This is a question I've asked often over the past year, but with the injury to Kelly Olynyk and the potential suspension of Isaiah Stewart, its become much more relevant.
I have nothing personal against Rodney McGruder. He plays hard on the rare occasion his number gets called and is well known to be a great teammate. Coach Casey loves him for his leadership & positive influence on the teams many young players. However when it comes to the on court product, McGruder doesn't move the needle at all. He's buried on the depth chart as the teams 8th wing option and usually only gets off the bench late in blowout games.
Meanwhile the Pistons have been struggling all season to protect the paint and routinely get out rebounded by large margins. Opposing players are having a field day taking the ball to the rim and getting plenty of second chance opportunities when they choose to shoot from the outside. Our undersized starting bigs with the 6'8" Isaiah Stewart & 6'8" Jerami Grant are fine defenisve players, but the two don't strike fear in opponets when they decide to attack the basket. Backups Kelly Olynyk and Trey Lyles both offer more size, but niether player is known for their defense, shot blocking or rebounding skills. Luka Garza is a 7 footer that Casey doesn't seem to trust enough yet to make him a regular in the rotation or play him meaningful minutes even with Olynyk out.
Would cutting McGruder and signing a FA big off the street solve these problems up front for the Pistons? No. However it would give the team a better oopportunity to play competitive baseketball, the needed depth to get through these injuries/suspensions and perhaps help the team win a few more games. The Pistons could even strike gold and find a useful rotation player for beyond this season like we did when the Pistons took a chance on Christian Wood instead of keeping Joe Johnson.
If/when McGruder is released i'm sure the Pistons would bring him back as a "consultant" or sign him to the Motor City Cruise in the G League if he is goes unclaimed on waivers and/or is not signed by another team. Rodney is getting his full salary regardless since he's on a guaranteed deal. This way he would still remain part of the team and continue to provide his valuable leadership/mentoring skills to our young players.
Sunday, November 21, 2021
Thursday, November 18, 2021
Should the Pistons consider trading Jerami Grant?
Though many Pistons fans (including myself) would hate to see it happen, I believe the Pistons should strongly consider trading Jerami Grant ASAP while his value is still sky high & his excellent 2020-21 season is still fresh on the minds of NBA GM's. With Cade Cunningham starting to assert himself on offense, Grants scoring numbers (and trade value) will likely take a hit. While Grant is an above average player & a strong defender, only his scoring avg last season and career 3pt shooting percentage stand out as superior when looking at his stats. He's a below average rebounder for a PF and doesn't block many shots either. If Grants scoring drops from an average of 23 PPG last year to say 17 PPG this season, Jerami would go from having the numbers of an all-star caliber player to looking like an Evan Fournier clone on the stat sheet. While Fournier is a solid player, there is not one team in the NBA that would give up much in a trade for him.
I think Grant is a hell of a player and would love to see him stay here for the long haul, but does he feel the same way? Even if the PIstons choose not to trade him there is no guarantee Jerami will decide to stay in Detroit when his contract expires after next season. Cashing Grant in now while he is at peak value just may be the best move for the future of the Pistons.
I think Grant is a hell of a player and would love to see him stay here for the long haul, but does he feel the same way? Even if the PIstons choose not to trade him there is no guarantee Jerami will decide to stay in Detroit when his contract expires after next season. Cashing Grant in now while he is at peak value just may be the best move for the future of the Pistons.
Monday, November 15, 2021
Two potential ways the Pistons can trade for Marvin Bagley before 12/15
There have been plenty of rumors that have linked the Pistons to Marvin Bagley of the Kings, but as most have realized the Pistons don't currently have the players avaialble salary wise to match up in a deal for him due to the recently signed player rule. The rule prohibits any player that reached free agency and is signed during the offseason to be traded until after the 60th day of the league year. That date this season is December 15th. The only players the Pistons can currently trade are Cade, Grant, Bey, Stewart, Hayes, Josh Jackson, Garza and Livers. Out of those 7, the only 2 players i could see being in play for a Bagley deal are JJ and possibly Livers. However thier combinded salaries of $6M is not enough to trade for Bagley and his $11.3M conract.
