The Detroit Pistons were looking to make several moves this offseason after finishing as the best team in the Eastern Conference during the regular season. Some moves were successful, while others never came to fruition.
The main goal was to keep most of the team's young talent together. Detroit was able to extend Ausar Thompson.
“In other Pistons news, Ausar Thompson officially put pen to paper on his new 5yr/$155M contract extension. The Pistons now have Cunningham and Thompson officially on the books long-term, with Thompson's deal coming in around 15% of the cap," NBA insider Brett Siegel posted.
The Pistons were also finally able to bring back Jalen Duren after months of contract negotiations. However, they also tried to land some bigger stars during the offseason. If the Los Angeles Lakers hadn't signed Austin Reaves before he hit the market, Detroit was prepared to make an offer for him.
“The Pistons inquired about trading for Kawhi Leonard and Kevin Durant this offseason, according to league sources, and were positioned to offer Austin Reaves a big free agent contract if the Los Angeles Lakers opened the door. None of that materialized,” ESPN’s Vincent Goodwill wrote.
Before Reaves could reach free agency, Los Angeles signed him to a team-friendly deal to keep him with the Lakers.
“Reaves, who originally agreed to a four-year, $185 million extension with a player option on the final season, ended up inking a four-year, $180 million deal, league sources confirmed to ESPN. Reaves' decision, sources told ESPN, will give the Lakers more financial flexibility moving forward," ESPN's Dave McMenamin wrote.
Landing Reaves would have been a huge win for Detroit, pairing him with Cade Cunningham to form a potentially lethal backcourt duo whose skills could complement each other well.
The Pistons showed they were willing to pursue several major targets this summer, and those efforts could continue at the trade deadline and next offseason. Despite missing out on Reaves, Detroit appears prepared to be aggressive as it builds for the future.
