What Offseason Moves Are Next for Detroit Pistons with NBA Draft Complete?
After drafting their small forward of the future, the Detroit Pistons must continue forming a roster that will be able to contend for a playoff spot.
Arizona freshman Stanley Johnson was taken No. 8 overall, and he will immediately help fill the Pistons' biggest need. They didn't have a single small forward under contract, and at 6'7" and 245 pounds, Johnson has the physical tools to compete physically right away. He isn't expected to start, but he should be a rotation player.
Beyond small forward, their starting lineup appears set. Reggie Jackson is at point guard, though Brandon Jennings will challenge for minutes. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope should start again at shooting guard in his third season. Newly acquired Ersan Ilyasova will presumably slide into Greg Monroe's place at power forward. Meanwhile, Andre Drummond remains their franchise center.
The rest of the rotation seems to be in place as well. Jodie Meeks and Spencer Dinwiddie join Jackson, Jennings and Caldwell-Pope in the backcourt. Anthony Tolliver will be the backup power forward, and Joel Anthony will come off the bench for Drummond.
With only one real hole to fill, coach and team president Stan Van Gundy can focus much of his energy on trying to lock up his own players on a long-term basis.
Sign a Starting Small Forward
Whether or not Johnson earns the starting gig, Detroit needs a second small forward.
Last season, they brought in veterans Caron Butler (free agency) and Tayshaun Prince (trade), but those two were on the wrong side of 30 and unqualified to start. The Pistons need someone more skilled this time around if making the playoffs is the ultimate goal.
There are many young, talented 3s available in free agency: Draymond Green, Jimmy Butler, Kawhi Leonard and Tobias Harris would all be great additions. Unfortunately for teams with cap space, those four are restricted free agents, meaning their current teams can match any deal they sign. It will be difficult, if not impossible, to bring them to Detroit.
The Pistons could chase after one of the top unrestricted free agents as well. DeMarre Carroll was excellent on both ends of the court for the Atlanta Hawks in the postseason, but he'll command a big payday and will be 29 in July. Danny Green is capable of playing at the 3, but SB Nation's Tom Ziller thinks he will make at least $12 million per year on the open market.
With big extensions potentially coming for other guys on the roster, the Pistons may not want to shell out that kind of cash for a free agent when Johnson should develop into a starter in the near future. Instead, Van Gundy may opt for a lesser free-agent option to act as a stopgap.
Three younger veterans could be in play: Al-Farouq Aminu, Corey Brewer and Omri Casspi. They're all flawed, one-dimensional players, but they'll likely come at a reasonable price.
Aminu and Brewer are both pesky on-ball defenders with limited offensive games. Johnson has the body and potential to turn into an elite defensive player—he's built like Metta World Peace, who won a Defensive Player of the Year award as Ron Artest. Aminu and Brewer could be excellent mentors for the rookie.
Casspi is an excellent shooter, which would make him attractive to Van Gundy, who prefers to play a four-out offensive system. He made over 40 percent of his triples with the Sacramento Kings in 2014-15, and that would bring the Pistons some much-needed spacing. His scoring ability could complement Johnson's defending nicely.
A guy like Carroll would make the Pistons much better in the short term than any of the three cheaper veterans. But the Pistons are still several years from contending for a title, and going bargain hunting now will preserve future flexibility.
Re-Sign Reggie Jackson
While Jackson has been penciled into the Pistons starting point guard spot for the foreseeable future, he is a restricted free agent this summer and could leave for another team.
Van Gundy could wait to see what the market dictates for Jackson and then match whichever contract he signs. Or Jackson could sign the qualifying offer to stay with the Pistons for one more season. But the latter option didn't work with Monroe last offseason, and they shouldn't risk losing another young talent.
Jackson has the athletic gifts and raw ability to turn into a top-10 point guard. In 27 games with the Pistons, he averaged 17.6 points, 9.2 assists and 4.7 rebounds.
If he kept that pace up for an entire year, it would only be the 21st time in NBA history someone matched those numbers. The players who did it previously: Oscar Robertson, Magic Johnson, Rod Strickland, Guy Rodgers and Chris Paul.
That's it.
Jackson isn't Paul, and he definitely isn't Magic. But he has a rare combination of size, strength and scoring ability that isn't typically possessed by a player with his court vision. He has what it takes to develop into an All-Star, and Van Gundy can't take a chance on him leaving.
Jackson turned down a four-year, $48 million deal last year with the Oklahoma City Thunder, though that was partly because he wanted a starting role. It will almost certainly take that much money to get him to commit to playing in Detroit long-term, but he's worth it, especially with the new television deal set to greatly expand the salary cap.
Van Gundy, just pay Jackson what he deserves.
The Pistons could look to re-sign Drummond this summer, but it benefits them to wait a year. If they give him a maximum extension in 2016 as opposed to 2015, it will give them $13 million more to work with in free agency next summer. So holding off a year is a simple decision.
Many fans hoped for a splashy signing this offseason, but with a market full of restricted free agents and an extension for Jackson in order, they'll likely have to settle for a relatively cheap veteran who can split time with Johnson.
The Pistons may have to wait one more year to make a big move, but it gives them another season to develop their young core. Fans can take comfort in the fact that Van Gundy has given Detroit its most balanced roster in years.
Jakub Rudnik covers the Detroit Pistons as a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. Talk Pistons basketball with him on Twitter:
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