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Detroit Pistons: 5 takeaways from their chaotic and bizarre offseason

By Duncan Smith

DETROIT, MI - JANUARY 06: A general view of the start of the NBA game between the Detroit Pistons and the Houston Rockets at Little Caesars Arena on January 6, 2018 in Detroit, Michigan. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. The Pistons defeated the Rockets 108-101. (Photo by Dave Reginek/Getty Images) *** Local Caption ***
DETROIT, MI - JANUARY 06: A general view of the start of the NBA game between the Detroit Pistons and the Houston Rockets at Little Caesars Arena on January 6, 2018 in Detroit, Michigan. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. The Pistons defeated the Rockets 108-101. (Photo by Dave Reginek/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** /
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Detroit Pistons
Detroit Pistons (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /

The Detroit Pistons sold low on an entire young core

The Detroit Pistons have a lot to learn about asset maximization, going back to the previous administration led by Ed Stefanski. The Pistons hit the last trade deadline with an “All Players Must Go” sign up on the window of their team headquarters in Midtown Detroit but failed to gain traction with any of them other than Andre Drummond.

They got calls from various teams on players like Luke Kennard and Christian Wood, going to the point where there were serious discussions with the Phoenix Suns about Kennard, but the two teams couldn’t come to an agreement about the lottery protection on the first-round pick that would have been coming back to Detroit. Instead, the Pistons got nothing for him, and on draft night traded him to the LA Clippers and four second-round picks for the 19th overall pick, which they ended up using on Saddiq Bey.

Will Bey end up being as good as Luke Kennard? Maybe, and perhaps even better. But incentivizing Kennard in the fashion they did is a good indication they should have held onto him and given him the chance to rehabilitate his value towards the trade deadline. There was no do-or-die deadline on this situation, and if they so badly wanted Saddiq Bey they could have just picked him 16th.

Christian Wood is another player who got some calls around the trade deadline, although no specific offers were ever revealed. The fact that Wood signed with the Houston Rockets for so much less than the Pistons signed Jerami Grant for is an indication that the Pistons simply didn’t prioritize him. Maybe Wood wanted to leave Detroit, but he also wanted to get paid after practically working for free for the first several years of his career.

Instead of continuing to work with and develop their own young breakout star-in-the-making, they cut bait and went through some preposterous machinations to pivot to the Denver Nuggets backup frontcourt.

Oh yeah, and they traded Bruce Brown for a worse and more expensive player. So, do with that what you will.

Speaking of Jerami Grant, on to our next point.

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