2 Underrated centers are perfect fits for the Pistons in free agency

The Detroit Pistons have been one of the surprise teams of the NBA despite being without their best defender so far this season. 

Ausar Thompson will return soon, which should shore up some of the issues the Pistons have been having on the perimeter defensively. 

Detroit has gotten worked by stretch fives this year, and it hasn’t been a good start to the season for Jalen Duren, who will wow you with his athleticism and thunderous dunks then confound you with his defense. 

Duren is 21, and the season is a young as he is, so it’s too early to give up on the big man, but if things continue this way, Detroit will have to think twice about extending him next summer and may have to explore other options. 

Luckily, there are two underrated centers who are likely to be on the free-agent market next offseason and getting one of them should be a priority unless Duren turns things around. 

Naz Reid: $15 million Player Option 

Someone is going to be a casualty of Minnesota’s payroll issues and it could be Naz Reid, who has a player option for next season that he is very likely to decline. 

The 25-year-old will be one of the best big men on the market next offseason, though there won’t be many teams with cap space. The Pistons are one of the few teams that will have some and can create more, so they could offer Reid a big raise. 

If the Pistons really want to build their identity around defense, then having both Reid and Isaiah Stewart would be a good start. Detroit would officially be the team no one wanted to play with two bruisers who are versatile defenders. 

Adding Reid would also give the Pistons a better perimeter defense as he is much better at switching on the perimeter and guarding in space than Duren is ever likely to be. 

Reid would also give the Pistons a weapon they don’t currently have, which is a big man who can shoot, as Reid is hitting 43 percent of his 3-point shots on over five attempts per game after hitting over 41 percent last season. 

In many ways Reid is the ideal modern big man, as he can space the floor with his shooting, protect the rim and defend in space. 

Will Minnesota make him a priority? They may not be able to if they want to keep Julius Randle and/or Nickeil Alexander-Walker. Randle has a player option for next season and if he opts into it, it will be tough for Minnesota to bring Reid back without going well into the second apron. 

Myles Turner: Unrestricted Free Agent 

For my money, Myles Turner might be the most underrated player in the NBA. 

He’s an elite shooting big man who protects the rim with nearly two blocks per game. He’s led the league in blocked shots twice in his career and is currently shooting 42.4 percent from 3-point range on over five attempts per game. 

The Pistons saw firsthand what Turner can do, as he dropped 20 points on them in their last meeting. Turner is the exact type of center the Pistons have a hard time defending and he’d be a weapon on both ends for Detroit. 

He’ll be one of the most coveted free agents on the market next season and Indiana will have to bid on him just like everyone else. The Pacers have little center depth so will probably make retaining Turner their top offseason priority, but we know there is a limit to how much the Pacers will spend. 

Turner would solve a lot of problems for the Pistons and they’d be weakening a division rival at the same time, which would be a bonus. 

Jalen Duren still has time, but these two centers would be ideal fits with Detroit and potentially take them to the next level as a team, so Trajan Langdon should be planning accordingly.