Detroit Pistons: 3 season goals down the stretch for the franchise

1. Talent assessment

As with any rebuilding team, the time after the trade deadline needs to be spent assessing the talent they have and seeing who will help them rebuild. The Pistons are no exception to this, despite having three promising rookies on their squad who will develop nicely.

The Pistons situation is made a little more difficult next season thanks to the $29 million left on the books from Blake Griffin’s contract buyout. This means that Cory Joseph will probably not have his $12.6 million guaranteed. It will be up to him to show the coaching staff that he deserves that money next season.

Dennis Smith Jr. is coming to the end of his rookie contract this year. He is incredibly talented and athletic when he can hit the floor. Smith has had a really checkered injury history over his four seasons and it has impacted his ability to produce. Do the Pistons still want to take a chance on him?

The Pistons have two other players who are coming to the end of the deals. Wayne Ellington is probably going to be looking to go to a contender next season as he is 33. Hamidou Diallo is an interesting prospect who has grown every season. He is a good defender who can attack the rim and play multiple positions.

Detroit also needs to assess who it’s willing to trade at the end of the season to help bring new talent to the franchise. Look for the Pistons players to play even harder as they are potentially playing for their basketball futures.