The Detroit Pistons have had an active offseason, making some changes to the roster that lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the second round. But the splashy moves and sweeping changes that some Pistons fans were hoping for never materialized.
How much of this is the front office's preference versus the right deals not emerging is unclear. Yet, one thing is clear: the Pistons have seemingly prioritized holding onto Ron Holland. And this may end up coming back to bite them.
Pistons' decision to prioritize Ron Holland may age poorly
Detroit traded away Isaiah Stewart, Marcus Sasser, and Caris LeVert to open up cap space to make the rest of their offseason moves. They could have chosen to part ways with Holland and his $9 million cap hit for next season as well, but they wanted to keep him for his third season in the league.
Calling this a mistake isn't necessarily because Holland is a lost cause. In fact, the 21-year-old forward still has some decent upside. His physical and athletic tools are intriguing enough that he still has a chance to turn into a solid rotation player. The problem is, the chances of that happening in Detroit are very slim.
Holland is a uniquely poor fit in Detroit. The Pistons are committed to Ausar Thompson and will likely give him a lucrative extension before the upcoming season. It looks like Jalen Duren will re-sign with the Pistons and be here long-term. It's just very difficult to see Holland fitting next to Thompson and Duren because of his shortcomings.
Thompson is as bad a shooter as it gets for perimeter players. Duren is a non-shooter and will likely never be an outside threat. The Pistons simply can't have another non-shooter like Holland play next to Thompson and Duren.
Given how challenging it will be to play him and Thompson together, Holland will likely be a pure backup. And Thompson can play a ton of minutes when it matters most and rarely misses games. Path to playing time for Holland will not be easy.
Plus, the Pistons can't afford to be patient with Holland anymore. They were a feel-good story the past two years with minimal playoff expectations. Now, they are starting next season with true postseason aspirations. This means that they don't have the luxury to give Holland developmental minutes and allow him to explore the studio space.
If Holland sees a reduction in his playing time and role, this will only lower his trade value. The more time passes since he was the fifth-overall pick, the more shine will wear off. He may not have positive trade value if the Pistons decide to move on from Holland too late.
At that point, Detroit will regret not seeing the writing on the wall sooner. Holland still has a future in the league, but it's unlikely that it will be in Detroit.
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