Betrayer

Bagley deal isn’t my favorite. Love everything else Troy has done this summer and it’s only a slight overpay in my eyes, so not terrible or anything. Would feel better if it was a third year team option. My real concern is the logjam of young guys who need development in the front court (Stew, Duren, Bagley). They’re going to try to fit one or two of them at PF but I’m not sure any of them belong at that position in a league where you need to be able to space the floor at PF and guard smalls. I’d rather see Bey or Livers at the 4, but then how do you find minutes for three young guys who need to develop along with a couple of vets (Olynyk, Noel) on top of that? Too many options for Casey to screw up the lineup is a bad thing.

5 minutes from the Finals with a home grown team...nah, let me go join the team that beat us for an easy championship instead. Now he wants to go the #1 seeded Suns. Classic Durant. How many more bridges will he burn before he's done? Between him, Harden, and Kyrie, it was nice having almost all of the players I hate on the Nets for a while. Spreading them out is going to make it harder to root for a team in the playoffs next year.

He was already looking like a train wreck with throwing his mouth guard at a fan and his drug using social media posts. And now this. I'm happy that Weaver has chosen to build a team of good character players that I can enjoy rooting for.

Get your mind prepared for the frustration of Casey's 4th quarter lineups: Cade, CoJo, Burks, Olynyk, Noel 🤣

I wouldn't say "red shirt", but more like an early season buffer for Duren. Noel played 25 games last year due to injury and he's not exactly durable. I expect Duren will be getting 20 mpg per game after the All-Star break. Noel is just a cushion on an expiring deal for the first half of the year while Duren gets acclimated. I'm sure they'll handle it like Beef Stew who was getting inconsistent minutes in the first half of his first season and didn't get his first start until game #48.

Those are both team friendly contracts too. Burks making 10M this year with a team option next year and Noel making 9M this year with a team option next year. So, Weaver grabs a couple of vets, kicks the cap space to next year, and gets 2 draft picks along the way. Well done.

Well, that's interesting. I wanted Noel last year, but now I'm not sure we needed another Center that can't shoot, especially since the word is that we're going to bring back Bagley also. Burks is a nice get. Solid vet who has shot over 40% from three the past three seasons. He goes off on us every time we play him, so maybe he just needed to be in a Piston's uniform. EDIT: Sounds like we're getting 2 second round picks back and not sending any players in return. So, this accounts for about 19M of our cap. In his season ending interview, when Weaver said that Free Agency can be a little tricky so he prefers trades, he clearly wasn't joking.

Honestly, my preference would be to give Livers a shot starting at the 4. Smart role player who can knock down threes, but I doubt Casey goes that young across the board. I'd also be good with sliding Bey over since I thought he was better on both sides of the ball at that position, but that depends upon what you get in free agency. I could see them going after a vets like Bryn Forbes, Gary Harris, and Taurean Prince.

Keep in mind that Jalen is 18 years old - the youngest guy in the draft. I guarantee you that Casey will have him coming off the bench for at least the first half of the year if not more. But, I think he'll start Ivey because dude is going to sell tickets and you can't sit the 5th pick on a developing team. With Cade, Ivey, Bey, and Stewart likely starting, Casey is going to want to insert a vet into the starting unit. Depending upon what happens in free agency, I think that guy will be Kelly Olynyk at PF.

I assumed Jackson was gone. An undersized guy you sign to be a shooter than can't shoot isn't worth much. As for Hami, I'm surprised but not unhappy. I like the exciting chaos that he brings, but he's got to shoot 35% from three with consistency and increase his defensive IQ off the ball, otherwise I don't see him getting many minutes in Casey's rotation. Kid has potential, but I'm not sure if he ever figures it out. Luckily for him we have the time (and money) to wait.

I'm in favor of signing some vets and role players that can shoot to 2 year deals with a 3rd year team option. Keep your flexibility with contracts that can moved or simply released in a couple years while we let this team grow and figure out what we need. I don't see Portis leaving the Bucks. He literally has 20K fans chanting his name every time he plays and they have legitimate title chances. 10 players under contract: Cade, Ivey, Hayes, CoJo, Lee Bey, Livers Stew, Duren, Olynyk Players with Team Options or QOs: Hami, Jackson, Garza, Bagley, and some G-League scrubs (Edwards, Pickett, etc) Realistically, I think Bagley is the only one on that list I try to bring back because he's worth a gamble when you're kicking your cap down the road anyway. Hami is fun, but the team needs shooting and he's been replaced with a version of him that's already better and might actually develop into something. Jackson was signed for shooting, but hasn't been able to shoot except for one anomaly season in his career - so he's just an undersized guard who can't shoot straight.

