After all of the talk of having too many centers, it seems wild to say that the Detroit Pistons could use another one, but they could.
The Pistons need a steady veteran backup who can come in and not be catastrophic on defense, grab a few rebounds, set screens and generally do the things backup centers are supposed to do.
James Wiseman is on an expiring contract and has mostly been unplayable, Marvin Bagley III has been in and out of the rotation and is a guy who never should have been signed to a multi-year deal in the first place.
Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart have both been hurt, so even though they entered the season with a logjam, the Pistons could use a veteran center who knows how to play the game.
They have a few options.
Dwight Howard made his case for the Detroit Pistons
Dwight Howard made it clear that he is available for the Pistons if needed. The 38-year-old former All-NBA center recently posted a video on social media of him waiting for the Pistons' call.
Howard hasn't played in the league since 2021-22 when he played limited minutes for the Lakers. Howard has most recently been playing in Taiwan, so this would be a stretch.
He wouldn't cost the Pistons much and he's definitely available. I'm not sure Howard is the one you want mentoring Jalen Duren, but the two have been compared a lot. This would be a desperate move, but the Pistons are a desperate team.
Andre Drummond
Drummond has been scorned by some of the fanbase for some reason, but he's still a competent backup center who can occasionally have a big game, as he did recently against Atlanta, racking up 24 points and 25 rebounds to go along with three steals and two blocks.
I'd love Drummond to come back to Detroit, though right now he's playing a key role on a Bulls team that surged since Zach LaVine went out. Drummond would at least give the Pistons a competent defender who can grab a rebound. He's still getting 7.4 per game in just 14 minutes, which would be third on the Pistons behind Jalen Duren and Ausar Thompson.
He's steady and could likely be had for a second-round pick or two, though the Bulls may be inclined to wait at this point.
Moritz Wagner
Wagner would be the least available of these three, as he has a reasonable team option left on his contract next season and he plays a valuable role for Orlando, so they have little reason to trade him.
Wagner is a young veteran at age 26 and puts up double digits off the bench for the Magic. He's not a great shot blocker but he plays with toughness around the rim and can shoot a little.
He's another competent and steady NBA player, which is what the Detroit Pistons need right now around their young core. The question is whether he is gettable and what it would take if he was.
A productive backup on a team-friendly deal isn't going to be cheap, but at some point, the Pistons have to get some role players who have proven they can play.
It's not like any of these players are going to save the season, but Drummond and Wagner are the types of additions the Pistons should be trying to make.