Pacers rumors could benefit the Detroit Pistons

Pistons free agency: Jalen Smith 

Jalen Smith, who is a tweener big who can play both center and power forward, has a player option left on his contract at $5.4 million. 

He has until the end of June to exercise it otherwise he’ll be a free agent. If Detroit wanted to swoop in and make an offer, they could likely steal Smith in free agency (assuming he declines the option), as the Pacers have other issues they’d like to address. 

As the Pistons’ roster currently stands, Smith is not an ideal fit, though you could argue that his shooting (42 percent from long range) and versatility would make him playable with either Duren or Stewart in certain lineups. 

Smith would make a great backup center for Duren, as he can spread the floor and is more dynamic offensively. There’s also the argument that Stewart, Smith and Duren have all missed plenty of games, so having three competent bigs, two of whom are versatile enough to play the four, isn’t the worst thing. 

But there might be an even better option for the Pistons.