Even though the Detroit Pistons made the playoffs this season there are still lingering questions hanging over the roster.
We didn’t get to see much of Jaden Ivey, who went out at the beginning of January and missed the entire playoff run. Can he continue to shoot over 40 percent from 3-point range? Can he be the reliable secondary scoring option the Pistons lacked in the playoffs?
Ausar Thompson will enjoy his first full offseason after missing part of his rookie season and entire training camp last year. Can he make a leap offensively, either as a playmaker or shooter? Is he the Pistons second star?
How much more does Jalen Duren have to offer? Can we count on the 21-year-old to continue to make strides on defense and add a little something to his offensive game?
How good is Ron Holland II? Will the 19-year-old start to evolve into the two-way wing the Pistons need him to be? Can he shoot well enough to stay on the floor in big games?
Can Cade Cunningham replicate this season, especially when it comes to health? Does he have another level as a 3-point shooter and finisher around the rim?
These are all real questions that Trajan Langdon needs to answer before he really knows what this roster will be. That will take time, which is why it is very unlikely we see him make a big trade, at least not yet.
The Detroit Pistons should wait until next year’s trade deadline and assess where they are at
Another half season plus of data should be enough to at least start to answer the questions that will define the Pistons’ roster for the long term, which makes next year’s trade deadline the beginning of Detroit’s timeline to make a move.
They won’t know everything by then, as none of these players will be in their primes yet, but they will at least get a sense of how it will all work and whether it’s enough to get them to the next level.
By February of next year, they will have seen (hopefully) a good sample size with this group and have a better of understanding of what they need to complement them or whether they should use some of them as trade bait for a star.
It would be foolish for the Pistons to give up on any of these players right now, as it’s far too soon to know what they can be, and they may have in-house answers to some of their biggest needs.
But Trajan Langdon won’t be patient forever, so expect the clock to start ticking at next year’s trade deadline.