I figured the dreadful '08-'09 season would be rock bottom. Little did I know that lack of chemistry, injuries, inconsistent coaching, and poor work ethic would place the Pistons in the lottery once again. With little cap space and no true building block, the Pistons' future is bleak. How bleak, you ask?
The salary cap for this season was $57.7 million. It's possible the NBA may lower the cap, but my guess is that it will stay the same or increase slightly. Let's assume next year's cap to be a cool $58million. The Pistons already committed $51.4million of next season's cap to players currently on the roster. Here's how it breaks down:
Rip: $12.6M
Tayshaun: $11.1M
BG: $10.8M
Charlie V: $7M
Maxiell: $5M
Wilcox: $3M*
Stuckey: $2.8M
Daye: $1.8M
Jerebko: $0.8M
*Wilcox may opt out of that money. I can only see him opting out if he believes he'll get more money or playing time elsewhere. I can't imagine he's happy sitting on the bench for a horrible team. So, it's possible he'd leave. But who can turn down $3million? If he does opt out, Dumars would do cartwheels.
With $51.4million already tied up, the Pistons only have $6.6million to offer a free agent. That basically puts them on par with every other team in the NBA. Even a team that's over the cap can offer a $6million contract to a free agent under the Mid-Level Exemption (MLE). So, yeah, the Pistons will not be seeing any significant free agent signings this year.
What about freeing up some money via trade? I posted a few days ago on "Stock Watch" that the best combination of talent and tradeable salary is Stuckey or Prince. Yet, the bad news continues to pile up on the Pistons as Stuckey's recent unexplained seizures basically make him untradeable. Prince, of course, is coming off a back injury himself, but he's the most likely to attract a buyer. If Dumars trades Prince simply for cap-space, he'll open up $17.7million to throw at a free agent. That may just be enough to land a Chris Bosh-level talent. But why would Bosh come to Detroit when he can equal money at a team with more potential (Knicks, Nets)?
This past month has told me that Prince is part of the solution, not the problem. Unless a great deal comes Dumars way, he should keep Prince. The only hope for this team is for these four things to happen:
1. Stay healthy
2. Draft a solid big man ready to contribute
3. Re-sign Ben Wallace
4. Develop that mysterious thing called chemistry
Number 1 on that list almost never happens. Most teams deal with injuries. The Pistons just have to hope that the injuries do not linger and they don't affect key people. Number 2 is a possibility. There are a handful of potentially great big men in this year's draft. Unless they get lucky, the Pistons will be drafting number 7. DeMarcus Cousins, Derrick Favors, or Greg Monroe would be available. They're all unknowns but possible contributors.
As for Ben Wallace, he'll likely be willing to come back, but his resurgence will surely tempt many other suitors. Will Ben want to return to another lottery-bound Piston team? Or will he pursue another championship? My guess is that he'd prefer to pursue a championship. So the Pistons better hope that the Clevelands, Lakers, and Hawks of the world don't come calling.
As for chemistry, well... staying healthy will help. A year of playing together will help. Perhaps a coaching change will help. Ben Gordon and Rip Hamilton may never fit on the same team, but they've got no other choice. The way this team was built, I just don't see much potential for change. Too many 2-guards. Too many undersized 4s. And, I hate to say it, they've got no star. The Pistons won during the 00s without a superstar scorer, but those days are long gone. The quickest route to relevance is on the back of a Kevin Durant or a Brandon Roy. The Pistons have nobody even close to that level. We all hoped Stuckey would ascend to greatness, but I don't see that happening.
So, yeah, the future is pretty damn bleak. The team's best hope is to land that first or second pick this year. Draft another guard (Wall or Turner) and do some housecleaning.
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