The Detroit Pistons' rebuild is humming along nicely as the 2022 NBA offseason winds down. Cade Cunningham looks like the real deal and he will now be joined by highly touted rookies Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren this season. The foundation for the next great Detroit basketball team is being assembled and will be showcased in style in the 2022-23 season.
The Pistons also leaned into the rebuild by trading Jerami Grant to the Portland Trail Blazers this offseason, adding more draft ammunition to their collection for the future. Grant's trade value was not likely to get much higher and he is pushing 30 years of age, so offloading him was the right move, even if it came a little bit too late.
Still, the Pistons are coming into this season with some veterans. They still have Kelly Olynyk and acquired Alec Burks and Nerlens Noel from the New York Knicks to facilitate a camp dump. Trading Olynk and/or Noel, who are both big men that gunk up the center rotation, is a key move that the Pistons have to make before the 2022 NBA offseason concludes.
Pistons offseason move they needed to make
The Pistons' frontcourt is full of options. Olynyk may be one of the better ones but that is all the more reason to trade him. His trade value is solid and the young options around him need clear paths to playing time. Noel's value may not be that great after a poor season but his contract is expiring and fairly cheap.
Duren, who the Pistons acquired in a draft-day trade, will get plenty of minutes. He could be a fantastic interior presence and potentially more, which will make up for the fact that he isn't one of the biggest players on the court. Isaiah Stewart will likely be his backup, as he has shown physicality that makes him perfect for Detroit as well as some shooting potential. Marvin Bagley III will likely be the starting big man opposite of the starting center, as the Pistons signed him to a $37.5 million deal this offseason to keep him round for a few more years.
Duren and Stewart will occupy heavy minutes at the five spot. Neither player is ready to spend a lot of minutes at any other position, which makes Noel's place on the team unclear. Olynyk can play the four even though his best spot is likely at the five, so holding onto him for the time being makes some sense. Bagley is also there to play the four and Saddiq Bey could even slide down to play the position for stretches.
The Pistons' best course of action is to cut bait with their veteran big men. They could include Olynk in a package but cannot do that with Noel because of the restrictions on players who were recently traded. He can still be traded in a deal by himself and the restriction ends in September. It shouldn't do too much to prevent a trade, though, as simply giving Noel to a contending team is what Detroit has to do.
Noel's defensive abilities should make him a decent addition to a contender's bench. Ditto for Olynyk's well-rounded offensive skill set. The Pistons probably won't land a high draft pick for either player but they could land a second-rounder. At the very least, there will be a cleaner path to playing time for the young big men.
Playing both veterans over just one of the youngsters would be a mistake. But the front office might feel pressure to have head coach Dwane Casey do so to prop up their trade value. Sadly, there isn't too much to prop up anyway. Every team knows what they would get in Noel or Olynyk. Getting rid of them before they feel that pressure benefits everyone. Trading Burks would also be worthwhile for the same reasons but because of the glut of options at the center spot, the priority should be there.
Although the Pistons still can move on from one of their bigs, they missed a prime opportunity to find a trae for them during the peak of free agency. With most front offices pleased with where their teams stand, the demand to make a trade may not pick up again until the regular season.
The 2022 NBA offseason was great for the Pistons, as they are beautifully set up to play young players and tank again. Freeing one or both of their veteran big men needs to happen before training camp rolls around. Olynyk and Noel should be playing for a playoff team while the young players should get every chance they get to prove themselves.
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