Trajan Langdon and the Detroit Pistons had a plan for the offseason, and they’ve stuck to it so far.
The Pistons sought to acquire some assets in exchange for taking on the contract of a still useful player, which they accomplished when they traded for Tim Hardaway Jr. They were also able to use cap space to climb up the draft board, selecting Bobi Klintman with the 37th choice.
Langdon clearly wanted to avoid long-term contracts, so he signed Tobias Harris to a two-year contract that should not damage the bottom line and would benefit Detroit’s young players’ growth.
The Pistons still have roughly $26 million to spend, and with the pool of viable free agents diminishing, they may consider making a deal to use it.
Here are the top remaining targets and the Pistons’ chances of acquiring one of them. If you want another major name to come to Detroit, you’ll probably have to wait.
Lauri Markkanen: 0%
I’ll let the great Debbie Gibson summarize the Pistons’ chances of acquiring Lauri Markkanen.
The Jazz said they didn’t want to trade Markkanen heading into the offseason, but after seeing what the Knicks gave up for Mikal Bridges, their tone changed.
The Jazz aren’t good enough to compete right now, nor are they awful enough to stink, so cashing in on Markkanen could be their wisest choice.
They’re going to ask for a young player and about five choices, so the Pistons aren’t even in the running. Even if Detroit offered Ivey and Duren, they would still fall short because Utah will not compromise.
The Oklahoma City Thunder are the club to watch here, albeit they have already made significant acquisitions in Alex Caruso and Isaiah Hartenstein. Few other teams, including the Detroit Pistons, have the assets to offer. So, as Debbie mentioned, this one is solely in our dreams.
Brandon Ingram: 1%
I would have rated this one much higher earlier in the offseason, especially after the Pistons hired Trajan Langdon.
Yes, Langdon was Ingram’s former general manager, but he was also the one who refused to extend BI’s contract, so perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised.
The likelihood of Ingram signing diminished even more after the Pistons added Tobias Harris, who is a temporary veteran rather than a building block like Ingram.
Who knows, if Ingram’s price drops enough, Detroit may move him to the three spot and Harris to the four, giving them two solid scorers surrounding Cade Cunningham. However, they all want to work in the middle, so this is unlikely to work.
This one will not happen either.
Cam Johnson: 7%
The Nets are apparently marketing some of their players now that they’ve moved Mikal Bridges and appear to be rebuilding. You never know with the Nets, who appear to go from tanking to trying to win a championship season after season.
I’m not a big fan of Johnson, who misses too many games, but he’s a great shooter for his height, and his contract isn’t terrible. He has three years remaining at $23, 21, and 23 million a season, raising the issue of why the Nets would be so interested in moving him.
He also plays the same position as Harris, however the two might share the floor, especially if the Pistons assign Ausar Thompson to the two. Could the Pistons sign Johnson for the price of Jaden Ivey? Is that too much to give up for a 28-year-old who has only played more than 60 games in his career? Probably.
Russell Westbrook: 1%
It’s hard to picture this one, but the Pistons could use another veteran guard off the bench.
Westbrook chose to sign his $4 million contract with the Clippers, against their best wishes.
Westbrook is still a productive player who seldom misses games, so why not give a selection to Detroit to take on his contract (which the Clippers do not do).
He’s not a good fit for the Pistons since he still can’t shoot, but I admire Westbrook’s commitment to competing every night, something the young Pistons should learn from.
DeMar DeRozan: 0%
DeRozan would have to be signed-and-traded, which makes little sense for the Pistons, who could simply sign him as an unrestricted free agency.
Can we just take a second to appreciate how bad the Bulls’ front management is? Their asset management has been atrocious, and they are about to lose DeRozan for nothing. Be cautious what you wish for, folks, for there are worse owners than Tom Gores; see Reinsdorf, Jerry for example.
DeRozan could have been a possibility if the Pistons hadn’t signed Tobias Harris, who will also be on a short-term contract, but he will most likely earn more. He’s also older, but DeRozan seldom misses games.
Cade, Harris, and DeRozan, like Ingram, appear to be incompatible.
Zach LaVine: 14%
I can see Trajan Langdon taking his time with this one in order to get LaVine the best offer possible.
At this moment, the Pistons are one of the only clubs with the cap space to accept his offer, though they would have to return at least one contract to make the money work. My guess is Isaiah Stewart, which seemed doubtful considering the Pistons’ lack of center depth.
Langdon has also showed no interest in long-term deals, so three years may be a stretch unless multiple assets are connected, one for LaVine and one for Stewart.
The problem is that the Bulls do not have them because they traded Alex Caruso for Giddey (and no picks), did not trade Drummond (who walked for nothing), and are set to lose DeRozan for nothing as well. They owe the Spurs a pick, and the one coming to them from the Trail Blazers is protected, making it unlikely to ever be delivered.
I’d say LaVine has a better chance than anyone else on this list, but it’s still extremely unlikely, and I don’t see it happening until the Bulls can find a third team with a selection or two to toss the Pistons’ way.
