PF targets

[Mr Peanut]

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Not the sexiest signing but Jake LaRavia would be a good pickup as our backup PF. Can defend and shoot the three ball.

What's with the obsession with undersized PF? Pistons are too small as it is. Pistons should only consider PF who can complement Duren and Stew.

No obsessions, just an idea based on information that has been reported. He's 6 foot 8 so is the same height as the two players that made up our PF rotation this season (Harris and Fontecchio). This is also a league that is forever trending towards increasing pace and space so having a smaller more agile PF is often a better option.

He complements Duren and Stewart well as he plays defense (where Duren is lacking) and can shoot from three (where both Duren and more recently Stew are lacking).

If you have a taller PF in mind who complements our Cs and is realistically attainable I would love to hear it.

[Mr Peanut]

He already mentioned us as being on his radar. There has to be a reason why we are on his list.

It's presumably because he himself sees it as a potential destination where he could get minutes. I doubt he's got an open line into the front office's plans, and I doubt they'd risk tampering penalties for a player of his quality.

No need to call the minutes police yet, off-season just getting started.

Sadly, there are no siren emojis here.

He would presumably be a straight swap for Fontecchio who we could hopefully dump somewhere (would likely require a second round pick to go with him).

I get that there's only a certain amount of minutes to go around, but at this stage of their respective careers he is a better player than Ron Holland and would likely get the backup PF mins alongside Stew in a 9 man rotation. If it's being suggested that Ausar and Holland have the backup forward minutes covered then our bench lineup is Stewart/Ausar/Holland/Beasley/Schroder which isn't viable from a spacing perspective.

Then of course injuries happen - Ausar missed the first 20 or so games of this season and Ivey missed the last 50. It is inevitable that we will have at least one rotation player go down for a reasonable period of time, and potentially several players for shorter periods. Then the added depth is helpful.

[Canadafan]

^^ya i think once the playoffs hit u go with the shorter rotation. Like how we cut out Fontecchio and went with 9 guys, with Reed and Holland playing sparingly.
10 deep during the season is good, keeps guys fresh and protects against injury.
We wouldn't want to be like thibodeau and go 7deep during the season

[the_l_train]

Not a PF, but curious if you guys would rather keep THJ or replace him with Sam Hauser.

Figure Hauser is your stereotypical white guy who can make 3's and do nothing else.

A new age Judd Buechler for you old heads. Haven't watched enough of Sam to know if he is a better defender than THJ. I know Boston is trying to clear salary and I've seen him mentioned in a few articles.

[Crymson]

He would presumably be a straight swap for Fontecchio who we could hopefully dump somewhere (would likely require a second round pick to go with him).

Fontecchio is likely to be on the outside of the rotation himself.

I get that there's only a certain amount of minutes to go around, but at this stage of their respective careers he is a better player than Ron Holland and would likely get the backup PF mins alongside Stew in a 9 man rotation. If it's being suggested that Ausar and Holland have the backup forward minutes covered then our bench lineup is Stewart/Ausar/Holland/Beasley/Schroder which isn't viable from a spacing perspective.

The Pistons didn't draft Holland to let him rot outside of the rotation for the sake of a player like Jake LaRavia. We also don't know whether or not Holland or Ausar will be able to shoot next season. And notwithstanding what Lord Voldemort did two seasons ago, full bench units are not a common sight on the floor.

Stew is hugely unlikely to play at PF ever again.

Then of course injuries happen - Ausar missed the first 20 or so games of this season and Ivey missed the last 50. It is inevitable that we will have at least one rotation player go down for a reasonable period of time, and potentially several players for shorter periods. Then the added depth is helpful.

That's true, but players need to want to come here, and the average desirable player will not in lieu of guaranteed minutes. LaRavia would have much more to potentially gain by signing for the minimum with a shallower team.

[Kalamazoo317]

Not a PF, but curious if you guys would rather keep THJ or replace him with Sam Hauser.

Figure Hauser is your stereotypical white guy who can make 3's and do nothing else.

A new age Judd Buechler for you old heads. Haven't watched enough of Sam to know if he is a better defender than THJ. I know Boston is trying to clear salary and I've seen him mentioned in a few articles.

Ultimately depends on price. Not sure we'll be able to get either financially. If all other things (cost) are even, though, I'd go for continuity and bring back THJ.

[Crymson]

Not a PF, but curious if you guys would rather keep THJ or replace him with Sam Hauser.

Figure Hauser is your stereotypical white guy who can make 3's and do nothing else.

