The team with the league’s worst record was the most active before the trade deadline.
The Pistons reshuffled their roster, though it’s fair to wonder just what all that activity accomplished. It started a few weeks earlier, swapping some backup forwards and draft capital with the Wizards mainly to shed Marvin Bagley Jr.‘s contract.
They also made three trades before Tuesday’s deadline, most notably giving up sharpshooters Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks to the Knicks. Detroit general manager Troy Weaver failed to get a first-round pick in return, instead picking up two second-rounders, a young rotation wing in Quentin Grimes and more future cap space.
A trade with the Jazz netted forward Simone Fontecchio, who scored 20 points in his Pistons debut on Saturday. Outside of Grimes and Fontecchio – and perhaps Troy Brown Jr. – the players they added probably won’t be on next year’s roster.
The Pistons are projected to have $58-$64MM in salary cap space this offseason. The question is ‘What do they do with it?’
There have been rumblings of a reunion with Tobias Harris when the Sixers forward hits free agency but that doesn’t solve Detroit’s fundamental issue – it doesn’t have any superstars.
Cade Cunningham was supposed to be that type of player as the top pick in the 2021 draft. His sophomore season was a washout due to a shin injury. He has posted solid numbers this season but hasn’t played at an All-Star level.
Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren, the 2022 first-round picks, have shown the ability to be quality starters but haven’t produced on a consistent basis.
A bigger question is whether Cunningham and Ivey can develop true chemistry. Both are more comfortable with the ball in their hands, with Cunningham playing a craftier, more deliberate style while Ivey thrives at a higher pace.
Owner Tom Gores continues to express confidence in Weaver, even though the GM’s four-year rebuilding project has been a colossal failure. Given the team’s activity at the trade deadline, it seems as if Weaver will continue in his role during the offseason.
That brings us to our topic of the day: What should the Pistons do this summer to turn their fortunes around? What players should they target in free agency and trades with their cap space? Should they be patient with the backcourt pairing of Cunningham and Ivey or trade one of them?
Please take to the comments section to weigh on this topic. We look forward to your input.
What should they do to turn their fortunes around? Seems pretty obvious: find a new GM. Weaver has been terrible.
I think they need a new GM. Ownership won’t budge it seems though. But Detroit has done nothing in 4 or 5 years maybe more.
I know the Rockets have been down the last few like Detroit etc. But they seem a little better and perhaps a chance to get better. But Detroit still going nowhere after changing coaches. A Change at top with GM needs to be made. They could pick up players in draft, trade or such but they have not gotten better. Thought they would be this season and it has been a disaster.
The Pistons need to focus on finding pieces that fit together (rather than just assembling random talent), and move players while they still have value.
They drafted Cade in 2021 but then were unwilling to part with 2020 pick Killian Hayes. They then drafted over Hayes again with Jaden Ivey in 2022.
Not only was Hayes never moved, he played 5479 minutes for the Pistons. He started 31 games this year, including 18 games during the record-breaking losing streak, and then somehow his final game in a Piston uniform before he was waived.
Missing on Hayes instead of taking Haliburton is obviously a big reason why we’re here. Teams don’t need to hit it out of the park on every draft pick, but they DO need to cut bait rather than double-down on obvious mistakes.
The Pistons also signed Bojan Bogdanovic almost explicitly so they could trade him later to get a first round pick for him. And yet they didn’t trade him when he could have gotten that type of return. They absolutely could have gotten a FRP for Bogey LAST deadline, as well as a 2nd for Alec Burks, and instead ended up with two seconds and more time wasted playing veterans who were never going to be part of the team’s long-term core.
Troy Weaver is terrible at poker. He held onto a self-induced bad hand for way too long. Assuming he’s learned his lessons, what’s next?
Well, Ausar Thompson is hitting 16% of his threes and that type of player doesn’t exactly fit around Cade Cunningham for the same reasons Hayes didn’t.
They also have undersized center Isaiah Stewart (set to earn 15M per) pretending to be a PF next to Jalen Duren, which is far from ideal.
Are they going to commit to building AROUND Cade? If the answer is no, they should move him while his value is still high enough.
The NBA CBA has fortunately changed so that franchises don’t get stuck in hell for an entire decade when a GM is incompetent. Look at how quickly the Knicks were able to turn around once Leon Rose came in with a sound vision. Nevermind the Brunson signing, they did things like sign Donte DiVincenzo to a bargain contract (while the Pistons threw money at Marvin Bagley just because they could).
The Pistons are awful now but could be in a much different place two years from now. It all depends on whether they’ve actually learned from their mistakes, or if they’re giving a bunch of lip service right now.
Weaver is a talent evaluator trying to be a team builder. Since the latter is the primary role of a FO chief, I’ve long concluded that he’s not up to his current job.
