Following a disappointing 2016-17 season, the Detroit Pistons have gone to work in the off-season. While there have been no big waves (at least for incoming players) there have been a few moves made.

Here’s what you need to know about the off-season so far.

The Draft

The Pistons made only one selection in the 2017 NBA Draft, earning the 12th pick in the lottery. With the pick they selected Luke Kennard, a 6’6″ shooting guard out of Duke University.

Initially received with criticism, there are aspects of Kennard’s game that can help the team. He averaged 19.5 ppg last season, an impressive feat for any team, let alone on a Duke Blue Devils team where Grayson Allen is considered “the guy.” He also averaged about 5 rebounds a contest. But, above all, Kennard is a shooter, something the Pistons direly need. He averaged 49% from the field, including nearly 44% from beyond the arc. He will wear the number 23 on his jersey.

Free Agency

There wasn’t going to be a lot done in free agency. Everybody knew that going in. Aside from the re-signing of restricted free agent Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, there weren’t going to be any major waves in the Motor City.

That was, until July 7th.

That day, the Pistons pulled a surprise trade (more on that later), leading to the team renouncing their exclusive rights to the young guard, thus granting him unrestricted free agency. Once expected to earn a maximum deal from the Pistons or another suitor like the Brooklyn Nets or Philadelphia 76ers, Caldwell-Pope sits without a clear home or future.

To this point only two moves have been made by the Pistons on the free agent market, with the club signing Langston Galloway and Eric Moreland.

Galloway, a shooting guard, signed to a three-year, $21 million contract, bringing him to his fourth team in as many seasons. He saw plentiful time with the New York Knicks from 2014 to 2016, appearing in all 82 games during the 2015-16 season. He’s become largely a backup player known more for his defense, which will be needed in the absence of Caldwell-Pope. As well, his defense will allow for Stan Van Gundy to create a tandem of Galloway and Luke Kennard, balancing the latter’s offensive prowess with the former’s defensive abilities. But that’s not to say that Galloway is useless on the offensive end, as he averaged 7.9 points per game as a backup in 74 contests, albeit on an unimpressive 38% from the field. The contract, in today’s NBA, is team friendly and adds more depth, also necessary with the departure of Darrun Hilliard via trade.

Moreland, a 25-year old undrafted center, has seen only 11 games at the NBA level over two seasons with the Sacramento Kings. He spent most of last year with the Canton Charge of the NBA D-League. While there, Moreland’s play impressed, earning him All D-League Third Team and Defensive First Team honors. He averaged 12.8 points per game on 56% shooting and 12.2 rebounds to go with 2.7 blocks per contest in 44 games. His defensive style of play fits the historical narrative of lockdown post defenders in Detroit. However, his free throw shooting could use quite a bit of work, as his numbers at the charity stripe echo those of Andre Drummond. At 25, this is a low-risk deal for Detroit. It adds depth with the departure of Aron Baynes in free agency. He will likely compete with resident giant Boban Marjanovic for the backup center position.

Besides Caldwell-Pope, other free agents include Aron Baynes, who exercised his opt-out clause, Reggie Bullock, and Beno Udrih. It’s unlikely that Baynes returns, given the presence of Marjanovic and now Moreland, the fates of Bullock and Udrih remain unclear.

Trades

Two trades have happened to this point.

First, the team sent former second round pick Darrun Hilliard to the Houston Rockets in exchange for cash considerations. Hilliard saw little time on the floor in Detroit and it’s likely that wasn’t going to change. Moves have been made to compensate for his departure and the Pistons are no worse off due to this deal.

Second, and most notably, the Pistons landed Avery Bradley from the Boston Celtics in exchange for Marcus Morris and a 2018 second round draft pick. While I loved Marcus Morris, I like this deal a lot more. Morris wasn’t likely to stay in Detroit. He brought grit and solid two-way ability at the small forward, but the spot he leaves is now filled by Tobias Harris, quietly one of the most reliable pieces on last year’s team. In Bradley, the Pistons gain a player who is able to shoot from the outside with consistency, as well as create off the dribble. On the other end of the court he brings some of the better perimeter defense in the NBA. On and off the court, Bradley will serve as a mentor to the young Luke Kennard, helping to hone his offensive game as well as helping develop his defense (which, from reports, was looking better than expected in summer workouts). Bradley is a free agent after this season and it’s unclear what will happen then, but the focus now lies on the upcoming season.

Rumors abounded on draft night regarding potential deals involving Andre Drummond, including heavy speculation that the Sacramento Kings were prime players, but nothing ever came to fruition. Reggie Jackson’s name was also thrown around early in the summer, though there’s nothing to indicate that he will be on the move. Van Gundy has reiterated that no player on his team is “untradeable”, so it’s possible that we’ve not seen the end of the Pistons’ presence on the trade market this off-season.

What do you think of the Pistons’ off-season moves so far? What other moves would you like to see happen? Let me know in the comments below and stay tuned for more updates out of the Pistons’ camp!

Find me on Twitter @milz_chris and follow @cleatgeeks for more basketball and sports news.

Share this: Facebook

Twitter

Google

Tumblr

Pinterest



Like this: Like Loading...