The problem is with Kelly Olynyk injured the Pistons could really use Bagley now. There is a potential solution to make it happen. If Troy Weaver can find a higher salaried player that he can trade Josh Jackson (and potentially Livers) for, the Pistons could then turn around and swap that player for Bagley once the first trade is processed. That player needs to make at least $6.4M to be traded for Bagely. NOTE: The player we acquire to swap for Bagley will not be able to be aggragated (traded) with any other Pistons player for either 45 or 60 days (not 100% sure what it is) so he must have a salary high enough to be traded straight up for Bagley
One player who could be traded for Jackson and just barely fits over the $6.4M salary required for Bagely is SF Jarrett Culver of Memphis. He is eligible to be traded now and rarely ever gets off the bench for the team. JJ was well liked during his time with the Grizzlies in 2019 so i'd imagine they would not mind saving $1.4M to be reunited with him. Would the Kings be interested in Culver? That i really can't say however it is well known Sacramento would like to move on from Bagley and are looking for depth at the SG/SF spots. Like Bagely, Culver is a recent top 10 pick who has yet to make his mark in the NBA and could use a fresh start. The trade would also save the Kings $5M which could help motivate management/ownership to sign off on the deal.
Another player who would work salary wise is the Pacers SG Jeremy Lamb. The Pistons would need to include Isaiah Livers with JJ to absorb Lambs $10.5 salary. Ideally the Kings or Pacers will give Detroit back a future #2 pick as compensation for losing Livers but I wouldn't let that be a deal breaker. The beneifit for the Pacers to make this trade is saving $4M by repalcing Lamb with Jackson as a backup and getting a cheap flyer on a decent prospect. For Sacramento, Lamb has a much more proven track record in the NBA then Culver and they would still save $1M.
The problem is with Kelly Olynyk injured the Pistons could really use Bagley now. There is a potential solution to make it happen. If Troy Weaver can find a higher salaried player that he can trade Josh Jackson (and potentially Livers) for, the Pistons could then turn around and swap that player for Bagley once the first trade is processed. That player needs to make at least $6.4M to be traded for Bagely. NOTE: The player we acquire to swap for Bagley will not be able to be aggragated (traded) with any other Pistons player for either 45 or 60 days (not 100% sure what it is) so he must have a salary high enough to be traded straight up for Bagley
One player who could be traded for Jackson and just barely fits over the $6.4M salary required for Bagely is SF Jarrett Culver of Memphis. He is eligible to be traded now and rarely ever gets off the bench for the team. JJ was well liked during his time with the Grizzlies in 2019 so i'd imagine they would not mind saving $1.4M to be reunited with him. Would the Kings be interested in Culver? That i really can't say however it is well known Sacramento would like to move on from Bagley and are looking for depth at the SG/SF spots. Like Bagely, Culver is a recent top 10 pick who has yet to make his mark in the NBA and could use a fresh start. The trade would also save the Kings $5M which could help motivate management/ownership to sign off on the deal.
Another player who would work salary wise is the Pacers SG Jeremy Lamb. The Pistons would need to include Isaiah Livers with JJ to absorb Lambs $10.5 salary. Ideally the Kings or Pacers will give Detroit back a future #2 pick as compensation for losing Livers but I wouldn't let that be a deal breaker. The beneifit for the Pacers to make this trade is saving $4M by repalcing Lamb with Jackson as a backup and getting a cheap flyer on a decent prospect. For Sacramento, Lamb has a much more proven track record in the NBA then Culver and they would still save $1M.
Is the Honeymoon over in Detroit for Troy Weaver?
