The Detroit Pistons didn’t do much at the trade deadline, but don’t worry, dreamers, there is always the buyout market!
I kid, but after some of the emotional and frankly irrationally dumb takes I’ve seen since the trade deadline, I expect more vitriol around the buyout market than usual for the online Pistons fans who think the team always has one more move to make.
Trajan Langdon didn’t help the cause in a recent interview, when asked about the potential for the Pistons add a player from the buyout market:
“We’ll always look at opportunities to get better. We’ll definitely explore it, see who becomes available and if some of those players fit for us. We’ll keep looking to see if can get better if possible.”
That was front office speak for, “no, probably not,” and there is good reason for this, as the buyout market isn’t generally populated with difference makers, at least not positive difference makers, and the Pistons have made it pretty clear that they are satisfied with the team they have, at least for the rest of this season.
But for the sake of more arguement and hot takes, let’s look at some of the potential options.
Potential buyout options for the Detroit Pistons
The player we’ll hear most about is Cam Thomas, as he’s a guy some misguided Pistons fans have wanted for years for some reason.
He has already been waived by the Nets, so will be a free agent after foolishly betting on himself by taking the qualifying offer last offseason, a bet our old friend Jaden Ivey may soon be forced into making.
Thomas can score, we all know that, and if we were playing a tournament on a playground, Thomas has the most “unc who never misses from his spot” aura, but he also plays about as much defense as the old dude with the knee brace who never runs back. He’d never step on the floor for a team that values defense.
Russell Westbrook may end up being the most interesting name on the buyout market if the Kings decide to go that direction. They haven’t yet, so who knows what they’re doing. The Pistons don’t need any more players who can’t shoot, especially a mercurial wild card like Westbrook who could win and lose the same game for you.
The rest of the potential options are guys the Pistons don’t need, such as center Jusuf Nurkic or Marvin Bagley III, or long shot flyers like Jeremy Sochan, who hasn’t figured out a position or Matisse Thybulle who has been hurt all year.
This isn’t the Troy Weaver era any longer, so it’s doubtful we’ll see the Pistons take chances on any “second draft” players, retreads or “change of environment” guys.
So far, the buyout market doesn’t have much, which isn’t unusual, so Langdon may pay lip service to its exploration but it seems unlikely the Pistons will dabble, especially considering they still need to clear a roster spot for Daniss Jenkins,