The Detroit Pistons have a lot to do this offseason. The Pistons, who have not made the playoffs since 2019, need a coach and assistant general manager. They also have roster and draft decisions to make.
Detroit Pistons Expected to Keep Isaiah Livers. What’s Their Offseason Plan?
Detroit Pistons Overview
The past four years have been rough for Detroit. But this past season was particularly tough. The Pistons finished with a 17-65 record, which was their second-fewest in franchise history. The Pistons used 32 starting lineups, and no player appeared in more than 76 contests. Jaden Ivey, Bojan Bogdanovic, and Cade Cunningham combined to miss 101 games.
On a positive note, Ivey and Jalen Duran showed encouraging signs.
Detroit has been looking for a coach since Dwane Casey announced that he was stepping down to take a front-office position with the organization. Casey went 121-263 in five seasons with the Pistons, making the playoffs in his first team with the franchise. The Pistons are still in the midst of their coaching search.
Omari Sankofa of the Detroit Free Press recently said that Kevin Ollie, Charles Lee, and Jarron Collins are meeting with owner Tom Gores in Los Angeles this week. While those three are considered the leading candidates for the job, there could still be other candidates.
As their record indicates, the Pistons had a multitude of issues. Besides injuries, shooting was Detroit’s biggest issue this past season. The Pistons ranked last in field goal percentage as they connected on 45.4% of their attempts. They were also 22nd in 3-point percentage and 21st in free throw percentage.
Overall, Detroit ranked 28th in offensive and 27th in defensive efficiency. The only thing the Pistons did well last year was offensive rebounding. They were also decent in defending the 3-point line and transition defense.
Salary Cap
Detroit has 12 players under contract worth $96.5 million for the 2023-24 season. The Pistons have some flexibility, as Alec Burks has a $10.4 million club option. R.J. Hampton’s contract is nonguaranteed, while Eugene Omurayi and Isaiah Livers have club options.
If the Pistons release those four and the cap holds on their four free agents, they could have $36.9 million in cap space. Hamidou Diallo, Cory Joseph, Rodney McGruder, and Jared Rhoden (two-way) are the free agents.
Burks, Livers, James Wiseman, Killian Hayes, and Isaiah Stewart are eligible for extensions before the season starts. Livers and Stewart are the most likely to receive an extension if any do.
Detroit is also assured of a top-5 selection in the upcoming draft. The Pistons are tied for the best chance of claiming the top pick, but they can’t fall below No. 5 in the lottery. They also own the first pick in the second round (No. 31 overall).
The Pistons won the lottery in 2021 and selected Cunningham with the pick.
Who Could Return?
Burks is almost sure to have his option picked up. The 31-year-old wing is instant offense off the bench. He averaged 12.2 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 2.2 assists in 51 appearances this past season. Burks scored in double-figures 31 times, topping the 20-point plateau on seven occassions.
Livers’ 1.8 million club option is also expected to be picked up. While the 24-year-old struggled this past, Pistons’ general manager Troy Weaver told The Athletic in midseason that he sees Livers as part of the team’s core, and he doubled down on that during his end-of-season press conference when he said Livers is currently the lone wing on the roster who carries the 3-and-D upside.
McGruder is an end-of-bench type player. He is a fantastic chemistry guy who has developed into a reliable 3-point shooter. So, if he doesn’t get a better offer, McGruder could return to the Pistons to mentor the team’s youngsters.
Who Is Not Likely To Return?
Hampton and Omuray’s return is a young combo guard who could return as he is slated to make just $1.9 million. Hampton had his moments in 21 appearances for the Pistons and gets after it defensively. Meanwhile, Omurayi has a high motor and is excellent around the rim. However, he struggles from the perimeter.
Diallo, a slasher, is a capable scorer despite struggling from the 3-point line. The 24-year-old wing was playing the best basketball of his career before injuring his ankle in March. He also has improved defensively. While there is a chance Diallo returns, he may cost too much and should find a better opportunity.
