The Detroit Pistons are a season removed from a transformational offseason in which they turned over nearly the entire roster in just a couple of days.
It was a time of big changes and one that was long overdue after a malaise that lasted over a decade. Coming into this offseason, it was fair to wonder if there would be another reckoning of a similar dimension. After all, the Pistons won only 20 games last season, and another overhaul of sorts could have been in order.
Ultimately, that’s not how things played out. We’ll run down the list of moves made and grade them all, starting with the departures.
Grading Pistons free-agency moves: The departed
Mason Plumlee
Just hours before the NBA draft, Mason Plumlee and the 37th pick were traded to the Charlotte Hornets in a salary dump, opening up space to pursue Kelly Olynyk and others. It was a surprise from a team that was more likely expected to actually move up in the draft with that pick, but the decision to trade Plumlee was likely an indication that general manager Troy Weaver believes the Pistons are on a faster than expected track in their restoration.
Grade: C+
Wayne Ellington
It seemed like an inevitability that Wayne Ellington would find his way to the Los Angeles Lakers or someplace similar, and sure enough, that’s where he went in NBA free agency. The Pistons took a hard line with Ellington and potential suitors at the trade deadline, opting not to buy him out after nobody met their demands. He doesn’t fit the timeline for the Pistons’ restoration, and the clock is ticking for him to win a championship, so his departure is ideal for all parties.
Grade: A+
Dennis Smith Jr., Deividas Sirvydis, Tyler Cook
This triumvirate was probably a collective underdog to make it back on the Pistons roster next season. Dennis Smith Jr. was mostly a salary throw-in to complete the Derrick Rose trade with the New York Knicks (the 37th pick that came with him was the one sent to the Hornets in the deal to dump Mason Plumlee). It’s weird that Deividas Sirvydis was on the team in the first place. Tyler Cook was a feel-good story, but it’s rare that those stories have very good outcomes anyway. As far as the impact they could be expected to have in the NBA, their emptied roster spots probably have more value.