Detroit Pistons regain flexibility by swapping out Kentavious Caldwell-Pope for Avery Bradley
By Zac Snyder
The Detroit Pistons were in a tough spot with an already hefty payroll and the possibility of needing to match a big offer for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.
It took a week into NBA free agency but the Detroit Pistons have started to undergo a major overhaul. Ultimately, it comes because of a trade rather than free agency as the Pistons send Marcus Morris to the Boston Celtics in exchange for guard Avery Bradley and a second round draft pick in 2019.
The Celtics needed to shed some salary in order to complete their free agent signing of Gordon Hayward to a max deal. They accomplish that by swapping Bradley for Morris, but in helping the Celtics, the Pistons also helped themselves.
After signing Andre Drummond to a max deal last offseason in addition to carrying big contracts for Reggie Jackson and Tobias Harris, the prospect of having to match a max or near-max offer sheet for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was not particularly palatable. On the other hand, the thought of losing KCP in free agency wasn’t a great alternative either as it would leave a hole in a team already barely on the fringe of the playoffs.
With KCP, the Pistons were stuck between a rock and a hard place but managed to wiggle out, at least temporarily, by acquiring Bradley. With Bradley in the fold, the Pistons renounced their rights to Caldwell-Pope, making him an unrestricted free agent as they lost the right to match any offer sheet he signs.
Instead of having to choose between overpaying to keep KCP or letting him walk, the Pistons move on with his replacement in place. In adding Bradley, the Pistons get not only a replacement but an upgrade. KCP may have been known as one of the team’s best defensive players, but he can’t boast Bradley’s accomplishment as a two-time NBA All-Defensive Team selection. Bradley will also improve the Pistons’ three-point shooting ability as the 39% he shot last season would have led the Pistons.
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Bradley became expendable in Boston because of their need to shed salary to fit Hayward’s deal and because he is just a year away from a big payday himself. He was too far down the priority list for the Celtics to be that team to offer him the contract he’ll command, but the Pistons will get Bradley for a year and will have the opportunity to make him a big offer. If they do, at least it will be for a player superior to Caldwell-Pope. If not, they gain cap flexibility they wouldn’t have if they were locked into a deal with Caldwell-Pope.