3 reasons bringing back Troy Weaver will be problematic for the Pistons

The Detroit Pistons will finish the 2023-24 season much the same way they have the previous three: terrible, injured and with one of the worst records in the NBA.

The Pistons will have to win four of their next 13 to tie the worst record in franchise history, which is even more unlikely now that Ausar Thompson and Isaiah Stewart have been ruled out for the season.

But this season can't be blamed on injuries alone, as the Pistons were bad before the trade deadline that shook up the roster and bad after. There are real questions if the four young players they are building around (I'm done with the Core Four nonsense) fit together and whether they need to break them up to get more complementary talent around Cade Cunningham.

Another question is who is going to be making these moves, as there is no guarantee that Troy Weaver will be back after assembling a roster that is somehow worse than the one that won just 17 games a year ago.

Many thought Weaver should have been fired after the historic 28-game losing streak and doing nothing last offseason but adding Monte Morris and a completely washed Joe Harris.

But Weaver survived and was allowed to trade away half the roster, so there is no indication yet that he'll be fired. I don't call for people to be fired, but I will say there are some problems with bringing Troy Weaver back.

The Detroit Pistons roster: Admitting you got it wrong

Weaver's fingerprints are all over this roster, as he either drafted or traded for every player on it. There are clear signs it's not working and never will, as the starting five has at least three players in it who can't shoot.

The first step is admitting that this roster is ill-fitting and just plain bad. None of the parts, from the starting lineup to the bench complement each other. The Pistons have some talent but it's been a failure in team building, an admission Weaver and the Pistons will have to make before they can do what is necessary.

Troy Weaver has a poor track record of trades

I liked both of the trades Weaver made at the deadline, as Simone Fontecchio looks like a keeper, and getting rid of Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks was a bit of addition by subtraction, as they don't play defense and were just taking minutes from the young players. Quentin Grimes is at least on a team-friendly contract and theoretically works as a bench 3-and-D guy.

But Weaver doesn't have a strong track record of trades overall, and given the lack of viable free agents, trading is likely the best chance for the Pistons to land better-fitting players.

Are you sure we want Troy Weaver to be the guy who has to negotiate a roster-altering trade or two or would it be better to bring in a fresh perspective from someone who doesn't have any attachments to the players? Regardless of how you feel about Weaver, those are fair questions.

Will Troy Weaver be willing to do what needs to be done?

There may not be the type of trade out there that the Pistons need, but packaging one or more of their young players with their first-round pick at least starts a lot of conversations.

But that would mean trading one of his own draft picks, players who he likes and thinks fit the culture he is trying to build. That won't be easy, especially in the case of Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren, who are both good young players who have shown plenty of promise.

But if trading one of them and a pick can bring back a more established, complementary player, then all things should be on the table. That would be a lot easier for a new regime that doesn't have personal ties to the players.

I appreciate Troy Weaver's loyalty to his guys, but a new direction may be necessary if the roster is going to be competitive soon and that might mean trading some of them. He did cut Killian Hayes, so maybe that's a sign he's starting to come around to the idea of real change.

It's not going to be easy for the Detroit Pistons to revamp their roster regardless of who is doing it, but doing little or nothing is also not an option for a team that has won 29 games total in the last two seasons combined.