I do find it funny, though, that for the past 3 years, the vast majority of posts on this site that addressed Weaver, lavished praises on him. Presumably for being so good at tanking, and having the vision to trade for former very high draft picks at a discount. Now, he’s an idiot on all fronts.
Question: Would Weaver still be an idiot if his league worst record in 2022-23 led to the 1st overall pick (and Wemby), and his third worst league record in 2021-22 led to the 3rd overall pick (and Jabari Smith)-? If not, I guess the difference between brilliance and idiocy is as subtle as having ping pong balls bounce your way.
Well, there certainly needs to be more to one’s process than deliberately tanking for “can’t miss” prospects. What happens when you miss them? Shake your first at the sky and blame fate?
You can’t control lottery balls.
You CAN control the amount of years you put on Marvin Bagley and Mason Plumlee’s contracts.
You CAN control trading Saddiq Bey for James Wiseman.
You CAN control when you trade veterans like Bogdanovic and Burks.
You CAN control cutting bait on a lottery bust.
In 1997 the Celtics missed out on Tim Duncan in ignominious fashion, bricking both #3 and #6 picks with Chauncey Billups (traded for Kenny Anderson 6 months later) and Ron Mercer. They still went to the Conference Finals 4 years later. They won a title 10 years later. There’s clearly more that they were doing than crossing their fingers and hoping for the best.
I think your proving his point 2k
So, you’re saying YES, you would say he’d still be a genius if the ping pong balls dropped better for him?
Weaver is a tanking boob. Yet, nothing you’ve set forth goes any distance toward proving he’s any different that the other tankers. Every FO has good and bad moves. Weaver hasn’t been shaking his fist at the sky. Where did you get that? Seems like he’s just doing what every tanker does when the ping pong balls go against them. Keep tanking.
– He signed Plumlee as FA, but also Grant (one of the best FA signings of the past 5 years). On balance, his FA record is good.
– Hayes, his highest off script draft pick, was a bust. Lots of other teams have those too, and cutting bait hasn’t helped any of them recoup much. There’s no significant market for lottery busts. Weaver’s off script draftees include Duren, Steward, Bey and Sasser, all of whom have performed above their draft status. So, he gave Bey away for Wiseman, so what? He stole Bey and neither is an impact player.
– Bogdanovic was stolen for KO (and the extension he gave him is the ONLY reason the guy is still around to bring back anything), and Burks came in a deal where he got 2 SRPs, and now he gets Grimes and 2 SRPs to send them to the NYK.
Weaver’s issue is he buried this group in a tanking culture. I know 2k’ers don’t want to accept that because they love tanking (losing intentionally is something they could do, and they relate to it). Still, the devastaing results here don’t happen without tanking, and any tanking team with bad ping pong ball luck would likely be in a similar spot.
well said and solid examples of Weavers decision making failures that aren’t ping pong balls. I also don’t believe in his talent evaluation either. 3 decent starters is nothing. Also Isaiah Stewart is not a starter on any team outside Detroit.
How does Weaver have a job? Half the people that comment here could have gotten a FRP for one of their guys. Even Sillivan.
Highly Doubtful , there was 1 true first rder traded this Td and that entailed a salary dump off ( G Willams ) while getting a betrrr player (Pj ) whoes on a cheaper contact for longer than BB –
They did well getting a young Pg pre Rfa
There aren’t many contenders w 1sts to trade , Bogs certainly isn’t the player that’s going to net them in this tight market
They could have gotten their own FRP back instead sure they got a stone cold lock HOF in Grimes
fire Troy Weaver, he’s a train wreck of a GM constantly losing draft picks for nothing. His big signings Jerami Grant and Bojan were let go for nothing. a decent GM would gave gotten back the 1st rounder sent to Knicks (traded away for a player not on team). That albatrose trade makes the future GM job harder.
Cunningham is the guy moving forward, so Ivey must go.
Ausar & Duren are definitely core pieces moving forward.
Stewart is a keeper as well.
The rest can/should go.
They need a few years still, no need to rush, 2/3 more years losing & they might be ready to challenge for a play in position, perhaps.
Patience is a virtue, don’t rush it, enjoy the losing until you are ready to win.
The core four is finally getting to play together and with competent 3 and D wings around them. Still a lot of work to do, but it’s progress.
However, I agree Weaver has been maybe the worst GM in the league. His early fascination with bigs: Okafor, Dedmon (immediate waive/stretch), Plumlee, Olynyk. Stewart, Wiseman, Bagley, was just strange, and then punting last offseason (using our cap space to help other teams unload bad contracts Harris/Morris) when everyone expected the team to start being competitive this season was inexcusable.
Finally, mix in that he was not able to pry away the FRP we still owe the Knicks (which may never even convey, but which has severely handicapped our ability to deal future picks) while giving them our two most-tradeable assets and it’s probably time to move on.
I was excited when Troy came on but he’s made enough mistakes and is at the helm of a team that set a historic losing streak. You are what your record says you are.