This past season, Joseph wasn’t expected to have a role before injuries decimated the Pistons’ backcourt. The 31-year-old should be able to find a better situation as he improved his 3-point shooting during his tenure with Detroit. He also did a spectacular job leading the Pistons’ offense.
Free Agent Possibilities For Detroit Pistons
Detroit could have as few as two open roster spots heading into the NBA new year if they exercise the options on Livers and Burks. Similarly, the Pistons could have as many as five open spots. They are expected to throw their available money at some of the top free agents. A veteran guard and a 3-and-D wing or a two-way forward top their wish list.
Dillon Brooks, Cameron Johnson, Jerami Grant, Grant Williams, Yuta Watanabe, and Torrey Craig have all been rumored to be potential targets for the Pistons.
Dillon Brooks
Brooks is expected to have a lot of suitors, with the Pistons being one of them, per Marc Stein of the Stein Line.
“Detroit has been mentioned to me more than once as a team to watch in terms of potential suitors for unrestricted free agent-to-be Dillon Brooks.”
Brooks is coming off a down season. He is a solid scorer and a tremendous on-ball defender. However, his antics and ability to consistently knock down threes are a concern.
How much are teams willing to pay for the 27-year-old malcontent? ESPN’s Ramona Shelbourne reported on the Network’s Around The Horn that Brooks seeks $25 million annually.
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Cameron Johnson
Johnson is a restricted free agent, but several teams are expected to throw lots of money despite Brooklyn’s desire to keep him. He is a prototypical 3-and-D wing. He was tremendous for the Nets after coming over from Phoenix and produced a career year overall.
Other Free Agent Possibilities
Jerami Grant
Grant, a former Pistons, is an unrestricted free agent who could want similar money to Brooks. The 29-year-old made nearly $21 million this past season. He is very athletic, a solid scorer, and has become a reliable 3-point shooter. Green, who averaged about 21 points a game, shot the ball the best of his career this past season for Portland as he knocked down 47.5% of his shots from the field and 40.1% of his threes.
Grant Williams
Williams is a combo forward known for his defense. Offensively, the 24-year-old is a catch-and-shooter from the 3-point line.
Yuta Watanabe
Watanabe will likely be relatively cheap. The 28-year-old wing is coming off a career year for the Nets, posting a shooting slash line of .491/.444/.723.
Torrey Craig
Craig is having the best playoffs of his career, although he hasn’t been nearly as effective against the Denver Nuggets as he was in the opening round. The 32-year-old is a good shooter, a tough defender, and a solid rebounder.
In terms of guards, potential free agent possibilities include Seth Curry, Lonnie Walker IV, Gabe Vincent, Max Strus, Reggie Jackson, and Jevon Carter.
Potential Trades
If Detroit can’t convince any of their top targets in the free agent market to come to Motown, they do have some trade chips. Bogdanovic and Burks are the leading candidates to be dealt. Marvin Bagley III is also a potential trade candidate.
The Pistons have all their first-round draft picks after 2028. They also have a small trade exception ($1.3 million).
The Draft
Detroit could have a tough decision on June 22, the day of the 2023 NBA draft. However, it also could be made for them if they win the draft lottery, as Victor Wembanyama is the unquestioned top prospect.
But who will the Pistons take if they don’t hit on the ping-pong balls?
Brandon Miller makes sense for Detroit at No. 2. Miller had a tremendous freshman at Alabama, and he is a better fit for the Pistons than Scoot Henderson.
“We could use another wing defender,” Weaver said at the end-of-season news conference. “We have (Isaiah) Livers who fits that bill, [but] we need another wing defender, preferably one who shoots the ball.”
Miller has great size at 6-foot-9 and demonstrated excellent shot-making and playmaking ability at Bama. He also possesses versatility on the defensive end.
Henderson didn’t have a great season with the G-League Ignite. But the youngster is talented and could give the Pistons a talented perimeter trio if Cunningham can play small forward full-time.
Jarace Walker is an exciting option at No. 4 for Detroit. The 6-8 athletic forward has great defensive instincts and can play multiple positions. Walker does need to keep improving his perimeter shooting.
Cam Whitmore and Anthony Black are enticing options if the Pistons fall to fifth.
