The Detroit Pistons are currently in limbo and if they keep the same path they have been traveling, that will continue for a very long time.
When looking at the moves the Pistons have made, it has seemed like owner Tom Gores was more than happy to just squeak into the NBA Playoffs as a No. 7 or No. 8 seed.
Well, according to a report, somebody has talked some sense into Gores and he has been convinced that just making the playoffs isn't the answer, especially when the payroll is as high as it currently is.
New-ish front office/coaching staff that didn't select Kennard and are forging different direction. Also hearing that owner Tom Gores has been convinced making the playoffs regularly as seventh/eighth seed isn't the answer, especially with a high payroll. https://t.co/xmixgsalF0
— Jeff Zillgitt (@JeffZillgitt) February 5, 2020
According to a report from The Athletic that just came out this evening, the Pistons are now willing to listen to offers for any player on their roster. This shows that Gores is, in fact, willing to look towards a future of contending rather than just sneaking in the playoffs and losing in the first round.
Detroit, per sources, is open for business and willing to discuss anyone on the roster. What that means, specifically, remains to be seen. But the reported discussions between the Pistons and Phoenix about guard Luke Kennard, it would appear, are only the beginning. The aforementioned Drummond dynamic is trickier now, though, as the Pistons appear to find themselves with a weak market for the 26-year-old and a tough choice ahead.
Do you take a pennies-on-the-dollar offer – assuming there is one – or just finish this lost season out with Drummond in tow and let him walk in free agency this summer (assuming he declines his $28 million player option for next season). And then there’s Derrick Rose. One source with knowledge of Rose’s situation downplayed the notion that he would be on the move, which is odd considering the fact that he could help any contender and likely net a decent asset in return (a source said the Pistons want a first-rounder).
The 31-year-old former MVP is averaging 18.5 points and 5.8 assists as Detroit’s sixth man, and his contract ($7.6 million next season in the final year of the deal) is extremely palatable. As friend and colleague Jeff Zillgitt of USA TODAY reported, owner Tom Gores “has been convinced (that) making the playoffs regularly as a seventh/eighth seed isn’t the answer, especially with a high payroll.” (SA and JH)
