Who might be next on the radar for the Pistons?
We’ve established the archetype. Young guys, great draft pedigree, given up on or lightly-regarded by their drafting team. The 2017 draft is a major point of emphasis this season, which may be something that gets revisited in trades down the road, particularly if the Pistons deal with the Knicks again, as Frank Ntilikina went eighth overall to the Knicks in that draft.
If we assume that the 2017 class is tapped, let’s take a look at 2018. This class may well be a target for Weaver next season as some rookie deals conclude and teams move on from disappointing prospects.
Kevin Knox could be a particular point of interest for the Pistons considering his disappointing play so far in his NBA career, and the fact that they preferred him in the Rose deal over Dennis Smith Jr. Mohamed Bamba may also catch Weaver’s eye as he’s fallen completely out of favor with the Orlando Magic, although Bamba dealt for months with complications from his experience with COVID-19 this past summer.
If he checks out medically, Bamba could be a classic Weaver Guy.
Speaking of the class of 2018, Dzanan Musa was the 29th pick in that draft, and the Pistons traded Bruce Brown for him. We’ve struggled to make sense of that trade because of how nonsensical it was, but Musa may have been a secret Weaver Guy who he wanted to get a better look at. It’s still hard to explain because Brown remains perhaps the PEAK Weaver Guy, but alas, if the archetype is of the utmost importance, Brown does not qualify.