Pistons fans were hoping for their team to make a big splash this offseason to establish themselves as a contender in the Eastern Conference. Instead, the Pistons largely kept their powder dry, replacing Malik Beasley, Dennis Schröder, Tim Hardaway Jr., and Simone Fontecchio with Duncan Robinson and Caris LeVert. In the weakened East, the Pistons should still be a playoff team, but it's hard to argue that the team has done enough to move into the contender tier.
The Pistons' biggest need remains depth at the forward position. Tobias Harris is the only true power forward on the team. Ausar Thompson and Ron Holland should get some minutes at the four, but they are relatively undersized to play the position for long stretches. Considering how badly non-Tobias Harris minutes went for Detroit in the playoffs, the Pistons can't ignore the position for much longer.
Pistons Must Move on from Bobi Klintman to Bring Back Former Vet
One of the reasons the Pistons need more capable forwards is that they weren't able to get anything from Bobi Klintman. The 37th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, Klintman wasn't able to contribute as a rookie and struggled during his time in the G League. He only made 30% of his attempts from beyond the arc, averaged 3.2 turnovers, and was inefficient from all over the floor. The 22-year-old Swede doesn't look ready to be a part of the rotation any time soon.
That is why the Pistons would be wise to move on from him sooner rather than later. While the Pistons still have a roster spot available, moving on from Klintman via a trade would give them flexibility to add more veterans.
A veteran who makes sense for Detroit is former Pistons power forward Trey Lyles. The 29-year-old remains unsigned in free agency, and despite not being the most impactful role player available, he is still a capable bench player. Plus, he brings shooting and complementary scoring that the rest of the Pistons wings lack.
Lyles struggled in his stint with the Pistons during the 2021-22 season, failing to make shots. Since then, however, he has been an effective player off the bench for the Sacramento Kings, averaging 7.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.1 assists in 19.1 minutes per game, on 44.8/36.2/77.1 shooting splits. That may not seem earth-shattering, but it may be the best Pistons can do at this stage of the offseason.