We are still weeks away from the start of NBA free agency, but reports concerning which players the Detroit Pistons plan to target on the open market continue to come in.
If there were any doubts before now, let them go to the wayside. Detroit means business this summer and will be a player in the free agent and trade markets. There have been previous rumblings concerning the Pistons' interest in big men Myles Turner and Naz Reid. Now, the reports are turning to targets on the wing that are on Detroit's wish list.
Pistons Linked to 4 Difference Makers Ahead of NBA Free Agency
Perimeter shooting has been one of the constant skills that the vast majority of the players the Pistons have been linked to at this point in the offseason. That fact was hammered home again by Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press in his latest piece, concerning how Detroit's front office can try to take advantage of other franchises facing significant luxury tax penalties this summer.
While there are certainly more names on Trajan Langdon's hot board as we approach the start of free agency, Sankofa II touched on four specific possibilities that could be available via signing or trade, who would fit with the type of roster the Pistons are building in Motor City. Those veterans include Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Grayson Allen, Isaac Okoro, and Sam Hauser.
Securing any one of those four would immediately raise the floor in terms of Detroit's effectiveness from beyond the arc. From a two-way perspective, there should be no concerns that any of the four would be a complete and total disaster on the defensive end either.
With the Minnesota Timberwolves, Phoenix Suns, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Boston Celtics all facing financial restraints this summer due to the league's luxury tax system, the Pistons are in a great position to take advantage of their problems and acquire a wing who would have an immediate impact on J.B. Bickerstaff's rotation.
We'll have to wait and see exactly what deals Detroit can make. One thing is for certain, though: it is an exciting time to be a Pistons fan.