The Detroit Pistons walked into this offseason with a clear agenda. Clear the books. Create flexibility. And then go get someone who can actually shoot next to Cade Cunningham.
They accomplished the first two parts pretty quickly. The Isaiah Stewart trade to Memphis opened up even more cap space. Detroit swapped first-round picks with the Grizzlies during the draft. Then they sent Stewart packing for a couple of second-rounders. Simple math, really. Less money committed. More room to operate.
The third part? That got complicated.
The Austin Reaves pivot that never happened
Detroit had its sights set on Austin Reaves, the Lakers guard who quietly turned himself into a reliable third option in Los Angeles. The Pistons were ready to offer him around $45 million a year, according to reports. That would have been a serious overpay — but that’s what you do when you have cap space and need talent.
The Lakers caught wind of it. They bumped their offer. Reaves stayed in purple and gold. The Pistons swung and missed.
So they moved on. Fast.
Detroit agreed to a deal with Oklahoma City for Isaiah Joe, a career 40 percent three-point shooter who gives the Thunder some extra financial breathing room and gives the Pistons something they desperately lacked last season: floor spacing. Joe isn’t a star. But he doesn’t need to be. He just needs to stand in the corner and make defenses pay for collapsing on Cunningham.
What’s left on the board
The Pistons still have roughly $58 million in cap space. That number will shrink once they figure out what to do with Jalen Duren, who is a restricted free agent and reportedly wasn’t thrilled with Detroit’s initial offer. The team is expected to keep him, but nothing is official yet. If Duren walks, that changes everything. If he stays, the frontcourt is set with him as starter and Paul Reed as backup — a role Reed filled well down the stretch against Cleveland.
Beyond Duren, Detroit has options. Norman Powell is probably not coming back to Miami unless he takes less money. Zach LaVine has a $49 million player option and while his contract looks ugly, he can still score. Khris Middleton might be a fit, though Miami could jump in there now that they have Giannis Antetokounmpo. Tobias Harris, who just spent two years in Detroit, is available. So are Anfernee Simons, Harrison Barnes, Collin Sexton and Rui Hachimura.
None of those guys are franchise changers. But the Pistons aren’t looking for one. They already have Cunningham. They need guys who can catch and shoot, defend their position and not screw up the cap sheet long-term.
Free agency opens June 30. Detroit will have deals ready. The question is whether they land a difference maker or just another name.
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