Pistons owner Tom Gores announced Monday that Stan Van Gundy would not return as head coach and president of basketball operations for the final year of his contract.
Van Gundy resisted making changes that Gores requested, most notably replacing GM Jeff Bower. Gores finally decided after weeks of deliberation to go in another direction.
Van Gundy upgraded the roster during his four seasons with the organization but he and Bower made too many missteps along the way. The biggest problem for the next GM or president of basketball operations is that the Pistons have major cap issues that will hamstring efforts to make necessary improvements.
The trio of Blake Griffin, Andre Drummond and Reggie Jackson could carry the team to the playoffs next season, provided they stay relatively injury-free and the supporting cast is upgraded. That would require a leap of faith. Griffin and Jackson have been nagged by injuries in recent years.
Upgrading the roster could be an even taller task. The Pistons are locked into a couple of bad contracts (Jon Leuer, Langston Galloway) for two more seasons. The stretch provision used to eat up Josh Smith‘s contract gobbles up another $5.33MM in each of the next two years.
The Pistons also don’t have a first-round pick, courtesy of the Griffin deal, unless they get extremely lucky and move into the lottery. They have the mid-level exception and a $7MM trade exception to work with but that won’t help much. It’s tough to imagine another team willing to take on either Griffin’s contract or Jackson’s deal, though the next exec might give it a whirl.
A more viable option would be to deal Drummond, packaged with a bad contract, and essentially hit the reset button. That won’t sit well with fans who have seen their team reach the playoffs once since 2009.
They could also gauge the market value of some younger players like Stanley Johnson and Luke Kennard.
That brings us to our question of the day: If you were the Pistons GM, what moves would you make to revive the franchise?
Please take to the comments section to voice your opinion. We look forward to what you have to say.
They really have to upgrade their wing players if they want a shot. Detroit is sort of in a basketball purgatory where they aren’t quite good enough to contend but not quite bad enough to tank. They’re smack dab in the middle.
Draft Donovan Mitchell over Luke Kennard
In hindsight many teams messed that up
Not to mention that Mitchell and the Jazz may have just been a match made in heaven. Mitchell may have not had the breakout opportunity elsewhere as he did as the #1 scoring option on a team needing a #1 scoring option. It’s possible he also breaks out in Detroit, but it’s not a guarantee.
He’d be a lot better than Luke Kennard, that’s for sure.
It still takes a second to process that Griffin is a Piston now. Not a Clipper fan but it just looks weired
I’m sure he isn’t taking the change well, either. From the playground of Los Angels to the dumpster of Detroit? Jesus…just shoot me.
The best thing that could happen for this franchise is to get lucky and hit a top 3 pick in the lottery. THEN trade it along with Galloway and Leuer to a rebuilding team or better yet a team ready to rebuild like the Spurs.
Spurs get: Galloway, Leuer, Johnson, Kennard, Ellenson, top 3 pick
Pistons get: Leonard, #18 pick
Of course if they don’t get lucky, then it gets much harder. You might be able to swap your two bad contracts for someone else’s single bad contract and a second rounder to at least open a roster spot for a young player.
Magic get: Galloway, Leuer
Pistons get: Fournier, #35 or #41 pick
That would cost you an extra year of bad salary in Fournier, but he could at least start for you with some upside still. Galloway is not a starting caliber SG. Plus the 2nd rounder could hit as well. Worth the gamble IMO.
None of that can happen. Fourniers contract isn’t all that bad for what he brings on the floor.
All of that CAN happen. You might think it SHOULD happen, but it all CAN happen.
I also realize that Fournier isn’t all that bad, but I also realize that the Magic have been unsuccessfully shopping him for a year and would be thrilled to get out of the 4th year of his salary.
Detroit does not have a 1st round pick for starters. And Galloway + Leuer have zero value. And Jonson/Kennard have little value as well. None of that brings back Fournier and picks let alone Kawhi.
Like that’s complete dreaming.
Detroit DOES have a 1st round pick if it lands in the top 3 for starters which I stated in my original post. And if you don’t think my idea will work, that’s fine. It’s your right and it is the other guy’s right. But I won’t be belittled by someone saying that it CAN’T work.
You disagree with me, put up a counter argument, by all means. That is why I am here. I welcome it. But when you talk down to me, I fight back.
By the way, ALL OF US are doing nothing but “complete dreaming,” because unless I missed my guess, none of us have any power to make any of these decisions.
Fine. I will give you the same exact odds of these trades happening as they have for landing a top 3 pick… 2.5% And if they did land a Top 3 pick why not just take Michael Porter JR and solve your wing issues right there? These odds are slightly higher than LeBron joining the Celtics.
I doubt they have the same luck as in 03, when they lucked up and got the 2nd pick in the draft behind LeBron, and took Darko. Which turned out to be a huge gaffe.
The Pistons cannot trade Drummond just for the sake of hitting the reset button. If they trade him, they have to get a package that allows them to be better going forward. Otherwise, it will be a pointless move
Drummond is a traditional big, who has little value in today’s NBA. Sure, he’s the best rebounder in the league, but aside from that, he can’t create his own shot, and he’s a poor rim protector. Today’s bigs have to be versatile which means being able to defend guards and wings on P&R’s, and athletic enough to recover to their own man, and being able to shoot from distance.
Toronto needs to move some parts.
I think a trade involving Drummond and John Wall could be possible. The Wiz played awfully well without Wall and seem destined to break up he and Beal. Find a separate deal for Reggie, maybe for Hardaway Jr. or Bazemore and you have Wall/Hardaway/Johnson/Griffin/Leuer. Could also trade for a big if needed. There are plenty out there.
I don’t see the wiz trading wall unless they could get like Reggie Jackson and a few first
Wanted to include Reggie and Mahimi in that proposed trade, but remember Scott Brooks was still in OKC when Reggie had a less than cordial exit from there. I doubt he’d want to coach him again.