To help us get through the NBA’s late-summer blues, we’re taking a look back at teams across the league and how their offseason went.
Detroit Pistons
Main additions:
Malik Beasley
Paul Reed
Tobias Harris
Ron Holland
Tim Hardaway Jr
Main losses:
Quentin Grimes
Evan Fournier
Taj Gibson
James Wiseman
Chemistry Metu
Offseason review and outlook for the 2024-25 season:
The Pistons’ biggest offseason changes were on the roster. Troy Weaver was fired after a disastrous run at the helm, replaced by Trajan Langdon. One of Langdon’s first moves was to fire Monty Williams, a bold move based solely on money and the years left on Williams’ contract, but a smart one because Williams was a truly terrible coach last season. Detroit replaced Williams with J.B. Bickerstaff, who has his limitations as a coach but is a solid player development coach.
As for the roster itself, it still seems to be a work in progress. The Pistons finally have some shooters around Cade Cunningham, with THJ, Beasley, and Harris all capable enough to provide some much-needed space. And the Pistons have some good young players to try to build around in Cade, Jaden Ivey, Ron Holland, Ausar Thompson, and Jalen Duren. I imagine the Pistons will be much more respectable than last season, but I still expect them to be near the bottom of the Eastern Conference. It will take more than one summer to rebuild after Troy Weaver’s mistakes.
Why we hate them:
I still remember Jaden Ivey’s relief when the Kings selected Keegan Murray, and the commentators in the media rejoicing that Ivey wouldn’t be wasted in Sacramento. The Kings proved that media draft grades mean nothing, but I’m a mean and bitter person, so I always keep a hateful eye on the Motor City. They can start to make up for it by trading Isaiah Stewart to Sacramento.
