The Detroit Pistons have three veteran guards who helped the franchise end its playoff drought this past season, who are eligible to enter free agency this summer, and it appears that, at least, one of them is already a prime target of a Western Conference team.
Trajan Langdon has decisions to make about Dennis Schroder, Tim Hardaway Jr., and Malik Beasley in the coming days as free agency opens at 6 p.m. ET on Monday. While there have been some rumors concerning Beasley receiving a four-year offer from the franchise, less has been reported about what Schroder and Hardaway Jr. are thinking.
Pistons Have Kings as Competition to Sign Dennis Schroder per Report
This all changed on Saturday when longtime NBA insider Marc Stein reported that the Sacramento Kings have "the best chance" of signing Schroder away from the Pistons this offseason. Of the three veteran guards, Schroder might be the most expendable of the bunch as he was only brought in this past season to fill the void left following the injury to Jaden Ivey.
With that being said, Schroder's performance in Detroit would merit a return to the Motor City if the money is right. Having a steady veteran presence in the backcourt, even in a reserve role, is a luxury for contending teams, which is what the Pistons want to be moving forward.
In 28 regular-season appearances for Detroit this past season, Schroder averaged 10.8 points, 5.2 assists, and 2.6 rebounds in 25.2 minutes per game. The minutes available to him would likely decrease with Ivey's return to the fold this coming season, which would be a factor in any negotiations between the two sides.
If Schroder wants the opportunity to be a starter somewhere, then he will need to look outside of Detroit. Perhaps Sacramento is the place where that could come to fruition. What we can say for certain is that it isn't going to happen with Cade Cunningham on the roster.
However, if he is comfortable being a key rotation piece on a contender at this stage of his career, then the Pistons present that opportunity. The fact that it comes in a setting where he's already enjoyed success is just the cherry on top of the franchise's pitch.