Detroit Pistons' 2015 Free-Agency Wish List
The Detroit Pistons have fallen out of the Eastern Conference playoff race, but they will have significant cap space this offseason to improve the roster.
A 10-game losing streak before their win over the Memphis Grizzlies will almost certainly keep them out of the postseason for the sixth consecutive year, and there will be pressure on coach and team President Stan Van Gundy to snap that streak in 2015-16.
Their roster is filled with expiring contracts and rookie deals, and they could have more than $30 million to spend—based on a $66 million salary cap—by parting ways with the nonguaranteed contract of Caron Butler ($4.5 million in 2015-16). The Pistons could free up additional room by passing on another year of Anthony Tolliver (nonguaranteed $3 million contract) or finding a team to take on Brandon Jennings and the $8 million he is owed in the final year of his deal.
That money would be enough to potentially sign two maximum-contract players—though a good chunk of it may go to their own top free agents: Greg Monroe and Reggie Jackson.
Monroe is an unrestricted free agent and can sign anywhere he would like though the Pistons have his Bird rights and can pay him more than any other team. Jackson is restricted, giving them the right to match any deal another team offers him.
If they re-sign both players, there still could be enough money to sign a big-name free agent. And with Andre Drummond and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope on the roster, small forward would be the clear position to upgrade. But if Monroe chooses to leave the Motor City, they would need to look at both forward spots.
Fortunately for the Pistons, there are free agents at each position who would improve the team dramatically and fit with their young core. They just need to find a way to bring one of them to Detroit.
Paul Millsap, PF, Atlanta Hawks
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Drummond and Monroe have been a less-than-ideal frontcourt pairing because of their lack of floor-spacing—neither shoots well more than five feet from the rim—as well as their inability to match up with quicker bigs.
A power forward like the Atlanta Hawks' Paul Millsap could be a better partner for Drummond.
Millsap was an All-Star this season, and he is quicker than Monroe defensively. His shooting ability would open up space inside; he is knocking down 35.8 percent of his threes on the season, including 48.9 percent (22-of-45) from the corners.
Drummond and Tolliver—who is similar in shooting ability and size to Millsap—have outscored opponents by 6.3 points per 100 possessions when they have shared the court this season. Van Gundy could have some real success with a supercharged version of Tolliver as his starting power forward.
Millsap is an unrestricted free agent, so the Hawks have no say if he chooses to play elsewhere. And perhaps the Pistons could offer him enough money to inspire a relocation to Michigan.
But he is playing for the East's best team in an offense that seems perfectly suited to his skill set.
"I was in a system in Utah that was primarily post-up, mid-post, not enough spacing," Millsap told Paul Newberry of The (Shreveport, Louisiana) Times. "Then I come to a team that has a lot of spacing. I've always been undersized. Now I can actually use my undersized abilities as my strengths."
And the Pistons would be giving a massive contract to a guy who is already 30 years old.
Millsap would be an excellent fit next to Drummond, and the Pistons could use his experience in their locker room full of youngsters. However, prying him from Atlanta won't be the easiest or cheapest thing to do.
Kevin Love, PF, Cleveland Cavaliers
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Another big-name power forward with three-point range can be an unrestricted free agent this summer.
Kevin Love has a player option with the Cleveland Cavaliers for 2015-16 though he said in January that he plans to opt into the final year of his deal. But that is far from set in stone.
"As far as leaving my options open, I mean sure, it's always there," he told Chris Haynes of Northeast Ohio Media Group. "At the end of the day, it's always good to have something, but no, I plan on being here [in Cleveland]."
There has been visible frustration from Love at times this season, and for good reason. He is used as a third banana behind LeBron James and Kyrie Irving, resulting in a 20.5 usage rate, which is the lowest since he was a rookie, per ESPN. Far too often, he is simply used as a spot-up shooter.
In 2013-14, Love was an All-NBA Second Team player. He did not make the All-Star team in the East this season and just isn't getting to play to his capabilities in Cleveland.
Detroit could offer him another chance to be "the man."
He would instantly become Detroit's No. 1 option offensively, and Jackson-Love pick-and-rolls could be devastating. Drummond would be the type of rim protector that Love needs to play next to defensively, and Detroit's lack of a secondary playmaker would give him chances to facilitate from the elbow.
Love maintains that he will stay in Cleveland. He also has been tied to the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers, and his list of suitors if he hits free agency will be long.
But if Monroe leaves, the Pistons could present him with a young core of talent and the chance to be an offensive centerpiece once again.
Jimmy Butler, SG/SF, Chicago Bulls
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Van Gundy could get an improvement on the wing at both ends of the court and weaken a division rival if he managed to get Jimmy Butler away from the Chicago Bulls.
Butler came into the season with the reputation of being an elite defender, earning NBA All-Defensive Second Team honors in 2013-14. But he has been a revelation for the Bulls offensively, where his scoring is up from 13.1 points per game last season to 20.2 in 2014-15.
