial flexibility. 

They aren’t huge wins, but Langdon has stacked the small w’s this offseason and it’s adding up to a competent NBA roster for the first time in five years for the Pistons.