Pistons Off-Season

[Snakebites]

Yep.

Another reason why I'm baffled the Griffin trade still has scant defenders. This is by a very wide margin the worst financial situation the Pistons have ever been in.

Thanks SVG.

[Canadafan]

How much do we have to spend in fa? Can’t imagine Trey Burke getting too big of a deal from anyone if Lou Williams only got 8 per year

We have next to nothing unless we trade someone.

Luxury tax has become a factor thanks to Blake Griffin and years of overpays to sub replacement level players.

Don’t we have the MLE? And if so how much is that?

Gores will allow the new GM to use it. We could concievably get an Isaiah Thomas or Tyreke Evans with that $8.3mil.
And then the new GM will need to find a home for Galloway or Ish or Leuer before the luxury tax kicks in. Without giving up assets. Ish being the likely guy since he's expiring and we'd have RJ and Thomas for point guard spot.
I know this is not likely, and also i realize not a popular move, or the right move in most peoples eyes but if we use the full MLE then how much do we have to cut in salary to stay under the tax? Is getting rid of Ish enough?

[DCintheD]

LG, Leuer, 2018 2nd for Carroll

[Crymson]

Gores will allow the new GM to use it. We could concievably get an Isaiah Thomas or Tyreke Evans with that $8.3mil.
And then the new GM will need to find a home for Galloway or Ish or Leuer before the luxury tax kicks in. Without giving up assets. Ish being the likely guy since he's expiring and we'd have RJ and Thomas for point guard spot.
I know this is not likely, and also i realize not a popular move, or the right move in most peoples eyes but if we use the full MLE then how much do we have to cut in salary to stay under the tax? Is getting rid of Ish enough?

Sure, if we sign nobody else and are willing to lose our backup point guard. This'll also mean that we did not re-sign anyone or find ourselves a viable backup center. Using any more than $5.6m of the MLE will hard-cap the Pistons at the Apron; should they spend the full MLE, they'll be very close to that hard cap. It cannot be exceeded under any circumstances, so that will be that.

Simply put, our situation is trash thanks to the Griffin trade. It was bad before the trade thanks to Van Gundy's mismanagement, but now it's horrendous. Zero forethought or basketball sense went into this trade. I know I keep reiterating this, but that's because a lot of people still don't seem to realize it: there were no merits to this trade. Beyond the infantile and meaningless end of obtaining a big name, it had zero justification and a plethora of reasons why it was a terrible idea from the very moment the idea was conceived. There are those who believe that because it was made, because basketball professionals made it, the trade must have made sense. It didn't. Not in the tiniest sense.

Isaiah Thomas won't be coming here to play backup, nor should we want him. He's the kind of player who cannot afford to lose even half a step. He must be hyper-efficient on offense in order to make up for his inherent defensive shortcomings. What we saw last season was Isaiah Thomas short half a step due to his surgery. It'd be a big risk, and he won't bite anyhow.

[Crymson]

LG, Leuer, 2018 2nd for Carroll

The Nets have no compelling reason to ameliorate Detroit's problems. They'll be taking on two bad players and more salary than they'll be sending out. They're currently bad enough to tank if they so desire, but good enough that they're no longer a total laughingstock. That's a fine position for them to be in, and it's certainly not one that necessitates making another awful trade; goodness knows the organization has made a few too many of those in the past decade.

[Canadafan]

Got a question kids. Multiple questions actually
If(IF) we were to sign Tyreke Evans to the full MLE. That puts us over the luxury tax. So....
#1-how does the tax work? Do we have time to cut salary before next July1st? Or is it too late once the season starts? What's the time frame on that?
#2-Whats his best position? Basically a shooting guard that kinda plays more like a PG? Can he play SF?

As ridiculous as this may sound, I think we could then get away with having Galloway as our backup PG. Just needed for defense and shooting. Tyreke and Blake would be the main ball handlers in that situation. I also think we could easily trade Ish for cap savings either before or after using our MLE. Depending on the time frame for luxury tax implications.

[thesack12]

The most realistic offseason is probably going to be guaranteeing Moreland and Buycks cheap contracts, and flirt with Tolliver and Ennis to see if either can be re-signed while staying under the tax.

I could possibly see Detroit outright buying a 2nd round draft pick for cash, which would probably be the most exciting move the team would make this summer, realistically speaking.

[The Penguin]

KCP might be in MLE territory given the lack of teams with cap space...

[coordinator0]

Got a question kids. Multiple questions actually
If(IF) we were to sign Tyreke Evans to the full MLE. That puts us over the luxury tax. So....
#1-how does the tax work? Do we have time to cut salary before next July1st? Or is it too late once the season starts? What's the time frame on that?
#2-Whats his best position? Basically a shooting guard that kinda plays more like a PG? Can he play SF?

As ridiculous as this may sound, I think we could then get away with having Galloway as our backup PG. Just needed for defense and shooting. Tyreke and Blake would be the main ball handlers in that situation. I also think we could easily trade Ish for cap savings either before or after using our MLE. Depending on the time frame for luxury tax implications.

