Detroit Pistons: 3 veteran centers to target in Free Agency
By Bob Heyrman
The NBA’s free agency period is set to kick off Monday, August 2nd at 6 p.m. Est. The Detroit Pistons recently cleared some salary cap space by trading starting center Mason Plumlee on draft night. Plus, the organization decided to waive veteran guard Cory Joseph, center Tyler Cook, and guard Deividas Sirvydis.
Plumlee had been entering the second year of his three-year deal that averages just over $8-million per season, plus by waiving the three just mentioned, the Detroit Pistons will clear up $12.2 million in cap space, according to ESPN‘s Bobby Marks.
This cap figure also includes the Pistons cap holds of restricted free agents Hamidou Diallo, Frank Jackson, and Saben Lee.
General manager (GM) Troy Weaver needed to free up some roster spots for the incoming draft class. Still, the organization had also been tight against the cap and, before the flurry of moves, had been set to start free agency with no money left in the budget.
Here are three center’s the Detroit Pistons should target in free agency.
If the Detroit Pistons can pry free agent Nerlens Noel from the Knicks, he may be the perfect complement to second-year center Isaiah Stewart.
Noel is a 27-year old averaged 5.1 points, 6.4 boards in 64 games last year in New York. Noel and current Pistons’ star Jerami Grant are close friends. The two played together in Philadelphia, and there is a realistic chance Grant, and the cast of youthful, butting-stars in Detroit may be enough to lure a player like Noel from the Big Apple.
Noel is more of a defensive-minded center and would fit in head coach Dwane Casey’s scheme wonderfully. Noel anchored the Knicks inside and helped the team produce the best rim field goal percentage of 60.5% in 2020-21.
Also, when Noel started for the Knicks last year, the team produced an overall record of 25-16 but 16-15 when he did not.
The Knicks recently picked up Mitchell Robinson’s $1.8 million team option, but I’m sure they will hope to re-sign Noel. If he is open to fielding offers, the Detroit Pistons are surely a fit.