The NBA free agency is still over a week away, but teams have already started to make their moves. Teams are currently eligible to talk to their own free agents, which means that there will be players re-signing with their current teams before free agency officially starts. Potential Detroit Pistons targets will be off the market before they can even negotiate.
The first example of this occurred on Saturday when ESPN's Shams Charania reported that Collin Gillespie was signing a four-year, $48 million deal to return to the Phoenix Suns. This is a great contract for one of the more underrated guards in the league.
This is a missed opportunity for the Pistons and the rest of the league. Gillespie doesn't have the reputation of some of the other free agents on the market since he became a starter for the first time last season, but he would have been an ideal acquisition for any team looking for more offensive firepower.
Choosing the trade market over free agency may come back to bite the Pistons
With the increased cap environment in the NBA, $12 million per year is an above-average backup salary. Gillespie is far beyond that level as a player. For the Pistons, he would have had a chance to start and close games. At worst, he would have been a very good sixth man.
An above 40% shooter from downtown, Gillespie can play both on and off the ball. He is a good pick-and-roll player, averaging 4.6 assists in 28.5 minutes per game last season. Considering that the Pistons are looking for a guard who can dribble, pass, and shoot, Gillespie would have been a great choice next to Cade Cunningham.
The fact that the 26-year-old guard chose to re-sign with the Suns at this price suggests that there weren't better offers out there for him. If his agents felt that the Pistons, or another team for that matter, could have beaten the Suns' deal, Gillespie would have hit the open market.
Instead, Detroit is expected to be aggressive on the trade market. They intend to use their cap space to retain Jalen Duren and Tobias Harris, while using their future flexibility to re-sign Ausar Thompson. They want to make their roster upgrades through the trade market.
There are plenty of reported trade targets for the Pistons. Tyler Herro has emerged as a real possibility in recent days, offering a skill set similar to Gillespie's. Depending on what it takes to acquire him, this could be a great option for Detroit. Otherwise, the Pistons may regret not pursuing potentially cheaper additions like Gillespie.
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