Offseason Primer: Detroit Pistons
Should Detroit go for the gusto this summer with their available financial flexibility?
Current Roster Outlook (*Excluding two-way contracts*)
Cap Outlook: (*All cap projections courtesy of Spotrac*)
2024-2025 NBA Salary Cap Projection: $141M
Luxury Tax Line: $171M
Luxury Tax 1st Apron Maximum: $178M
Luxury Tax 2nd Apron Maximum: $189M
Detroit’s Total Cap Allocations (Active Roster Salary Commitments + Cap Holds): $148M
Practical Cap Space: $64M
Maximum Possible Cap Space (All options declined, cap holds renounced and exceptions waived): $70M
Possible Financial Avenues:
With an active roster commitment of just $86.7M, and only two cap holds of note ($5M for Simone Fontecchio, $8M for the #5 overall pick), Detroit has a clear path to significant cap space. With an extension for Cade Cunningham on the horizon, and other young players like Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren nearing the end of their rookie deals as well, the Pistons may be getting more expensive relatively quickly, making this summer one of their best opportunities to add talent via free agency.
Bottom Line:
Detroit is going to have ~$60M in cap space at their disposal, as well as the ~$8M room exception. The Pistons are one of the league’s most financially flexible teams this summer, and as such, are theoretically a threat to acquire any player who hits the open market.
Organizational Direction:
The Pistons have been in a depressing place for a long time: Detroit has finished above .500 just once since ‘07-08, and they’ve won less than 30% of their games in 4 consecutive seasons. As such, it’s understandable that Pistons owner Tom Gores is reportedly sick of losing, and wants to see the team take a significant leap forward in ‘24-25. At the same time, there has to be an acknowledgement that Detroit is more than a piece or two away from contention. Mortgaging the future to push for a play-in berth in the immediate is the exact way to ensure that the cycle of mediocrity continues. The Pistons need to be focused on improving the ecosystem around Cade Cunningham and their other recent draft picks by taking small, measured steps forward in terms of both talent and production.
Offseason Checklist:
1) Utilize cap space to improve the future outlook of the roster
Given their spending power, there will undoubtedly be the temptation in Detroit to throw the bag at a few of the bigger names on the market. Because this isn’t exactly a premier free agent destination, there’s a good likelihood that that strategy would result in missing on the top guys, and overpaying for second-tier production. That being said, the Pistons probably have to spend a little extra to entice players to sign on with a rebuilding squad, and for the right pieces, that wouldn’t be a crazy decision. Targeting a young scorer like Malik Monk, whose shooting fits perfectly next to Cunningham, makes a ton of sense. Monk is also realistically attainable, as Sacramento only holds his Early Bird Rights, and is therefore restricted in what they can offer him. Other players who fit Detroit’s timeline include De’Anthony Melton, who would significantly upgrade their point of attack defense and three-point shooting, and Kelly Oubre, who gives them a little more size on the wing and would help their transition attack.
The Pistons could also weaponize their cap space by absorbing negative-value contracts via trade, and receiving draft capital in return. As an example, Detroit could offer a team deep into the luxury tax like the Clippers significant salary relief by absorbing P.J. Tucker’s $11M salary, without forcing LA to take back any money in return. This would be a longer-term approach, but again, Detroit needs to take realistic stock of where they currently sit in order to build a sustainable playoff team down the line.
2) Extension for Cade Cunningham
Cunningham hasn’t exactly been the franchise savior Pistons’ fans hoped for when he was selected #1 overall in the 2021 draft, but this is still a player who averaged 22.7 points and 7.5 assists per game as a 22-year-old this past season. It’s also worth noting that Cunningham has consistently been stuck with horrific supporting casts, which at least partially explains his subpar efficiency (career 52.3% true shooting). Even if Cunningham isn’t a true #1 offensive option who can single handedly carry Detroit back to the playoffs, he’s still undoubtedly a key piece of their core, and as such, the Pistons should be looking to lock him up this summer once he becomes extension eligible.
The real question is what type of contract Cunningham deserves. Given his impressive counting stats, he’ll surely be looking for the designated rookie maximum extension, which would start at 25% of the salary cap in ‘25-26, and could go out as many as five seasons. The Pistons could try and play hardball with Cunningham, but they risk further souring their relationship with a player who is undoubtedly unhappy with how things have transpired around him in his first three NBA seasons. Additionally, if Cunningham has a great ‘24-25 season and then hits restricted free agency next summer, there’s a chance Detroit is forced to match a less-favorably structured offer sheet that Cunningham could sign with a different team. The Pistons’ books are clean enough going forward that they should be willing to give Cunningham close to his maximum deal, and save the negotiation for eliminating player-friendly perks, such as a 5th-year player option.
3) New contracts for key 2023 trade deadline acquisitions
In keeping with my proposed cap space utilization plan, the Pistons would be wise to lock in two shooting/defense-oriented young players whom they acquired at the 2023 trade deadline in Simone Fontecchio and Quentin Grimes. Fontecchio is a restricted free agent this summer, and he proved this past season in his time in both Utah and Detroit that he is a starting-level forward with positional versatility between the three and the four. Given that the Pistons are likely to match any reasonable offer that an outside team would put forth, it’s possible that Detroit can grab Fontecchio for a discounted rate, but they should be willing to go up to as much as $15M in average annual value. Grimes won’t hit restricted free agency until the ‘25 offseason, but he will become extension eligible in July. While ‘23-24 was a bit of a lost season for Grimes due to injury and underperformance, he demonstrated a promising level of both three-point shooting and perimeter defense in ‘22-23, when he was the starting shooting guard for a Knicks’ team that made it to the second round of the playoffs. If Detroit can lock in Grimes at a rate similar to what Aaron Nesmith got in an extension from the Pacers last summer (3 years, $33M), they might be able to steal starter or high-end reserve level production at a discount.