The report comes via James Edwards III of The Athletic:
Sources: The Pistons will not pick up the team options of Frank Jackson, Luka Garza and Carsen Edwards.
Additionally, Detroit’s two two-way guys are Braxton Key and Buddy Boeheim, so Jamorko Pickett no longer holds one of those spots.
— James Edwards III (@JLEdwardsIII) June 28, 2022
None of these moves should come as a big surprise to Pistons fans. There had been previous reports of Frank Jackson’s team option being less likely to be picked up, I forgive you if you forgot that Carsen Edwards even had a second year on his contract with the Pistons, and Luka Garza gave roughly exactly what you expect the 52nd overall pick in a given draft to give you.
The player Detroit will miss the most, of course, is Frank Jackson, the shooting guard who never quite recovered the shooting stroke he found in 2020-21. Jackson’s shooting potential combined with his athleticism made him an intriguing find by Troy Weaver (remember, Jackson initially came in on a two-way contract), but with the Pistons still in need of actualized floor spacing instead of potential floor spacing, it makes sense that Frank will be replaced on the roster by a Gary Harris or a Malik Monk in time.
By my unofficial count, this means the Pistons have 12 roster spots filled (Cade Cunningham, Killian Hayes, Saben Lee, Cory Joseph, Kemba Walker, Jaden Ivey, Hamidou Diallo, Saddiq Bey, Isaiah Livers, Isaiah Stewart, Jalen Duren, Kelly Olynyk) with Marvin Bagley III waiting for 6:01 pm Thursday to join the roster, Buddy Boeheim and Braxton Key in Two-Way Limbo, and Kemba Walker consulting with his tax guy about how much he can afford to not give back on a buyout. Barring any trades, the Pistons can fill out the rest of the roster with two or three free agency signings.
On DBB, we’ve already talked about potential free agent signings, but looking at those 12 roster spots, a few things jump out.
- Too many point guards (even if Kemba isn’t going to stay long)
- Not enough wing players
- A reasonable number of centers (somehow)
With that in mind, I’d expect to see the Pistons target one or two more wing-sized players who can shoot (and maybe not do much else; got to preserve the tank somehow); has anyone seen Tony Snell recently?
Which one of these recently departed Pistons will you miss the most? Who do you hope replaces Luka Garza as “Guy the LCA faithful yell at Dwane to put in for the final minutes of a blowout”? What was Carsen Edwards’ signature moment as a Detroit Piston? Sound off in the comments below.