Training camp will take place in just over a month for the Detroit Pistonswhich means it’s time to put their offseason into context.
NBA analyst and salary cap space expert Keith Smith joined The Pistons Pulse podcast to provide context for the Pistons’ offseason. In addition to hiring a Trajan Langdon, new president of basketball operations And Head Coach at JB BickerstaffThey signed Tobias Harris and Malik Beasley, re-signed Simone Fontecchio, traded for Tim Hardaway Jr., extended Cade Cunningham and claimed big man Paul Reed off waivers.
Here are highlights of what Smith had to say. In the full episode, which was originally published on August 12Smith is also interested in recruits Ron Holland and Bobi Klintman.
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Pistons dominated offseason by emphasizing shooting and experience
No team entered the offseason with more cap space than the Pistons, leading to speculation around the league that they could make a splash either in free agency or on the trade market. Chicago Bulls forward Zach LaVine has been linked to the Pistons in trade talks since last season, and several players who made at least one All-Star appearance (including Paul George and Dejounte Murray) found new homes this summer.
However, Langdon is not looking for a quick rebuild and has instead added support around his young core.
“I always say you have to get to a point where you have to grow the roster,” Smith said. “Either the players mature or you have to add veterans to help them mature. Cade Cunningham, he’s everything to them right now. You have to put real players around him to understand what he is. Because your goal at the end of Tobias Harris’ contract is, okay, do we need a better version of Tobias Harris, or have the players grown and has Cade Cunningham rounded out his game? In another way, we don’t necessarily need (to trade for a star). That’s what you’re trying to figure out. Right now, you need shooting, you need spacing. You need a guy who’s just going to be there and every night do his thing.”
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Smith noted that the Pistons signed Fontecchio to a “terrific” two-year, $12 million contract. The only downside, he said, is that they couldn’t add a third or fourth season. If they had, Fontecchio could have been eligible for an extension in 2026. Instead, they’ll have to compete on the open market to keep him as a free agent.
He also said Hardaway has a chance to develop similar chemistry with Cunningham as he did with Luka Doncic with the Dallas Mavericks, and that Beasley has always been among the best shooters in the NBA.
“I thought those three hires were no risk, and I mean no cost because I’m not the one writing the check, but no cost because you have to spend money anyway,” he said. “I thought that was pretty good.”
‘No problem’ with Cade Cunningham’s maximum extension
The Pistons signed their franchise player to a five-year, $224 million contract extension, locking in a future in Detroit through 2030. Last season was Cunningham’s best, and he got better after missing most of his sophomore year with a shin injury. He averaged 23 points, 7.5 assists, 4.5 rebounds and three turnovers on 46.1%/37.2%/86.7% shooting over his last 50 games. For Smith, the extension was a no-brainer.
“It went exactly how I hoped it would, and I have no problem with that,” Smith said. “This is a game where you don’t want to get confused. I get it, Year 2 was a disaster for Cade Cunningham, a lost season. But I think last year he showed real improvement as a player in multiple phases of the game. We even talked about it here on the show, I was really disappointed in the first half of the year for the Pistons. Overall, I didn’t feel like the rotations, especially the Jaden Ivey thing, I thought they did Cunningham a disservice by putting him on the floor with little space around him. I think in the second half of the year, when things started to normalize a little bit for them, I thought you could really tell that this is what this guy can do with the right type of spacing around him.” He’s really hard to defend.”
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“This contact is almost a contact where you almost have to do it because otherwise, what are your options?” he continued.“Hey, let’s play all year and then we’ll see.” All you’re going to do is make him mad, right? But what’s the point? If you’re in the same situation, all you’ve done is made him mad for a year. It’s not like we have to motivate this guy to be good to put a chip on his shoulder. We’ve seen it go badly. I think they’ve done a good job with that. And also, the cap sheet can obviously afford it. They don’t have any money tied up long term beyond his contract. They’re doing well. Good contract, good value and I think he’s going to make that ten times the value.
2025 draft will determine Pistons’ 2024 season
Next summer’s draft, headlined by Duke forward Cooper Flagg, Rutgers forward Ace Bailey and others, is considered one of the strongest in recent memory in the top half of the lottery. A top-five pick in that draft would go a long way toward softening the blow of another playoff absence and give the franchise a chance to add a second star to Cunningham.
If the Pistons could choose between winning 34 games and missing the playoffs, or winning 13 games and a guaranteed top-five pick, Smith said he would choose the latter. However, if the choices were a top-five pick or a playoff spot, the choice would be more difficult. It’s a path the Pistons may have to choose next season.
“The fact that they’re all coming next year, I’d really rather, it looks tough, win all 13 games and be assured that you’re going to have one of the best players, whether it’s Cooper Flagg or one of the other four, that’s fine with me than 34 games and not making the playoffs,” Smith said. “It’s like, why did we do that?”
“Now, if you ask me, win 13 games and have a guarantee of getting the player or make the playoffs? It gets a little bit harder because making the playoffs can be a huge deal for a team. To me, you play competitive basketball until the new year and then you see where things are. Maybe the best thing to do is trade Malik Beasley because he had a great season and we can get some draft capital or a young player that we like. That’s fine. I’m not telling Pistons fans anything they don’t know: be careful not to hit rock bottom because we all know that doesn’t guarantee anything.”
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Smith also said that while he was a little surprised that the Pistons took a more conservative team-building approach this season rather than trading for a big name, there’s still a way for them to sneak into the play-in tournament as other teams weigh the benefits of taking the final stretch.
“I think somebody has to be a 10th seed in the East,” Smith said. “Somebody has to do it, and it’s like, who even wants to do it? This draft is charge. Who even wanna “Being the 10th seed in the East? That’s where you can get into teams that are protected by our picks. It’s better if we finish a little lower. There’s a way to get to the trade deadline and (the Pistons) are potentially in the play-in tournament. So you’re saying you’re way ahead of where I thought you would be. But you did it the right way.”
Contact Omari Sankofa II at [email protected]. Follow him @omarisankofa.
This article was originally published on the Detroit Free Press: NBA Analyst: Detroit Pistons Have Set Their Priorities for This Offseason