A new age Judd Buechler for you old heads. Haven't watched enough of Sam to know if he is a better defender than THJ. I know Boston is trying to clear salary and I've seen him mentioned in a few articles.

Hauser played primarily PF for the Celtics this season.

I'm all for him as rotation member #10. He's cheap, and Fontecchio would presumably go the other way.

THJ won't be back unless he's willing to be a depth player or Beasley is gone.

[the_l_train]

Then of course injuries happen - Ausar missed the first 20 or so games of this season and Ivey missed the last 50. It is inevitable that we will have at least one rotation player go down for a reasonable period of time, and potentially several players for shorter periods. Then the added depth is helpful.

That's true, but players need to want to come here, and the average desirable player will not in lieu of guaranteed minutes. LaRavia would have much more to potentially gain by signing for the minimum with a shallower team.

Again, Laravia explicitly said we are on his wish-list of teams he wants to go to........Doesn't mean he is on Trajans list.

If it was just a money or minutes thing, Nets would be on the list. Looking at our long-term pieces, there is more than enough room for a young guy with a skillset like Laravia. You gotta see the forest through the trees.

[Crymson]

If it was just a money or minutes thing, Nets would be on the list.

I don't think he intended his list to be exhaustive. It's not as if he's a player who's going to have his pick of destinations.

Looking at our long-term pieces, there is more than enough room for a young guy with a skillset like Laravia. You gotta see the forest through the trees.

What forest? How are you going to find room for him next season without letting go of a more important player somewhere else?

[the_l_train]

If it was just a money or minutes thing, Nets would be on the list.

I don't think he intended his list to be exhaustive. It's not as if he's a player who's going to have his pick of destinations.

Looking at our long-term pieces, there is more than enough room for a young guy with a skillset like Laravia. You gotta see the forest through the trees.

What forest? How are you going to find room for him next season without letting go of a more important player somewhere else?

The forest is the long term vision of the team.....The trees are all the guys that you think will still be on the roster ahead of him next year based on the roster construction as of RIGHT NOW....Too many question marks on June 4th and the season not even over yet. We might be wheeling and dealing in a month from now, with plenty of room for him.

Tobias is old. Fontecchio is old. Ausar may not even be a PF long term. Therefore, he could pave the way for minutes at the 4 spot.

[catari11]

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Not the sexiest signing but Jake LaRavia would be a good pickup as our backup PF. Can defend and shoot the three ball.

What's with the obsession with undersized PF? Pistons are too small as it is. Pistons should only consider PF who can complement Duren and Stew.

No obsessions, just an idea based on information that has been reported. He's 6 foot 8 so is the same height as the two players that made up our PF rotation this season (Harris and Fontecchio). This is also a league that is forever trending towards increasing pace and space so having a smaller more agile PF is often a better option.

He complements Duren and Stewart well as he plays defense (where Duren is lacking) and can shoot from three (where both Duren and more recently Stew are lacking).

If you have a taller PF in mind who complements our Cs and is realistically attainable I would love to hear it.

Granted there are few readily identifiable options. But one that folks have mentioned numerous times is Michael Porter. Denver may be compelled to break up their core. He would fit nicely on the Pistons.

[the_l_train]

What's with the obsession with undersized PF? Pistons are too small as it is. Pistons should only consider PF who can complement Duren and Stew.

No obsessions, just an idea based on information that has been reported. He's 6 foot 8 so is the same height as the two players that made up our PF rotation this season (Harris and Fontecchio). This is also a league that is forever trending towards increasing pace and space so having a smaller more agile PF is often a better option.

He complements Duren and Stewart well as he plays defense (where Duren is lacking) and can shoot from three (where both Duren and more recently Stew are lacking).

If you have a taller PF in mind who complements our Cs and is realistically attainable I would love to hear it.

Granted there are few readily identifiable options. But one that folks have mentioned numerous times is Michael Porter. Denver may be compelled to break up their core. He would fit nicely on the Pistons.

Porter hurt his value pretty bad in these playoffs...his shoulder injury especially is a huge question mark, and this is a guy notorious for injuries since day 1.

We don't really have the pieces that make sense for the money to match up. I'm sure Denver would take Tobias and stuff for him in a second, but I don't see us moving Tobias unless its for a more sure-fire replacement.

On paper, Porter would be a great fit for the type of shooter/scorer we need --- like a younger taller THJ...but he doesn't offer anything beyond streaky shooting unfortunately.

[Crymson]

Granted there are few readily identifiable options. But one that folks have mentioned numerous times is Michael Porter. Denver may be compelled to break up their core. He would fit nicely on the Pistons.

