The Detroit Pistons had a chance to make a big-time splash this summer. They had a ton of tradable contracts, a franchise superstar already in place, and a team that had just won enough games to be the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference. Landing another star would have made sense, and Kawhi Leonard seemed like a valid option. But it's a good thing the Pistons avoided that trade idea.
Leonard ended up going to the Toronto Raptors via trade. But that was after the long-winded drama ended with him being fined and the LA Clippers being fined, having multiple team personnel members suspended and being docked five future first-round picks. It was a mess, and now Leonard is finally in Toronto.
And although the mess is seemingly behind everyone, that type of thing would have created just another set of drama for the Pistons to have dealt with this summer. Jalen Duren is enough.
Pistons were right to avoid Kawhi Leonard
Leonard is one of the best players on the planet. And in the postseason, he turns into a different animal. Obviously, had he landed in Detroit, he could have helped the Pistons make a deep playoff run.
His scoring output would have taken the load off Cunningham in crucial moments, and at the end of the day, that’s the type of player the Pistons desperately need to add to the roster.
But imagine the drama the Pistons would have had to deal with if they were in the middle of the Leonard saga all while also having to figure out a new contract with Duren.
It would have put a ton of pressure on the Pistons’ front office, which is clearly already under a ton of stress right now. At least, they should be, considering the Duren saga has yet to be resolved.
Plus, Leonard just doesn’t really fit the timeline of this Pistons team. Leonard is 35 years old. He only has a few NBA seasons left in him, and the Pistons should be looking to build something a bit more long-term than that around Cunningham, Ausar Thompson, and, ideally, Duren.
Detroit didn’t have an amazing summer. It didn’t end up signing anyone massive. And that could end up being a mistake for the Pistons, as the rest of the East improved a lot over the summer.
But Leonard wasn’t the solution. And even now that everything is over with him and the Clippers, that much is still clear.
Add us as a preferred source on Google