Last season it seemed like nearly everything Troy Weaver touched turned to gold. By midseason Weaver had nearly turned over 100% of the roster he inherited (Sekou Doumbouya was the only man left standing), two of his mid round #1 picks had cemented themselves as key rotation players, and his free agent signings that had been mostly panned by the media as overpays were looking like bargains. Yes the team was losing a lot of games, but they were playing highly competitive games nearly every night they took the court. For the first time in years Pistons fans were optimistic about the future of this team. That excitement reached its peak when the ping pong balls fell our way in the draft lottery and the Pistons landed the #1 overall pick and drafted Cade Cunningham.
The Pistons headed into the '21/22 offseason with nearly $12M in cap space and 8 players under contract (Plumlee, Stewart, Okafor, Grant, Doumbouya, Bey, Jackson, Hayes) plus Cunningham's upcoming rookie contract. On draft night Weaver sent Mason Plumlee and the 37th overall pick to the Hornets for the 57th pick in order to clear Plumlee's 8.3M salary from the books and give the Pistons around $20M in cap space.
Here is what Weaver did with that cap space
Signed Free agent Kelly Olynyk for 3yrs @ $13M average per year (3rd year team option)
Signed Free Agent Trey Lyles for 2 years @ $2.5M per year (2nd year team option)
Brought back Frank Jackson for 2yrs @ $3M per year (2nd year team option)
Brought back Saben Lee ofr 3yrs @ $5M total ($1.5M in '21-22) (2nd year team option)
Signed 2nd rounder Isiah Livers to an above slot deal for 3yrs @ $4.5M total ($1M in '21-22)
After spending the cap space Weaver made the following moves
Used the MLE to bring back Coey Joseph for 2 years @ $5M per year (2nd year player option)
Used early bird rights to bring back Hami Diallo for 2 years @ $5M per year (2nd year team option)
Used the veteran minumum exception to sign Rodney McGruder for 1 year @ $1.7M
Traded Sekou Doumbouya and Jahlil Okafor to Brooklyn for DeAndre Jordan, $6M in cash, and four #2 picks
Converted Luka Garzas contract to a standard NBA minimum contract for 2 years.
Needless to say this season has not went as planned. The Pistons are not only still losing, but far too often the games have been blowouts. Detroit was not expected to compete for a playoff spot this season, but they were hoping to see more positive progress/development in their young core players and to keep playing good competive basketball. After 10 games the Pistons had what would be the worst offensive rating in NBA history, they have major trouble defending the paint, and many of their younger players that shined last season are struggling to get on track this year. A recent injury to key free agent signee Kelly Olynyk has left a huge void up front and the Pistons do not have the depth to make up for his loss. Unfortunately they majorly lack trade options until 12/15 so it may be a while until they can add some reinforcements unless they choose to cut a player and sign a big off the free agent list.
Fans are begining to question the Pistons roster construction and some of the moves Troy has made. The Sekou Doumbouya trade was wildly unpopular with the fan base. Weaver taking on DeAndre Jordans 2 year contract then buying out & releasing him with minimal savings next year (when the team is expected to have near max contract cap space) was not very well received in Motown. His decision to bring back Rodney McGruder and give Cory Joseph a 2 year deal for the MLE were also panned by many.
Weaver's approval rating is still very high (and well deserved) with fans but his days of having the Pistons faithful being on board with all his decisions have likely come to an end. Its still "In Troy we trust" here in the Motor City, but its now on Weaver and his brain trust to make sure it stays that way.
The Pistons headed into the '21/22 offseason with nearly $12M in cap space and 8 players under contract (Plumlee, Stewart, Okafor, Grant, Doumbouya, Bey, Jackson, Hayes) plus Cunningham's upcoming rookie contract. On draft night Weaver sent Mason Plumlee and the 37th overall pick to the Hornets for the 57th pick in order to clear Plumlee's 8.3M salary from the books and give the Pistons around $20M in cap space.
