Hoops Rumors is breaking down the 2018 offseason for all 30 NBA teams, revisiting the summer’s free agent signings, trades, draft picks, departures, and more. We’ll evaluate each team’s moves from the last several months and look ahead to what the 2018/19 season holds for all 30 franchises. Today, we’re focusing on the Detroit Pistons.
Signings:
- Standard contracts:
- Glenn Robinson III: Two years, $8.35MM. Second-year team option. Signed using mid-level exception.
- Jose Calderon: One year, minimum salary. Signed using minimum salary exception.
- Zaza Pachulia: One year, minimum salary. Signed using minimum salary exception.
- Two-way contracts:
- Non-guaranteed camp contracts:
- Johnny Hamilton: One year, minimum salary.
- Zach Lofton: One year, minimum salary.
Trades:
- Acquired the draft rights to Khyri Thomas (No. 38 pick) from the Sixers in exchange for the Pistons’ 2021 second-round pick and the Pistons’ 2023 second-round pick.
Draft picks:
- 2-38: Khyri Thomas — Signed to three-year, minimum salary contract. First two years guaranteed. Signed using mid-level exception.
- 2-42: Bruce Brown — Signed to three-year, minimum salary contract. First two years guaranteed. Signed using mid-level exception.
Departing players:
- Dwight Buycks (waived)
- James Ennis
- Kay Felder (two-way)
- Eric Moreland (waived)
- Jameer Nelson
- Anthony Tolliver
Other offseason news:
- Hired Dwane Casey as head coach to replace Stan Van Gundy; hired Sidney Lowe as lead assistant.
- Hired Ed Stefanski as senior advisor (and de facto head of basketball operations) to replace Van Gundy.
- Parted ways with GM Jeff Bower.
- Hired Malik Rose and Sachin Gupta as assistant GMs.
Salary cap situation:
- Remained over the cap.
- Carrying approximately $123.3MM in guaranteed salaries, slightly below $123.7MM tax line.
- Hard-capped at $129.82MM.
- $2.89MM of mid-level exception still available ($5.75MM used on Glenn Robinson III, Khyri Thomas, and Bruce Brown).
Check out the Detroit Pistons’ full roster and depth chart at RosterResource.com.
Story of the summer:
The decision got dragged out but eventually owner Tom Gores decided to relieve Stan Van Gundy of his duties as both head coach and president of basketball operations after the season. Van Gundy’s heart-on-his-sleeve approach gave the franchise an initial jolt and the team made the playoffs during his second season in charge. He couldn’t build upon that improvement, as injuries and bad personnel decisions found the Pistons sitting out the postseason the past two years.
Fortunately for Gores, the league’s Coach of the Year became available at just the right time. Toronto fired Dwane Casey after its playoff flop against Cleveland and the Pistons gladly scooped him up. Casey’s reputation as a players’ coach adept at developing young players and winning regular-season games fits what the team needs. They desperately want to get back to the playoffs and start drawing more fans at Little Caesars Arena, which opened last season in downtown Detroit.
The front office underwent a makeover with well-traveled Ed Stefanski sitting atop the organization’s ladder despite the title of senior adviser. The former Grizzlies, 76ers, Raptors and Nets executive hired Sachin Gupta and Malik Rose as assistant GMs but Stefanski is in charge of personnel moves. With the team’s cap issues, Stefanski couldn’t make much of an imprint on the roster this summer anyway.