Though he typically starts at shooting guard, Butler has the size at 6'7" and 220 pounds to play small forward full time, and he already spends over one-third of his minutes there, per 82games.com. He has been capable of guarding LeBron James—the most physically dominant small forward in the league.
Since Butler is a restricted free agent this summer, the Bulls have the right to match any contract offered to him. And they are expected to do so, according to David Haugh of the Chicago Tribune.
But Chicago will be near the cap in 2015-16 even before offering Butler an extension. And owner Jerry Reinsdorf is notoriously averse to paying the luxury tax—which would be almost inevitable if Butler gets a max contract. Perhaps that threat would be enough to make him balk if Butler signed a max-contract offer sheet.
As a 25-year-old All-Star, Butler is exactly what the Pistons need to fill their hole at small forward. Perhaps the Bulls will forget how good he is.
Kawhi Leonard, SF, San Antonio Spurs
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Butler won't be the only elite wing defender on the market this summer, as Kawhi Leonard will also be a restricted free agent.
Also a 2013-14 NBA All-Defensive Second Team member as well as the 2014 NBA Finals MVP, Leonard has had plenty of success before his 24th birthday. And he only continues to improve, with his scoring average up—to 15.8 in 2014-15—for the third consecutive season.
Leonard isn't the offensive player Butler is at this point, but he is the superior defender. He can guard four positions, and his 7'3" wingspan allows him to wreak havoc on opponents—he averages 2.2 steals per game.
His 24-point, nine-rebound, seven-assist performance against James and the Cavaliers shows the level of play Leonard is capable of as he continues to develop.
"He went toe-to-toe with the best player in the world and did not flinch," Michael Pina of Sports on Earth wrote. "Leonard is not as good as LeBron, but he's proven capable of neutralizing him for four quarters, which is probably just as impressive."
Leonard will explore restricted free agency, but he also expects to return to San Antonio.
"We'll see what happens next summer, but I'm pretty sure I'll be in a Spurs jersey for my whole life," he told USA Today in November.
Leonard is a two-way stud who has yet to enter his prime, and the Spurs would be crazy not to match any offer made to him. But the idea of Jackson, Caldwell-Pope, Leonard and Drummond defensively is fantastic.
Tobias Harris, F, Orlando Magic
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Regardless of whether or not Monroe leaves, Orlando Magic forward Tobias Harris could give the Pistons flexibility at the 3 and 4 positions.
His playing time has been a roughly 60-40 split between small forward and power forward, respectively, according to 82games.com. At 6'9" and 235 pounds, he can cause matchup problems at both positions. He can take most 3s into the post or shoot over them. His 36.9 three-point shooting percentage forces big men to the perimeter, where Harris has the quickness to take them off the dribble.
He has been solid defensively, holding opposing players at both positions to an average player efficiency rating below 15, per 82games.com. He is also averaging more than one steal per game for the first time in his career.
Harris will turn just 23 in July, and it would seem likely that the Magic would want to keep him as a long-term building block. But the Pistons could offer him a max contract as a restricted free agent in an attempt to scare off the Magic. Or perhaps a sign-and-trade deal with Monroe, who interested Orlando last summer, would make sense.
He could give the Pistons a third 23-and-under starter to build around for the next decade.
Draymond Green, F, Golden State Warriors
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The free agent who tops the wish list of many Pistons fans—at least those who bleed green—is Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green.
The Saginaw, Michigan, native and Michigan State graduate has gone from second-round draft pick to starter on the NBA's top team in a matter of three seasons. And as he prepares to enter restricted free agency, there is defensive player of the year buzz building for him. Bleacher Report's Alec Nathan selected him No. 1 in his midseason rankings for the award.
"His ability to guard multiple positions has also allowed Golden State to embrace a tactical approach that's heavy on frenzied switches against frontcourt and backcourt players," Nathan wrote.
The Pistons rank No. 20 in defensive efficiency, per NBA.com. Adding a defensive player of Green's caliber would certainly improve them on that side of the ball.
The Warriors can match any offer to Green, but as their roster currently stands, they will be over the cap before re-signing him. Like with the Bulls, this will make paying the luxury tax a reality. And the Warriors will need to re-sign Klay Thompson in the summer of 2016, likely to a max contract. Grantland's Zach Lowe isn't convinced they will break the bank for Green this offseason.
"Bring Green back at that number [$7 million], and the Warriors will be looking at a payroll approaching $90 million for next season—about $7 million or so above the tax line. ... The Warriors have never paid the luxury tax. Combine that payroll with tax payments, and the Warriors would be shelling out something like $105 million just to field their team next season. Are they willing to do that? History suggests they are not.
"
That was in November. Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix thinks Green will now get $12-13 million a year on the open market. That would increase Golden State's potential tax bill further.
Pistons fans should be hoping that the Warriors aren't willing to spend that much money. Even those who cheer for maize and blue should be rooting for Green's return home.
All records and statistics accurate through March 17, 2015, and are from NBA.com unless otherwise noted. All salary information is from ShamSports.com.
Jakub Rudnik covers the Detroit Pistons as a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter.
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