Here is what Weaver did with that cap space
Signed Free agent Kelly Olynyk for 3yrs @ $13M average per year (3rd year team option)
Signed Free Agent Trey Lyles for 2 years @ $2.5M per year (2nd year team option)
Brought back Frank Jackson for 2yrs @ $3M per year (2nd year team option)
Brought back Saben Lee ofr 3yrs @ $5M total ($1.5M in '21-22) (2nd year team option)
Signed 2nd rounder Isiah Livers to an above slot deal for 3yrs @ $4.5M total ($1M in '21-22)
After spending the cap space Weaver made the following moves
Used the MLE to bring back Coey Joseph for 2 years @ $5M per year (2nd year player option)
Used early bird rights to bring back Hami Diallo for 2 years @ $5M per year (2nd year team option)
Used the veteran minumum exception to sign Rodney McGruder for 1 year @ $1.7M
Traded Sekou Doumbouya and Jahlil Okafor to Brooklyn for DeAndre Jordan, $6M in cash, and four #2 picks
Converted Luka Garzas contract to a standard NBA minimum contract for 2 years.
Needless to say this season has not went as planned. The Pistons are not only still losing, but far too often the games have been blowouts. Detroit was not expected to compete for a playoff spot this season, but they were hoping to see more positive progress/development in their young core players and to keep playing good competive basketball. After 10 games the Pistons had what would be the worst offensive rating in NBA history, they have major trouble defending the paint, and many of their younger players that shined last season are struggling to get on track this year. A recent injury to key free agent signee Kelly Olynyk has left a huge void up front and the Pistons do not have the depth to make up for his loss. Unfortunately they majorly lack trade options until 12/15 so it may be a while until they can add some reinforcements unless they choose to cut a player and sign a big off the free agent list.
Fans are begining to question the Pistons roster construction and some of the moves Troy has made. The Sekou Doumbouya trade was wildly unpopular with the fan base. Weaver taking on DeAndre Jordans 2 year contract then buying out & releasing him with minimal savings next year (when the team is expected to have near max contract cap space) was not very well received in Motown. His decision to bring back Rodney McGruder and give Cory Joseph a 2 year deal for the MLE were also panned by many.
Weaver's approval rating is still very high (and well deserved) with fans but his days of having the Pistons faithful being on board with all his decisions have likely come to an end. Its still "In Troy we trust" here in the Motor City, but its now on Weaver and his brain trust to make sure it stays that way.
Finding a quick replacement for Kelly Olynyk
The Pistons suffered a big blow when they lost PF/C Kelly Olynyk to a knee injury. Olynyk is expected to be out at last 6 weeks, and the team sorely lacks the depth up front to make up for his loss. Due to trade restrictions placed on recently signed players the Pistons are very limited on who they could offer up in a trade to find his replacement. The only PIstons players eligible to be traded before 12/15 are Grant, Stewart, Bey, Hayes, Cunningham, J Jackson, Garza & Livers. Out of that list the only 2 I could see Detroit being willing to move is Josh Jackson and possibly Isaiah Livers (for salary purposes). One other option would be to relaase a low cost, little used player (Like Rodney McGruder) and sign one of the avaialble Free Agents
Bigs who could be avaialble via trade and fit into Josh Jackson $5M salary slot (would need to have a salary between $2.8-$8.8M)
JayMykal Green - DEN: With all the injuries the Nuggets have been suffering Green may not be considered available.
Chris Bourcher - TOR: Played great for TOR last year but the additions of Achiuwa, Birch & Barnes left him with a diminished role.
Juancho Hernangomez - BOS: Has barely played in Boston this season but was strong with the Twolves last year
Jaxson Hayes - NO: Has some pending legal issues and is battling Willie Hernangomez for back up minutes in New Orleans
Jaylon Smith - PHX: Recent top 10 pick has barely seen the floor in his 2 years in the desert.
Willie Cauley-Stein: DAL: Not playing much in Dallas now that Porzingas is back from injury
Top Bigs avaialble on the FA market
Boogie Cousins - Would give DET some scoring puch off the bench, but defense is not a big part of his game
Jahlil Okafor - He knows the players, he knows the staff, he knows the system.
