Detroit Pistons: Who should be part of the long-term core?

The Detroit Pistons are in the middle of debating between competing or rebuilding. Here’s the bottom line on who should be in their core moving forward.

The Detroit Pistons have played up to their potential over the second half of the season, but they are still a team that should be looking more towards the long-term future than their immediate situation. This is where the importance of roster building comes in. Blake Griffin has played at an All-NBA level this season, but he’s nearing the end of his prime at age 30, and he can’t be considered a long-term piece for this team. So, who can?

The Pistons have a roster that’s uniquely positioned to go either way. While they could be more competitive now if they had embraced a full rebuild years ago, they have chosen to try to stay competitive on a yearly basis, even though that hasn’t worked out super well in their favor. They’ll likely try to remain competitive for the remainder of Griffin’s prime, and, in order to do that, they’ll need to build around him with a young group of guys.

One simple qualification for this list is that the player has to be at least under the age of 25 before the start of next season. With Andre Drummond‘s contract number so large, he won’t be going anywhere, but he’s not a supreme building block. With that being said, let’s figure out who is going to be guiding this team into the next era of Detroit basketball under Dwane Casey.