MPJ is no good. He's hugely one-dimensional on offense, he's best kept to as narrow a role as possible given that things go wrong when he tries to do anything for himself, he's a bad passer, he often doesn't care too much about defense, he's got a poor motor, he's extremely overpaid, and he's in the absolute best situation for him alongside Jokic right now and is likely to be worse anyplace else.

I don't doubt that the Nuggets would be happy to trade him for Tobias, but there's a reason for that. The Pistons should have no interest, and if Trajan is as big on culture as he seems to be, he will have no interest.

[tmorgan]

MPJ is overpaid and will forever be an injury risk. I wouldn’t take him for free.

If we had an equal amount of bad contracts than ran the same length (2 more years, MPJ has 2/79 left) or longer, sure, maybe. But that’s the beauty of our current situation, our very worst (and currently only) bad contract is Tek’s, and he’s one year for 8.3 mil, probably 3 mil overpaid. Basically nothing. Besides having some interesting young talent, a good coach and a good culture, our extremely clean cap sheet is our best asset. Not gonna jack that all up for 3 & no D Porter Jr.

Keeping things clean while trying to become a contender is the hard part. Not overpaying your young guys before they deserve it, but keeping them happy. Trying to add FAs without creating instant crappy contracts you can’t easily move if need be. Making smart trades to take advantage of incorrect evaluations of players. Keeping the guys you want to keep, but only at price points that make sense. These are the tasks ahead for Langdon, and he’s never been the #1 decision guy on any of this stuff. I’m hopeful he’s a good GM, and his initial moves have been almost uniformly solid or better, but there’s so much ahead.

[LaSheed]

Not a PF, but curious if you guys would rather keep THJ or replace him with Sam Hauser.

Figure Hauser is your stereotypical white guy who can make 3's and do nothing else.

A new age Judd Buechler for you old heads. Haven't watched enough of Sam to know if he is a better defender than THJ. I know Boston is trying to clear salary and I've seen him mentioned in a few articles.

Give me Hauser please. Would be a perfect addition here.

[tmorgan]

If Boston needs to shed salary and wants to give away Hauser, sure. Need to move Tek, but if the combined price is just a couple seconds, I can see it.

He does have a full 4/45 left on his deal, so we’d need to make sure he has a role that makes him worth the money. Boston was giving him a solid 22 mpg, but only 7 shots, over 75% of which were threes. We’ve already shown that we can feed a bomber with Beasley, and I think we can get Hauser his 20+ minutes at the 3 and 4 if we let THJ walk and keep Tobias at about 30 mpg (was 32 last year).

I’m for it.

[the_l_train]

Beasley and Hauser as our gunners off the bench sounds pretty nice. Helps make up for the expected lack of 3 point shooters in the starting lineup.

[LaSheed]

How do I keep forgetting about Jaren Jackson jr? I think I remember Pistons fans not being all that high on him. What's our interest level in JJJ?

[theBigLip]

MPJ is overpaid and will forever be an injury risk. I wouldn’t take him for free.

If we had an equal amount of bad contracts than ran the same length (2 more years, MPJ has 2/79 left) or longer, sure, maybe. But that’s the beauty of our current situation, our very worst (and currently only) bad contract is Tek’s, and he’s one year for 8.3 mil, probably 3 mil overpaid. Basically nothing. Besides having some interesting young talent, a good coach and a good culture, our extremely clean cap sheet is our best asset. Not gonna jack that all up for 3 & no D Porter Jr.

Keeping things clean while trying to become a contender is the hard part. Not overpaying your young guys before they deserve it, but keeping them happy. Trying to add FAs without creating instant crappy contracts you can’t easily move if need be. Making smart trades to take advantage of incorrect evaluations of players. Keeping the guys you want to keep, but only at price points that make sense. These are the tasks ahead for Langdon, and he’s never been the #1 decision guy on any of this stuff. I’m hopeful he’s a good GM, and his initial moves have been almost uniformly solid or better, but there’s so much ahead.

Good post, especially the last paragraph. If we don’t have bad contracts, we will always have flexibility.

[Crymson]

How do I keep forgetting about Jaren Jackson jr? I think I remember Pistons fans not being all that high on him. What's our interest level in JJJ?

I think almost any team would be interested in JJJ, but it's a moot point given that the cost would most likely be prohibitive. They just paid a 1st to dump Smart so that they could extend JJJ at a higher salary in the offseason. They're keeping him unless they get an excellent offer, and the Pistons are in no position to make such an offer.