Three Questions the Detroit Pistons Face Entering the Offseason

Coming off a 23-59 season, the Detroit Pistons are poised for another top pick in the NBA Draft and face some key questions that will need to be addressed this summer.

The Detroit Pistons have been rebuilding for quite some time, as they have made the playoffs just twice since the start of the 2009-10 season and have put together just two seasons with at least a .500 record.

Over the last three seasons now, the Pistons have won just a total of 63 games, one less win than the Phoenix Suns recorded during the entire 2021-22 season.

Things have not been good for the Pistons lately, but there is a lot of good that they can take away from this season.

Not only did rookie Cade Cunningham prove to be a future All-Star talent, but Saddiq Bey emerged as a key scoring weapon for this team on the wing and Isaiah Stewart has the potential to be an everyday double-double threat at the center position.

They are still a long way away from being anything special in the Eastern Conference, but the Pistons have a young core in place to begin building for future success.

This upcoming offseason will be critical in terms of decision making and this franchise has quite a few decisions to make about their roster and future assets.

Let’s take a look at some key questions the Detroit Pistons face entering this offseason.

What is Next For Jerami Grant?

At the trade deadline this season, the Pistons were on the verge of trading veteran forward Jerami Grant. Multiple playoff teams had inquired about his availability and were offering future draft picks in return, but the Pistons ultimately decided to hang onto Grant.

Now, entering the final year of his contract, Jerami Grant will once again be a prime trade target as the offseason begins and trade talks could escalate closer towards the 2022 NBA Draft.

While he does have a good relationship with GM Troy Weaver and while the Pistons do like Jerami Grant as their leader, they are going to be in competition with a handful of other teams in 2023 free agency to try and sign him.

Getting the most out of Grant in a trade right now could pay off greatly for the Pistons, especially if they are to move him at the draft for more first-round compensation, immediately allowing Weaver and this Pistons’ front-office to continue building a young core around Cunningham and Bey.

It is absolutely a possibility that the Pistons could also offer Jerami Grant a contract extension worth upwards of $112 million in total, but his long-term future in Detroit is definitely questionable given that Cade Cunningham has emerged as their young star and leader.

As of right now, Jerami Grant remains on the Detroit Pistons heading into the offseason, however, do not be shocked if he is moved in a trade and begins the 2022-23 season with another team in the final year of his contract.

Is Dwane Casey on the “Hot Seat?”

Around the league, Dwane Casey is revered by his colleagues and he is a really good coach, hence why he won the 2017-18 NBA Coach of the Year award when he was with the Toronto Raptors.

Since joining the Pistons though in 2018, Casey has coached the team to a 104-198 record and his best season with the team was his first year in Detroit, where the Pistons went 41-41 and lost in the first-round of the playoffs.

While they are rebuilding, the Detroit Pistons are expecting to improve moving forward, which is why Dwane Casey will enter the 2022-23 season on the “hot seat.”

Next season will be his fifth season in Detroit and while expectations will once again be low, he needs to try and increase this team’s win total to around 30 games in order to remain as the Pistons head coach.

Cade Cunningham, Saddiq Bey, Jerami Grant (for now), Isaiah Stewart and an incoming potential top-5 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft is enough talent for the Pistons to begin putting things together.

Given the talent that he has had, Casey has done a decent job with the Pistons, but they really have not gone anywhere as a franchise since he arrived.

General manager Troy Weaver and the Pistons’ front-office are going to be aggressive in the offseason and attempt to continue building a talented, young team, which is why Dwane Casey will have to prove his worth during the 2022-23 season.

Who Will the Pistons Target in the NBA Draft?

Tied with the Houston Rockets and Orlando Magic for the best odds for first overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, the Detroit Pistons will be picking no later than the seventh overall pick this season.

Obviously picking seventh overall would not  be a good scenario for the Pistons, but they will have a 40.1% chance of landing a Top-3 pick entering this year’s Draft Lottery.

Cade Cunningham is a "positionless" player that is this team’s primary ball-handler and with Killian Hayes still being a big part of the Pistons’ rotations, they may stay away from targeting a facilitator in the backcourt during the draft.

Saddiq Bey has things under control as a scorer on the wing and Isaiah Stewart is a big man the Pistons really like, so what exactly will Detroit be targeting in the 2022 NBA Draft?

Should they land a Top-3 pick, Gonzaga’s Chet Holmgren will be high on their radar, as the team has shown interest in pairing Stewart with another big man that can stretch the floor and potentially create a “two-center lineup” at times.

Jabari Smith Jr. from Auburn is obviously their best choice if they land the No. 1 overall pick, as he is another “positionless” player like Cade Cunningham, but should they land outside the Top-3, adding another wing scorer that can move around like Iowa’s Keegan Murray could make a lot of sense for this franchise.

The Pistons have sent scouts to see Murray play on multiple occasions this season and he does have fans within Detroit’s front-office, which is why he is a player to keep tabs on in connection with the Pistons entering the 2022 NBA Draft.

In terms of importance though, the Pistons just need to add more scoring weapons to their roster.

They finished the 2021-22 season ranking 28th in offensive rating and points per game, which is why Troy Weaver and the front-office could very much go with the idea of drafting the “best available talent” this upcoming draft.

Expanding on their young core and continuing to develop what they have will be crucial for the Pistons to try and find success next year. 

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