Harry Giles - My personal choice if the Pistons go this route. Big energy, high flyer, solid defender.
Bismak Biyombo - Veteran big would give us a solid defender in the paint
Marquese Chriss - Looked like he had found a home in GS a few years back, but a major injury has derailed his carrer.
Ersayn Illysova- This former Piston still has a sweet 3 point stroke and helped the Bucks win a title last season.
Bigs who could be avaialble via trade and fit into Josh Jackson $5M salary slot (would need to have a salary between $2.8-$8.8M)
JayMykal Green - DEN: With all the injuries the Nuggets have been suffering Green may not be considered available.
Chris Bourcher - TOR: Played great for TOR last year but the additions of Achiuwa, Birch & Barnes left him with a diminished role.
Juancho Hernangomez - BOS: Has barely played in Boston this season but was strong with the Twolves last year
Jaxson Hayes - NO: Has some pending legal issues and is battling Willie Hernangomez for back up minutes in New Orleans
Jaylon Smith - PHX: Recent top 10 pick has barely seen the floor in his 2 years in the desert.
Willie Cauley-Stein: DAL: Not playing much in Dallas now that Porzingas is back from injury
Top Bigs avaialble on the FA market
Boogie Cousins - Would give DET some scoring puch off the bench, but defense is not a big part of his game
Jahlil Okafor - He knows the players, he knows the staff, he knows the system.
Harry Giles - My personal choice if the Pistons go this route. Big energy, high flyer, solid defender.
Bismak Biyombo - Veteran big would give us a solid defender in the paint
Marquese Chriss - Looked like he had found a home in GS a few years back, but a major injury has derailed his carrer.
Ersayn Illysova- This former Piston still has a sweet 3 point stroke and helped the Bucks win a title last season.
Saturday, November 13, 2021
Examining Troy Weavers trade history.
1. Traded cash to UTAH for Tony Bradley and a 2020 #2 pick (Saben Lee)
A solid first trade for Weaver to kick off the rebuild. Taking on Bradley's expiring $3.5M contract was well worth it to land an early 2nd round pick.
GRADE: B
2. Traded a protected 2021 #1 pick to HOU for Trevor Ariza, and a 2020 #1 pick (Isaiah Stewart)
IMO Houston GM Rafael Stone made a tremendous deal by getting Weaver to agree to include a protected 2021 #1 pick in exchange for the #16 overall pick and agreeing to take on Trevor Ariza's $12.8M salary. Stone doubled down and burned Weaver again on the sign and trade for Christian Wood by rolling it into the Ariza trade while only having to surrender a 2027 #2 pick and some extra protections on the #1 pick we had sent to HOU in the original deal. Weaver giving up a future #1 pick to take on a major salary dump was questionable to being with, not getting that #1 pick back (or a future #1) to accomodate the Wood sign and trade was negligent.
GRADE: D-
3. In a 3 way deal DET traded Bruce Brown, Luke Kennard & four #2 picks for Rodney McGruder, Dzanan Musa and a 2020 #1 pick (Saddiq Bey)
Getting a first rounder for Kennard and Brown was wonderful, but having to take on Rodney McGruders contract, a useless player in Musa & give up four of our future #2 picks made this trade a negative in my eyes.
GRADE: C-
4. Traded Tony Snell & Kyri Thomas to ATL for Dwayne Dedmon
The first of Troy's trades to free up cap space by waiving/stretching the player he acquires. The good, this trade helped free up the cap space needed to sign Grant and Plumlee. The bad, The Pistons will have a $2.9M cap charge for Dedmon each year through the 2024/2025 season.
