NBA Mock Offseason: LA Clippers win Finals and Bradley Beal is traded

Detroit Pistons

Roster 

• Christian Wood
• Nerlens Noel
• Alen Smailagic
• Blake Griffin
• Sekou Doumbouya
• Andrew Wiggins
• Justin Jackson
• Bruno Caboclo
• Svi Mykhailiuk
• Wesley Matthews
• Bruce Brown Jr.
• Khyri Thomas
• Jalen Brunson
• LaMelo Ball
• Brandon Knight

Head coach: Dwane Casey 

2019-20 NBA season results:

• Missed playoffs

Who they re-signed:

• Christian Wood re-signed to a three-year, $30 million contract

Who they signed in FA:

• Wesley Matthews signed to a one-year, $10 million contract
• Brandon Knight signed to a one-year, league-minimum contract
• Bruno Caboclo signed to a one-year, league-minimum contract
• Nerlens Noel signed to a one-year, $5 million contract

Trades they made:

• Tony Snell and Derrick Rose for Andrew Wiggins, Alen Smailagic, 2021 lottery-protected Golden State Warriors first-round draft pick, and 2021 conditional Minnesota Timberwolves first-rounder
• Draft pick (multi-team trade involving the Warriors and 76ers)
• Jalen Brunson and Justin Jackson for Luke Kennard

Who they drafted:

• Drafted LaMelo Ball

Other moves:

• N/A

Summary: The Detroit Pistons make a lot of big changes but are among the other rebuilding Central Division teams (Bulls and Cavaliers) that are likely a while away from being anywhere near contention. The hope is that LaMelo Ball is a guy they can build around with Christian Wood and Sekou Doumbouya.

They probably haven’t seen enough out of Luke Kennard to extend him, so they choose to turn him into wing depth and youthful guard to hold it down as Ball adjusts to the NBA level game. In free agency, they bring back the previously mentioned Wood and hope they could have the same luck by rejuvenating Nerlens Noel. Wesley Matthews is a good 3-and-D wing that could help to open the floor for the young guys while also providing a veteran leader off the court if he remains healthy.

The biggest move of all though is turning Derrick Rose and Tony Snell into two 2021 first-round picks by taking on Andrew Wiggins’s contract. The best case is Dwane Casey could get through to Wiggins, but even if not the Pistons are so far away from turning this around into a true contender that adding LaMelo Ball and three 2021 first-round draft picks (two of which are likely to be lottery) to Wood and Doumbouya starts to give them a solid rebuild.