Detroit Pistons: 3 high-profile free agents to monitor this season
Detroit sports fans, rejoice! The Red Wings are on the upswing, the Tigers are poised to make a splash in free agency (anyone else excited about Carlos Correa?), and the Lions, well, they’re playing football! The Detroit Pistons are certainly on the upswing with Cade Cunningham starting to show signs of greatness, and it looks like Troy Weaver’s plan is coming to fruition this season after all.
One thing that really helps improve a basketball thing quickly is a high-profile free agent. The Pistons may still be a lottery team this season, but as one of only four teams to have any money to play with next offseason, the Detroit Pistons could make a huge splash. With Blake Griffin finally coming off the books at the end of the season, the Pistons should have roughly $30 million to spend, which means they can give anyone a competitive offer.
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If the Pistons can draft an immediate contributor and add an All-Star level free agent, the team should be a contender in a loaded Eastern Conference sooner rather than later. Usually, we try and break it down so there is one free agent at each price point, but given the absurd amount of money and the hopeful outlook the Pistons have, why not reach for the stars? Some players may become disgruntled with their role and team, and with an entire season ahead of us, players who are expected to re-sign may end up on the move.
From guards to centers, there is talent at every position and the Pistons can nab it if they have a good sales pitch. Here are three high-profile players to watch this season to see if they’d fit in the starting rotation next season.
Detroit Pistons: Zach LaVine, Unrestricted Free Agent
At the moment there is no reason to think Zach LaVine will ever want to leave Chicago. He’s playing winning basketball on one of the most fun and talented teams in the league. Why would he want to leave? Well, LaVine has a history of needing to be on the floor with a lot of attention given to him in the offense. The Bulls have two other All-Stars in DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic in the starting lineup, and Lonzo Ball is a good player too.
On top of that, perhaps the defensive concerns fans had with Chicago in the preseason will catch up to them and Chicago will slip in the standings. If that happens, LaVine might want a change of scenery where he has to share the ball with only one other player in Cade Cunningham. Surround those two stars with a shooter like Bey, a proven vet like Grant, and a defensive stopper in Stewart in the starting five, and the Pistons immediately become lethal.
LaVine would comfortably fit in the Pistons’ rotation as a true shooting guard. Cade would still do most of the ball-handling but LaVine would get plenty of shots. He would immediately help the league-worst three-point shooting team, and as a 26-year-old could have some sort of leadership role on the young team. On top of that, having a high-flyer in the backcourt is always a good time, and between Diallo, Cade, Stewart, and LaVine Detroit could be rebranded as Lob City 2.0.