I think you have to wonder about both Bagley and Hami. I suspect that the Pistons will renounce all of the team options (Hami, Bagley, Jackson, Garza, and Edwards) to maximize cap and then figure it out as the dominoes fall. I think Hami and Jackson are both gone. Hami because we just drafted a better and younger version of him with a higher ceiling and higher IQ. Jackson because we probably want our shooters to actually be able to shoot and I expect them to target someone like Forbes as a replacement. Bagley could be gone as well, but don't forget that Duren is 18 and will take time. Bagley is a young top draft pick, showed promise on the offensive end, and really wanted to be here. If, as reports say, we're not going whale hunting then it doesn't hurt to bring him back on a reasonable deal (2 yrs + 3rd year option) to eat up some of that cap and let him develop to see what you have. If he doesn't work out, no loss. If he does, then you can always flip him for more if Duren comes on strong. I imagine Garza and Edwards are gone.

Strictly speaking about on-court stuff, I'd take Bridges over Ayton because I don't want to max a drop-coverage center and have to watch 30M sit on the bench in the playoffs when teams go 5 out and hunt him on every play. I'm also not happy about reports about his lack of work ethic and softness. Bridges is a way better player for this era and this team. However, I have off-court concerns with him as well and don't necessarily want him in this young locker room. But, it doesn't matter anyway because Charlotte is trying to shed cap to make sure they can match him, so I doubt he's going anywhere. Also, JEIII is reporting that with the success of this draft the organization is more likely to go after vets and let this young core develop. He mentioned guys like Bryn Forbes in his podcast last night. A little small for my liking, but he can shoot. How much is Bruce Brown going to cost now that he sort of broke out in the playoffs? The kid shot 40% from three last year and we already know he's a dog on defense. Hayes and Brown as the backcourt bench unit is shades of Mike James and Lindsey Hunter. Offense is fun, but defense travels. Might be a good way to kick your cap space down the road with a 2 year deal plus a 3rd year team option. Then again, he may not be happy with us for trading him and he may want 3-4 years at 14-16M (and to be a starter) which is a bit too much for him in my opinion.

I hope the Nets don't play ball. For once I want one of these teams to just say no when a "star" demands a trade and gives a list of teams. It's gotten out of hand.

Everything I've seen has the Pistons winning the draft and getting an A. What a masterclass in GM work by Weaver over the past few days/weeks. That Grant trade turned out to be: A 2022 lotto pick (#13 - Duren) Move up 10 spots in the 2022 second round 2 future 2nd round picks 20M in cap which they haven't even spent yet (Kemba is getting bought out) Here's Weaver: Givony calls it a "Homerun": Sam Vecenie and his livecast partner "love the fit" with Cade and Ivey. I timestamped this on the DET pick but if you back it up a little you get a little more when they talk about the SAC pick: And just for fun, RIP Hamilton's reaction:

https://youtu.be/sY1x3utsPIw

JEIII saying now that he thinks the Pistons might not go after Ayton after the wild success of the draft. Weaver didn’t think Ivey would fall to them and expected Duren to go higher. May just sign some vets. I’m cool with that. Let this core grow before you blow your cash on long term max deals.

He posted a pic of himself sipping some Lean (codeine). Of course he later said it was pink lemonade.

I’m not interested in Bridges. Sure, Ayton has work ethic issues (according to reports), but Bridges has drug issues.

Duren will definitely take a few years. He’s one of the youngest players in this draft. People like to compare Stewart to Ben Wallace (poor comparison) but Duren might actually be a better comparison to Ben with his length, strength, and athleticism.

I don’t think it rules out Ayton. In fact maybe the opposite. They have to feel like they have their drafted young core now so it’s ok to go spend (or overspend) on a player to put around them. And who knows, maybe Phoenix wanted Stewart as part of the sign and trade. So that could be part of the motivation.

Except that Ivey shot 36% from three last year and according to Vecenie the year before when he shot poorly was the anomaly since he shot well from three in high school also (40 percent in his final three years).

Please please please. If we got Duren and Ivey we won the draft and fixed our athleticism issue.

Get on the phones, Troy!

We would go from draft winners to the laughing stock if we move Ivey after he fell to us for a center.