How the Detroit Pistons can improve their roster through trades and NBA free agency

Next year has to be better.

The Detroit Pistons, completing the fourth year of their rebuild, are coming off a season in which they not only had the worst record in the NBA but also in franchise history. They had an unforgettable 28-game losing streak. All the goodwill and optimism that had been built up seemed to have vanished into thin air.

Here too, next year has to be better.

Detroit has opportunities to improve next season. It will probably take aggressive steps and a bit of luck, but the opportunities are there. Whoever is named the new president of basketball operations will have their hands full, but will also have tools to work with. The Pistons have the best chance of being selected No. 1 in the 2024 NBA Draft. It is a course that is rejected by many evaluators and executives, but is useful when a team gets the first choice.

The Pistons also have around $60 million in cap space. Additionally, all signs point to Cade Cunningham getting a contract extension this summer.

Given the current situation in Detroit and the disastrous 2023-24 season, the Pistons will likely have to make decisions sooner than they would like with one or two of their young core pieces. It's hard to imagine how the team can significantly improve the roster without parting ways with one of them. The luxury of allowing some players to develop in the hope that they will score a goal no longer exists. Hard decisions have to be made.

Here, I will attempt to build an improved, competitive roster for the 2024-25 season using the NBA Draft, trades, and free agency. In this exercise, I'm assuming the Pistons win the 2024 draft lottery because it only makes sense for Detroit to get the No. 1 pick in an undesirable draft class.

Let's get into it.

2024 NBA Draft

Player added: None.

As mentioned, I expect Detroit to be #1. One way for the Pistons to add more proven NBA talent – which is both necessary and more realistic than adding a star at this point – is to trade their pick in this year's draft.

Here's my proposal: The Pistons trade their 2024 first-round pick (No. 1), Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren, to the Brooklyn Nets for Mikal Bridges, Dorian Finney-Smith and a 2025 first-round pick (via Phoenix Suns, above). -14 protected).

I would be afraid to part ways with both Ivey and Duren since both are very young and still have potential despite a rocky sophomore season, but that's the situation Detroit finds itself in. It needs to take aggressive steps to become serious steps. Cunningham, who has the highest trade value on the team, isn't going anywhere. Ivey and Duren both have value in the league, and that holds true in this free agency class as well mehDetroit can address both positions on the open market (more on that below).

In this scenario, the Pistons address a significant wing need and get one of the better 3-and-D wings in the NBA in Bridges and a very solid 3-and-D wing in Finney-Smith. Both players still have several years left on their respective contracts. Having those two with Ausar Thompson, Simone Fontecchio and Quentin Grimes would mean Detroit would be legitimately involved in the wing rotation for several years. As for the Nets, who had a disappointing season and appear to have a real ceiling, they should begin rebuilding around youth, with the No. 1 pick in the 2024 draft and two current lottery picks in Ivey and Duren really good way to start this process.

Additionally, in this trade scenario, if my math is correct, the Pistons will still have about $34 million left in free agency, while this deal opens up about $15 million in cap space for the Nets (after they get the No. 1 pick). -Selection signed). .

Free agency

Place for the cap: $34 million (after trade)

After this hypothetical trade, the Pistons no longer have to target Tobias Harris, a name long associated with Detroit. Bridges, Finney-Smith, Thompson and Fontecchio can all switch between either forward position.

After reluctantly moving on from Duren, the Pistons still have to address the center position. They need someone who is positive on defense and a real threat to Cunningham on offense.

Enter Nic Claxton.

The 25-year-old Claxton, a free agent this summer, meets both criteria for the Pistons. In conversations with people around the league, many expect him to make around $20 million annually on the open market. For this exercise, let's say Detroit offers Claxton a three-year deal worth $66 million. It may be a bit overpaid, but it would give the Pistons a proven two-way center and still leave them about $12 million in cap space.

From there, I would use the remaining space to sign an experienced backup point guard. In this scenario, I'll pick Delon Wright assuming he doesn't command more than $3 million per year. With about $9 million left in cap space, I would target a third major and a lower rotation player. Take Thomas Bryant, who I would make a tongue-in-cheek deal to his agent that I would give him $3.2 million to $3.5 million if the center declines his $2.8 million player option. Bryant, who is from Rochester, NY, is very close to Isaiah Stewart.

At this point, Detroit would have about $6 million available to round out the rest of its roster – which is in pretty good shape at this point.

2024-25 squad

Guards: Cade Cunningham, Marcus Sasser, Quentin Grimes, Delon Wright

Wing: Mikal Bridges, Dorian Finney-Smith, Simone Fontecchio, Ausar Thompson

Big: Isaiah Stewart, Nic Claxton, Thomas Bryant

My guess is that in this made-up world, Detroit would have about 10 legitimate NBA rotation players on its roster, which wasn't the case last season.

The wings offer a lot of versatility with an emphasis on length and shot. Assuming all goes well, the Pistons will have significantly addressed their defensive issues from last season while adding more proven shooting techniques.

Bridges is the perfect player to play alongside someone like Cunningham. And while it would be a pretty big effort to get him, it's worth it given his age, his skill set, and the fact that Detroit didn't have to give up future resources to do it.

Will this exact scenario happen this summer? Probably not. I'm not Nostradamus, but these are the types of aggressive moves the Pistons should consider to not only be better than last season but, dare I say, decent in the Eastern Conference sooner rather than later to be.

(Photo by Cade Cunningham and Mikal Bridges: Mitchell Leff / Getty Images)