Pistons: Who will be Troy Weaver’s next reclamation project?
By Duncan Smith
In Troy Weaver’s short tenure as general manager of the Detroit Pistons, it’s becoming clear that he’s got a particular type of player that he likes. These are young, once-highly-touted prospects who have fallen into disfavor with their team or the NBA as a whole.
The Pistons already have a handful of examples of this archetype, and their accumulation started with the first move Weaver made in his new role this past summer. When the NBA’s transaction window opened before the Disney bubble restarted the season, Weaver signed center Justin Patton.
Who will be Pistons general manager Troy Weaver’s next reclamation project?
Patton was drafted 16th overall in the 2017 NBA Draft by the Chicago Bulls and traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the deal that saw Zach LaVine and Jimmy Butler swap teams. He only played one game with the Wolves and has only played nine games in his NBA career, but he had a brief stint with Weaver’s previous team, the OKC Thunder.
It seemed like kind of a nothing deal at the time, and Patton ended up being packaged off in the deal that sent Luke Kennard to the LA Clippers, but it turns out his signing may have been indicative of what was to come. Right down to the very draft that Weaver has focused much of his energy on.
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Also selected in the 2017 NBA Draft was Josh Jackson, who went fourth overall to the Phoenix Suns. Jackson’s struggle and journey have been well-documented by now. He made some mistakes and found himself given up on by his drafting team, and he ended up playing with the Memphis Grizzlies’ G League team.
As a free agent, Weaver snapped him up, and Jackson is making him look like the smartest man in the room for doing so.
Another 2017 draft pick that the Pistons have acquired is Dennis Smith Jr. in exchange for Derrick Rose. It sounds like Smith wasn’t their first choice, preferring Kevin Knox, but he fits a trend of once highly-regarded top prospects in need of a new lease on life who can be brought into the fold for cheap.
Justin Patton, Josh Jackson and Dennis Smith Jr. won’t be the last players who Weaver pursues from this category. The question is; Who is next?