GRADE: C
5. Traded Tony Bradley to PHI for Zaire Smith
The second of Weavers trades to free up cap space for 2020 Free Agency. Zaire was waived/stretched and will be on the Pistons books for $1M per year through the end of the 2022/23 season
GRADE: C
6. In a 3 way deal DET Traded Trevor Ariza for Delon Wright.
Great deal for Weaver. Wright played very well here in the D, and netted the Pistons two future #2 picks when he was flipped to the Kings at the deadline.
GRADE: A+
7. Traded Derrick Rose to NY for Dennis Smith Jr and a 2021 #2 pick (Isaiah Livers)
Meh. This trade was underwhelming when announced and looked even worse when Rose helped lead the Knicks back to the playoffs for the first time in years. Smith Jr played better then I expected but I still feel the Pistons could of got a much better offer for Rose closer to the deadline
GRADE: D+
8. Traded Svi Mykhailiuk and a 2027 #2 pick to OKC for Hamidou Diallo
With the FA signing of Josh Jackson, the drafting of Saddiq Bey, and the emergence of Frank Jackson, Svi fell out of the rotation and was flipped to OKC for the younger, more athletic Diallo. Hami played great for Detroit after the trade and was re-signed for 2 years this offseason.
GRADE: B+
9. Traded Delon Wright to SAC for Corey Joseph, a 2021 #2 pick (Luke Garza) and a 2024 #2 pick
The Pistons lost one of thier leaders when they sent Wright to the Kings. Joseph was solid for the Pistons and became a mentor to rookie guard Killian Hayes. Weaver paid Joseph a $2.4M buyout (Instead of $12M) and then re-signed him with the Pistons MLE to a 2 year/$10M deal. This grade would of been higher had Troy used the teams MLE on a better player then Cojo and/or if the 2nd year of the deal was a team option instead of a player option (like he'd actually opt out of that payday). I personally would not of offered Jospeh anything more then a 1 year contract at the veteran minimum
GRADE: C
10. Traded Mason Plumlee and a 2021 #2 (JT Thor) for a 2021 #2 pick (Balsma Kaprovica)
Weaver decided he wanted more of a floor spacer to share the middle with Stewart. With that in mind Plumlee was shipped to the Hornets in a salary dump to free up cap space for a run at Kelly Olynyk. I understood the trade and the reasoning behind it but did not like it at all. I thought Plumlee (along with Grant) was pretty much the heart/soul of the 2020 Pistons. His size, strength and toughness in the paint on defense, along with his passing skills and ability to facilitate the offense are things the Pistons are sorely missing this season.
GRADE: C-
11. Traded Sekou Doumbouya & Jahlil Okafor to BKN for DeAndre Jordan and four future #2 picks ('22 '24 '25 '27)
Jordan was immidately bought out for $4M (we paid him $16M to go away) by the Pistons and signed with the Lakers. UGH I hated this trade and do not understand why we made it. Why just give up on a young player like Sekou when you are a rebuilding team and you are rostering Rodney McGruder? Sure the four #2 picks may come in handy to make deals in the future, but was it really worth giving away $7.8M in 2022/2023 cap space when we actually could have max contract cap room avaialble? I think not!
GRADE: D
A solid first trade for Weaver to kick off the rebuild. Taking on Bradley's expiring $3.5M contract was well worth it to land an early 2nd round pick.
GRADE: B
2. Traded a protected 2021 #1 pick to HOU for Trevor Ariza, and a 2020 #1 pick (Isaiah Stewart)
IMO Houston GM Rafael Stone made a tremendous deal by getting Weaver to agree to include a protected 2021 #1 pick in exchange for the #16 overall pick and agreeing to take on Trevor Ariza's $12.8M salary. Stone doubled down and burned Weaver again on the sign and trade for Christian Wood by rolling it into the Ariza trade while only having to surrender a 2027 #2 pick and some extra protections on the #1 pick we had sent to HOU in the original deal. Weaver giving up a future #1 pick to take on a major salary dump was questionable to being with, not getting that #1 pick back (or a future #1) to accomodate the Wood sign and trade was negligent.
