Detroit Pistons: Playing buy or sell with 2019 free agents

The Detroit Pistons have a few free agents that they have to make decisions on this offseason, and they’ll have to make sure they make the right ones.

The Detroit Pistons are set to have four free agents this offseason, and they can make Glenn Robinson III a free agent as well if they decide to decline his team option, which is a very real possibility.

Detroit’s biggest goal this summer will be to build around power forward Blake Griffin to maximize the remaining years of his prime. To do that, the Pistons will have to make some tough decisions about who should stay and who should go.

Some of these cuts will be easier than others. The Pistons front office will likely be focused on the immediate future rather than looking to the long-term future. Trading away the number of assets they did for Griffin indicates they’re looking to win now rather than later. Sometimes that means having to overpay to keep certain bench contributors around that provide a more proven, veteran presence.

For the Pistons, there likely won’t be more than two players kept, and Robinson’s decision will be an interesting one to watch. They are still working on rebuilding the roster that Stan Van Gundy left, and they’re trying to get some financial flexibility that he took away from them. With limited money and draft capital, they’ll have to get fancy to make it all come together.