The Detroit Pistons fell to the Knicks in six games after a hard-fought battle. Even though Pistons fans would have loved to pull off the major upset after coming so close, they are entering the offseason with a pleasant taste in their mouth. Detroit basketball hasn't had this much hope and optimism in at least a decade.
In order to take the next step in their development, the Pistons need to nail their offseason decisions. That involves making the right call in the pending free agencies of Malik Beasley, Tim Hardaway Jr., and Dennis Schröder.
The work, however, doesn't stop there. GM Trajan Langdon also needs to surround Cade Cunningham with more depth and quality. That may require being aggressive on the trade market. This would mean that the Pistons may have to part ways with veteran forward Simone Fontecchio.
After being acquired by Detroit at the 2024 trade deadline, Fontecchio signed a two-year, $16 million deal in the offseason. The Italian combo forward played a significant role in the regular season as a backup to Tobias Harris, appearing in 75 games and seeing 16.5 minutes of action per game.
In the postseason, however, the 29-year-old was completely marginalized, not playing a single minute. This was especially surprising considering that the Pistons needed more wing help and struggled defending Karl-Anthony Towns when Harris wasn't on the floor. The fact that head coach JB Bickerstaff didn't trust him enough to give him a few minutes here and there suggests that Fontecchio may be on his way out.
Fontecchio has an expiring contract worth $8.3 million for next season. The Pistons will likely not have too much playing time for Fontecchio with Ausar Thompson and Ron Holland playing even bigger roles next season. But another team in need of a two-way forward off the bench could gladly bring him via trade.
This would allow the Pistons to invest their resources elsewhere, like getting another shooter or an offensive creator.