There are a couple of items on Troy Weaver’s offseason checklist that need to be completed before he directs his attention toward free agency, including a coaching search and the NBA Draft, but the open market will be an integral part of the Pistons’ goal to improve their roster going into next season.
All eyes will be on notable names like Kyrie Irving, Russell Westbrook, Nikola Vucevic and former Pistons forward Jerami Grant, but Detroit has a few players who will become unrestricted free agents, along with a couple of team options they will make decisions on picking up.
The Pistons are projected to have $25-30 million in cap space to spend, and they could pursue another veteran player to complement their young nucleus, in a similar fashion that Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks brought to the team this season.
Weaver said during his season-ending press conference that the team desperately needs another defensive wing who can shoot, while citing Isaiah Livers as the only player who currently fits the bill.
“We could use another wing defender,” Weaver said. “We got Livers who fits that bill, but we’d like another guy, a wing defender, who can preferably shoot the ball, as well. So, a wing defender that can shoot. I would say that’s maybe the one tool we don’t have.”
Here’s a look at some players who could be free agents and what could happen:
Alec Burks (team option)
The Pistons have three team options they’ll need to decide whether to decline or exercise this offseason.
The first is Burks, who was acquired last summer to help alleviate the scoring burden for Detroit’s young core. His ability to manufacture his own shot and create opportunities for others fills a playmaking need the Pistons desperately need in their second unit.
Burks is expected to be owed close to $10.5 million in the final year of his contract next season, but for his production as a three-level scorer with an innate ability to get to the free-throw line, the Pistons need to keep as much instant offense on their roster as they can. The veteran guard is coming off his 12th season in the NBA and he averaged 12.8 points, 3.1 rebounds and 3.0 assists on 41% shooting from the 3-point line before he was shut down late in the season with lingering foot soreness.
Most believed Burks would be dealt at the trade deadline along with Bogdanovic, but it appears the Pistons believe Burks is a valuable piece of the rebuild, at least for the time being. The decision to keep Burks should be an easy one.
▶ Prediction: Returning
Hamidou Diallo
Most of Diallo’s numbers dropped this season due to a decreased role, but the athletic fifth-year guard had the most efficient season of his career in 2022-23.
Diallo finished the season shooting a career-best 57% from the field. His 3-point attempts decreased significantly as he went from a career-high 93 in 2021-22 to just 21 last season. Diallo served as Detroit’s spark off the bench who gave the team energy in several areas, including his tempo, hustle and tenacity to attack the rim. He struggled with his free-throw shooting, but former Pistons coach Dwane Casey saw Diallo’s strength was best used in the dunker spot and oftentimes as a big when Detroit’s big men were battling injuries.
Diallo, an unrestricted free agent, had enough production in Detroit that could result in another team’s pursuit of his talents. If so, the Pistons could look to find a player with similar skillsets in free agency. Diallo’s fate may also depend on who Detroit comes away with on draft night.
▶ Prediction: Possibly returning, depending on the draft and free agency
Cory Joseph
Detroit ended its season with five players on its roster capable of playing point guard on any given night, but Joseph became someone the team relied on heavily in the last two months of the season. He proved he was still capable of manning an offense, as he scored 22 points to lead the Pistons to a rare win over the Indiana Pacers on March 13.
Joseph finished the year averaging 12.2 points in his final 18 games of the season, proving the 12-year guard still has something left in the tank. As one of Detroit’s veterans who can contribute on the floor, Joseph also served as a steady presence in the locker room.
Joseph, an unrestricted free agent, could re-sign with the Pistons but if projected top-three pick Scoot Henderson lands in Detroit, that would leave the Pistons with four young guards (Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey, Killian Hayes, Henderson) to develop and not enough playing time.
▶ Prediction: Possibly returning, depending on the draft and free agency
Isaiah Livers (team option)
Livers’ first two seasons were hindered by injuries, but the second-year forward showed a significant amount of versatility in his sophomore season.
After serving as one of the Pistons’ best shooters as a rookie, Livers flexed his skills as a perimeter defender throughout the year and stepped up to the challenge of guarding the best player on opposing teams. Livers also showed an ability to put the ball on the floor and stop-and-pop for midrange jumpers, something that’ll open up his perimeter shooting going forward.
The Pistons front office appears high on Livers, and his fit with the team’s young core, and Weaver mentioning Livers as their only wing defender bodes well for his future with the team.
▶ Prediction: Returning
Rodney McGruder
The Pistons’ final unrestricted free agent is McGruder, the veteran guard that accepts his role and remains ready despite long stretches of games without playing time. Like Joseph, McGruder saw an increase in his minutes in March as the Pistons began shutting down their rotation players due to injuries. McGruder shot 42% from 3-point land when he was on the floor, which makes him an asset in any lineup as long as he has the space to get his shot off.
McGruder earned $1.8 million this past season and he could be seeking a larger payday, and if the logjam of guards continues, there might be less playing time at the shooting guard position going into 2023-24.
▶ Prediction: Not returning
Eugene Omoruyi (team option)
After playing on two 10-day contracts shortly after the trade deadline, Omoruyi signed on for the remainder of the season and received a non-guaranteed deal next season. After his contract extension, Casey said Omoruyi would also be a part of the Pistons’ summer program, which means he’ll likely join the team for Summer League in Las Vegas.
Omoruyi served as another energy guy off the bench with the ability to do several things well, including passing, moving without the ball and scoring inside. His 3-point shot still needs work, evidenced by his 28% shooting clip, but he’s determined to improve in the offseason. Either way, Omoruyi may have played himself into a standard contract either in Detroit or elsewhere.
▶ Prediction: Not returning
RJ Hampton
Hampton was another reclamation project from the 2020 draft class who was picked up in the buyout market after the trade deadline and he provided some relief in the backcourt down the stretch. His 3-point shooting, in particular, was his strongest asset at 36% from the field. Hampton’s shining moment came in a career-high 27 points in a late-season loss against the Brooklyn Nets, and while is development could pay off in the long run, Detroit already has more guards than it can afford to split playing time.
▶ Prediction: Not returning
mcurtis@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @MikeACurtis2