The Detroit Pistons have been mentioned as a potential landing spot for a number of stretch bigs, with Bobby Portis the latest to join a list that includes Myles Turner, Naz Reid and Santi Aldama.
There are very real financial challenges to getting any of these players. You can forget about Turner, who is almost certainly going to stay in Indiana. Reid would probably take a sign-and-trade and Aldama is a restricted free agent that Memphis wants to keep.
Portis was mentioned a possibility in a recent offseason breakdown by ESPN’s Bobby Marks, who noted that he will likely come at a cheaper contractual cost than Naz Reid, while providing many of the same attributes.
He also said that Portis may have to wait out the free agency of Brook Lopez before any deal can get done with the Bucks. Portis has until the end of the month to exercise his player option for $13.4 million, which many think he will decline.
The Pistons have cap space and/or the exception to use to pry Portis away, but should they be interested?
Detroit Pistons free agency: Bobby Portis
Portis is a tough big man who can play the four or five in different scenarios and offer floor spacing, as he’s a 38 percent 3-point shooter for his career.
He’s a good rebounder and would give the Pistons size at the four that they lacked this season behind Tobias Harris. He ticks a lot of boxes, though I don’t think anyone would argue that he’s the final piece to a title team.
Portis has also been streaky over the years and got suspended this year for violating the substance abuse policy, so there is that to consider along with his age, as Portis is already 30 and has a lot of miles on those legs.
It’s also worth considering that the Pistons don’t have many stackable contracts right now, so a guy like Portis would have value beyond what he brings on the court, as they could eventually add his contract to a bigger deal.
The Pistons will have a difficult time matching salary for a star player without sending 3-4 guys out, so having another mid-range contract could be beneficial financially if they eventually want to make a big trade.
If the Pistons fall short of the top names, they could turn to a guy like Portis, who would give them more quality bench depth and still leave wiggle room to make other moves.