GRADE: D-
3. In a 3 way deal DET traded Bruce Brown, Luke Kennard & four #2 picks for Rodney McGruder, Dzanan Musa and a 2020 #1 pick (Saddiq Bey)
Getting a first rounder for Kennard and Brown was wonderful, but having to take on Rodney McGruders contract, a useless player in Musa & give up four of our future #2 picks made this trade a negative in my eyes.
GRADE: C-
4. Traded Tony Snell & Kyri Thomas to ATL for Dwayne Dedmon
The first of Troy's trades to free up cap space by waiving/stretching the player he acquires. The good, this trade helped free up the cap space needed to sign Grant and Plumlee. The bad, The Pistons will have a $2.9M cap charge for Dedmon each year through the 2024/2025 season.
GRADE: C
5. Traded Tony Bradley to PHI for Zaire Smith
The second of Weavers trades to free up cap space for 2020 Free Agency. Zaire was waived/stretched and will be on the Pistons books for $1M per year through the end of the 2022/23 season
GRADE: C
6. In a 3 way deal DET Traded Trevor Ariza for Delon Wright.
Great deal for Weaver. Wright played very well here in the D, and netted the Pistons two future #2 picks when he was flipped to the Kings at the deadline.
GRADE: A+
7. Traded Derrick Rose to NY for Dennis Smith Jr and a 2021 #2 pick (Isaiah Livers)
Meh. This trade was underwhelming when announced and looked even worse when Rose helped lead the Knicks back to the playoffs for the first time in years. Smith Jr played better then I expected but I still feel the Pistons could of got a much better offer for Rose closer to the deadline
GRADE: D+
8. Traded Svi Mykhailiuk and a 2027 #2 pick to OKC for Hamidou Diallo
With the FA signing of Josh Jackson, the drafting of Saddiq Bey, and the emergence of Frank Jackson, Svi fell out of the rotation and was flipped to OKC for the younger, more athletic Diallo. Hami played great for Detroit after the trade and was re-signed for 2 years this offseason.
GRADE: B+
9. Traded Delon Wright to SAC for Corey Joseph, a 2021 #2 pick (Luke Garza) and a 2024 #2 pick
The Pistons lost one of thier leaders when they sent Wright to the Kings. Joseph was solid for the Pistons and became a mentor to rookie guard Killian Hayes. Weaver paid Joseph a $2.4M buyout (Instead of $12M) and then re-signed him with the Pistons MLE to a 2 year/$10M deal. This grade would of been higher had Troy used the teams MLE on a better player then Cojo and/or if the 2nd year of the deal was a team option instead of a player option (like he'd actually opt out of that payday). I personally would not of offered Jospeh anything more then a 1 year contract at the veteran minimum
GRADE: C
10. Traded Mason Plumlee and a 2021 #2 (JT Thor) for a 2021 #2 pick (Balsma Kaprovica)
Weaver decided he wanted more of a floor spacer to share the middle with Stewart. With that in mind Plumlee was shipped to the Hornets in a salary dump to free up cap space for a run at Kelly Olynyk. I understood the trade and the reasoning behind it but did not like it at all. I thought Plumlee (along with Grant) was pretty much the heart/soul of the 2020 Pistons. His size, strength and toughness in the paint on defense, along with his passing skills and ability to facilitate the offense are things the Pistons are sorely missing this season.
GRADE: C-
11. Traded Sekou Doumbouya & Jahlil Okafor to BKN for DeAndre Jordan and four future #2 picks ('22 '24 '25 '27)
Jordan was immidately bought out for $4M (we paid him $16M to go away) by the Pistons and signed with the Lakers. UGH I hated this trade and do not understand why we made it. Why just give up on a young player like Sekou when you are a rebuilding team and you are rostering Rodney McGruder? Sure the four #2 picks may come in handy to make deals in the future, but was it really worth giving away $7.8M in 2022/2023 cap space when we actually could have max contract cap room avaialble? I think not!
GRADE: D
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