After the Detroit Pistons' coaching prayers were answered, the time to seriously revamp the roster and start winning is now.
Once again, the Detroit Pistons played a gruesome, less-than-photogenic 82-game season. They finished 17-65, holding the worst record in the entire league. It's tough to ask for a team to perform when the player you want to build around is injured most of the season. As was the case with the Pistons and Cade Cunningham this year.
"Oh. That's too bad. At least they must've got a top-three pick in exchange for their troubles."
Nope! They lost this season, might as well lose the lottery too. Now, with the No. 5 pick in this year's NBA draft, the Pistons must find a way to change their culture and trajectory without any help from a top-three draft pick.
Signing Monty Williams in the offseason was a step in the right direction, but, if you're the Detroit Pistons, there's still plenty more work to be done. With Cade returning healthy, let's cue the clean-up song, tidy up this roster, and start winning some games again.
Detroit Pistons won't be back next season: 3. Killian Hayes
Considering Cade's injury, Killian's role increased last season. The 21-year-old showed capability, proving that a bright future in this league is possible. However, Killian's future is not going to be spent with Detroit. Killian was the worst shooter in the NBA last season and now enters the last year of his contract.
It seemed like the Pistons have tried to let Killian play through it. Yet, with a new coach comes new expectations. In his third NBA season, the former seventh-overall-pick only averaged 8.4 points, 5.3 assists and 3.0 rebounds. These conservative numbers, paired with Cade Cunningham's plan to return, make it in the team's best interest to ship Killian elsewhere this summer.
Get some value out of him while you can Detroit! Let another team make a project out of him. At 6-foot-5, Hayes' path to major minutes in the NBA will be forged by his defensive effort. Rumors of him being traded to the Spurs have already started circulating.
Detroit Pistons won't be back next season: 2. Cory Joseph
The 31-year-old point guard came to Detroit from Sacramento in 2021 as part of the Delon Wright trade. Cory wasn't necessarily scheduled to be part of the nightly rotation, but Cade's injury in November obviously changed that. Though he's a respected veteran presence in the locker room, there are simply no minutes for Cory Joseph on a healthy Detroit team.
If the Pistons want to move forward, they have to make room for Cade and Ivy. This means the Detroit Pistons must move on from Cory Joseph. He enters this summer as an unrestricted free agent. Cory would be better off on a team that has a role already carved out for him.
Detroit Pistons won't be back next season: 1. Hamidou Diallo
Diallo played exceptional basketball for the Pistons until this March when an ankle injury sidelined him for the rest of the season.
Last season, Hamidou averaged 9.3 points, 1.0 assists, and 3.5 rebounds through 56 games for the Pistons. He also converted an impressive 57.3 percent of his field goal attempts. Seeing as Diallo is an unrestricted free agent coming off his most efficient scoring season so far, it wouldn't be a surprise to see Hamidou sign with a team that has a bigger role ready for him — especially if the Pistons plan to take Whitmore with the fifth pick.
Hamidou's energy was exactly what Detroit needed this year, but there are sadly not enough minutes to go around. According to Athletic staff writer James Edwards, there's no doubt Hamidou Diallo can make the Detroit Pistons' 15-man roster. However, with limited cap space, the only real question is at what cost?
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