The Detroit Pistons need to clear some cap space if they want to use free agency to break free from the middle of the pack, but for now, here are five dream targets if the salary cap weren’t an issue.
The Detroit Pistons‘ plans for the 12th pick in the 2017 NBA Draft garnered a lot of speculation.
That pick wasn’t going to propel them to the top of the Eastern Conference. In fact, without a trade, one could have argued the draft would’ve given the Pistons just enough of an edge to stay consistently mediocre.
Per ESPN‘s Marc Stein, the Pistons toyed with the idea of dealing their first round pick in this year’s draft.
NBA Draft scuttle: Hearing Detroit is open to discussing trades for its No. 12 overall pick in hopes of acquiring more of a win-now veteran.
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) May 30, 2017
However, no such trade could be found on draft night, and with the Pistons being so close to the salary cap, all they can afford to do this year is dream. In a perfect world, teams wouldn’t have to contend with annoying details like salary caps and luxury taxes. In a dream world, the Pistons could assemble another version of the Bad Boys.
Here’s a look at five veteran players Detroit could use to return to prominence in free agency. Since this is a dream scenario, luxury taxes, salary caps and star players with “no-trade clauses,” weren’t factored in.