Omari Sankofa II | Detroit Free Press
The Detroit Pistons were more active than anyone could’ve guessed in November. They haven’t stopped tinkering since, with the Derrick Rose trade that brought in Dennis Smith Jr, and Blake Griffin departing the roster just recently.
Pistons GM Troy Weaver has preached the merits of being aggressive virtually since he took the job last offseason. And while last offseason will be tough to match considering the sheer activity that took place, it doesn’t appear Weaver is done dealing yet.
“Like I said, being aggressive is a mindset,” Weaver said during a virtual news conference Tuesday. “It might yield you zero picks or it could yield you four picks. We’ll be aggressive. We don’t know what the outcome will be but we’re definitely going to be aggressive. I think where we are, we have to be. I wouldn’t expect a bunch of fireworks, but we’re going to be aggressive and comb the league and look at things and see if we can get better.
“I don’t anticipate as much activity as we had in November,” he continued. “It would be hard to top that.”
NEXT MOVE? 5 Pistons storylines to watch during the second half
The Pistons are in a position where they don’t have to make any additional moves. Despite their 10-26 overall record, Weaver is satisfied with what he’s seen in the rebuild so far. His first rookie class is exceeding expectations, with Saddiq Bey, Isaiah Stewart and Saben Lee all playing well. Killian Hayes will return soon. Jerami Grant is a favorite for the Most Improved Player award, and other free-agent signings Mason Plumlee, Josh Jackson and Wayne Ellington are meeting or exceeding expectations.
Expect them to be more opportunistic heading into the March 25 deadline. The Rose trade, which brought back a young point guard in Smith and a 2021 second-round pick, is an example of the type of asset-based move they could look to do.
“We wanted to accommodate (Rose) and get him somewhere where he could play more meaningful basketball and us be able to acquire some assets,” Weaver said. “We like what we got in that trade. It’s just where we are now. We’ll continue to look at those types of situations, absolutely.”
SHAWN WINDSOR: Many laughed when Jerami Grant signed with Pistons. Who’s laughing now?
No one on the roster is untouchable, Weaver said. But Weaver said that some players on the roster are “here to stay.”
It would be very surprising to see the Pistons move on from Grant, who is the most valuable player on the team and received some All-Star consideration. The Pistons view Grant as a long-term piece who can anchor the rebuild. Grant and Weaver have a longstanding relationship, and Grant left a contending Nuggets team to grow his game in Detroit.
When Grant enters the final year of his three-year deal before the 2022-23 season, he’ll be 28 years old. The Pistons could be a playoff contender by then. He may not be untouchable, but it would take a significant offer for the Pistons to even consider it right now.
Ellington, playing on a one-year veteran’s minimum deal and shooting 43.3% from 3 this season, is a logical trade option. Delon Wright and Plumlee are also intriguing trade candidates. Wright was in the midst of a hot streak before suffering a groin strain on Feb. 19. In his previous seven games, he averaged 16.7 points (61.8% shooting, 55.6% from 3), 6.1 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 1.4 steals as the starting point guard.
[ Which Pistons have most, least trade value? A breakdown ahead of the deadline ]
The Pistons will soon have a log jam at point guard when Hayes and Wright return, with four players deserving of minutes. Casey could opt to move Wright back to shooting guard, but given that Weaver also said the Pistons will get a “long look” at Smith this season, it appears there would be an odd man out of the rotation.
And Plumlee, who logged his second career triple-double last week, is in the midst of his best all-around season. He’s tied his career high in points (10.4) and averaging career-highs in rebounds (9.1) and assists (3.8).
Weaver said that head coach Dwane Casey pushed for the Pistons to sign Plumlee this past offseason. While critics questioned Detroit’s decision to sign him to a three-year, $25 million contract, he’s been one of the best players on the roster.
“I’m happy for Mason’s success and coach’s vision for him,” Weaver said.” More times than not, players succeed and fail when there’s no vision for him. Coach had a vision for him and he’s working out, we’re happy to see it. Hopefully it continues, but as far as the trade deadline, I’m not sure what’s going to come our way with Mason. But we’re extremely happy with him right now.”
It could be an active deadline, or a quiet one. Either way, it will indicate that Weaver’s sticking to his plan.
“These guys have been steady,” Weaver said. “They come in, do their job every day and that’s who coach Casey is. He’s really set the tone inside the ball club of doing the right things and competing every day, whether it’s practice, shootaround or the game. That’s afforded us to feel good where we are in spite of the record. I feel good where we are in the restoring, I wouldn’t say we’re behind or ahead or anything, but I’m very comfortable where we are right now.”
Contact Omari Sankofa II at osankofa@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @omarisankofa. Read more on the Detroit Pistons and sign up for our Pistons newsletter.