| Detroit Free Press
Detroit Pistons GM Troy Weaver: We wanted to ‘attack the NBA draft’
Detroit Pistons GM Troy Weaver speaks after the NBA draft about his aggressive mindset, Killian Hayes and the team’s huge draft haul, Nov. 18, 2020.
A prolific week of roster moves continued for the Detroit Pistons on Friday, the first official day that NBA teams were allowed to begin negotiations with free agents.
And in what has also become a recurring theme, the trades and signings happened so rapidly that it became tough to keep track of all of them.
The end result (so far) — a roster with a lot of pieces that don’t appear to all fit together. But it seems likely the Pistons will make more moves through the weekend, as general manager Troy Weaver continues shaping the roster. For now, the roster reflects Detroit’s biggest priority, which is to compete while being mindful of the future.
After all, the Pistons have indicated since Weaver took over they’re more interested in a retool than a rebuild. Earlier this week, they appeared to be leaning more toward the latter. After Friday, it seems as though they’re favoring the former. How will their trajectory look in the next few days, when signings can become official?
SPLASH: Pistons to sign Jerami Grant, their biggest move yet in free agency
NEW BEGINNING: Josh Jackson heading home, as Pistons to sign ex-lottery pick
As I’ve mentioned several times this week, it makes it hard to weigh each move in a vacuum. And there are a lot of moves to weigh.
On Friday, they reached agreements with Jerami Grant, Josh Jackson, Mason Plumlee and Jahlil Okafor in free agency. They lost Christian Wood, their top free agent, to the Rockets. They traded Trevor Ariza to the Thunder, and received Delon Wright in return. They’re also reportedly waiving-and-stretching two of their acquisitions from earlier this week, Dewayne Dedmon and Rodney McGruder.
As of now, here’s Detroit’s depth chart for the 2020-21 season:
Point guard: Killian Hayes, Derrick Rose, Jaylen Hands, Saben Lee (two-way).
Shooting guard: Svi Mykhailiuk, Delon Wright.
Small forward: Saddiq Bey, Josh Jackson, Louis King (two-way).
Power forward: Blake Griffin, Jerami Grant, Sekou Doumbouya, Dzanan Musa.
Center: Mason Plumlee, Jahlil Okafor, Tony Bradley, Isaiah Stewart.
Their biggest move Friday was agreeing with Grant to a three-year, $60 million contract. After a strong showing in the Orlando bubble with Denver, Grant was due for a big raise. He’s 6-foot-9 with a 7-3 wingspan and averaged 12 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 26.6 minutes per game, hitting 38.9% of his 3-pointers. The 26-year-old a versatile defender, and is another player who fits the Weaver mold of being versatile, long and good on both ends of the floor.
Per Cleaning The Glass, Grant has predominantly played power forward since the 2017-18 season with little time at center. If that holds true in Detroit, it creates a logjam at the “four” with Griffin and Doumbouya also most comfortable at the position. It’s clear Weaver likes Grant, but it isn’t clear how he’ll fit next to Griffin or Doumbouya, or what his addition means for their futures. It could just be a case of Weaver signing a good player to a contract he felt fair. The Pistons could always use more good players, regardless of position.
REJECTED: That time new Pistons center Mason Plumlee stuffed LeBron James
SPEED: New Pistons center Jahlil Okafor once got pulled over going 108 mph
In what is likely the most surprising move of the night, Detroit signed Plumlee to a three-year, $25 million contract. This is after they traded for Bradley and drafted Stewart earlier this week, and reached an agreement to sign Okafor not long after Plumlee.
Plumlee, 30, is a solid backup center and good passer, but he’s also being paid a premium for a position that already had depth.
This all guaranteed the Pistons wouldn’t re-sign Christian Wood, who is heading to Houston on a three-year, $41-million contract. The logic here is clear: The Pistons liked Wood, but liked the free agents they signed more, despite Wood making less than some projected he would at an average of $13.7 million per year. Make no mistake, this is a gamble for Detroit.
Okafor, 24, was a surprise given the number of bigs the Pistons already have. He’s better on offense than defense, and averaged 8.1 points and 4.2 rebounds in 15.6 minutes per game with New Orleans last season.
The Jackson signing makes more sense on paper. Three years after going fourth overall to the Suns, he’s still working to live up to his potential. The Pistons got him cheap and he grew up in Detroit, so this is a good match. He adds needed wing depth, and could be a steal if he lives up to his versatility on both ends of the court.
Lastly, the Wright trade is logical. The Pistons were light on guard depth, and Wright is a true combo guard. He averaged 6.9 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.3 assists in 73 games and 21.5 minutes per last year in Dallas. He’s 6-5, giving him the size to defend both guard positions. Given the current roster, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Wright, 28, spend more time at shooting guard this season.
SANKOFA: Grading Pistons’ NBA draft haul: Two A’s and a whole lot of hope
WINDSOR: Pistons’ stunning draft revealed something huge about their future
In all, it was a busy, confusing night of moves for Detroit. But it would be unwise to draw conclusions about their offseason yet.
The Pistons will continue to be active, and there’s a chance the roster will be better-organized and positioned when the dust settles and Weaver is done dealing ahead of tipoff for the 2020-21 season.
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.