To avoid paying the tax a team has to be under the threshold by the last game of the season. So for example if the Pistons went over the threshold by using the full MLE this summer they would have until sometime in April of 2019 to get under it. Or, more likely, by the trade deadline next season since that's the last time significant salary moves can be made.

Detroit would be dumb to put themselves into that position though. The only guys they have that they could shed salary and not give anything up in return are those they should keep. Bullock and the younger players pretty much. So even if the Pistons had time they would still have to give up an asset to get under the tax later down the line.

And for what it's worth Evans is more like a wing than anything else. Big guard, average three (these days).

[Snakebites]

Yeah. If teams know they have us over a barrel in terms of needing to get under the LT we’re gonna get taken to the cleaners. You don’t go over the threshold unless you’re willing to pay the tax, which we shouldn’t be.

[Southern Piston]

I think we need to continue the course, get some more youth, but also win now. I want to trade laur,galloway, and Ish for Joaki m Noah, Frank Nkiti...., And Trey Burke, this way if Reggie goes down, we got Burke, the hometown hero to get his chance on a c contract yr. Nkiti.... Can guard 1-3 very well, Casey likes to play 2 pg s anyway, this gives him more options, it Noah didn't want bought out and free us up 20 million dollars, than were stuck with him until we do, but he's good for 12 min and could be good mentorsbip, he was a near MVP for a good 3 yrs.

[Kilo]

I think Gores HAS to pay the tax this year. No way to build any excitement for the team otherwise - Come watch Casey coach the same team!!1!

I mean this could be a year where Casey gets to see what he has here and how it fits BUT that ain't selling tickets. And Gores wanted asses in the seats so bad he traded for Blake Griffin.

Stefanski has said that there is no money and we're capped out from the first wave - does that mean no early full MLE offers, or does that mean waiting for the greater than MLE contracts to be dolled out and then offering full MLE money when the remaining FA pool accepts the fact that is all there is left in the market. He sounds like he's tight with the purse and wants to get a Tyreke Evans type deal late in FA as our only off-season add.

Looking at our roster - it would be a good year to see what Ellenson, Johnson and Kennard are under Casey and his staff. A sober second look before writing off at least two of the three.

[Kilo]

Has decisions been made on Moreland and Buycks non-guaranteed deals? Buycks has experience with Casey for a season in Toronto. Moreland is cheap as hell and should be kept around as the 5th bigman rather than wasting a pick on the position. We basically have Dre as center and then three PF/Ce types in Griff, Leuer and Ellenson, and need a 5th out of rotation big in case of injury.

[thesack12]

Has decisions been made on Moreland and Buycks non-guaranteed deals? Buycks has experience with Casey for a season in Toronto. Moreland is cheap as hell and should be kept around as the 5th bigman rather than wasting a pick on the position. We basically have Dre as center and then three PF/Ce types in Griff, Leuer and Ellenson, and need a 5th out of rotation big in case of injury.

I don't think any decision has been made on team options for player contracts. I think the priority right now is filling out the front office and coaching staffs.

I know I'm higher on Moreland, than the vast majority so to me its a no-brainer to guarantee his contract. A high energy defensive minded player who rebounds well has use/value with this roster.

I do like Buycks as the 3rd PG. Will be hard pressed to find anybody better to fill that role for the kind of money he would be making.

In my opinion, it doesn't make much sense for a team in the current position to push past the luxury tax zone. I really think the best course of action to fill out the roster is buy an additional 2nd rounder for cash and hope either of the two incoming second rounders will be the next 2nd round lottery ticket jackpot in the mold of Draymond Green, Michael Redd, Malcolm Brogdon, Nikola Jokic, Marc Gasol, etc.

[Canadafan]

I think Gores HAS to pay the tax this year. No way to build any excitement for the team otherwise - Come watch Casey coach the same team!!1!

I mean this could be a year where Casey gets to see what he has here and how it fits BUT that ain't selling tickets. And Gores wanted asses in the seats so bad he traded for Blake Griffin.

Stefanski has said that there is no money and we're capped out from the first wave - does that mean no early full MLE offers, or does that mean waiting for the greater than MLE contracts to be dolled out and then offering full MLE money when the remaining FA pool accepts the fact that is all there is left in the market. He sounds like he's tight with the purse and wants to get a Tyreke Evans type deal late in FA as our only off-season add.

I think Gores will use it. And I really see Evans being a high probability due to his relationship with Tellem. Unless someone offers him more money. Dealing Ish for a 2nd rounder allows us to stay under tax. Or maybe some idiot takes Galloway off our hands for free
Either way Tyreke is a big upgrade over those guys and gives us a legit starting wing. Bullock, SJ and Luke can fight over the other spot

[Kilo]

Stefanski was also in Memphis when Evans was signed there as well.

[Kilo]

How much would it cost us to dump Ish Smith for a TPE? Could we trade Ish and our Second to a team with cap space? We're $5M under the tax, dumping Ish would make us 11M under, allow us to use the full MLE on a combo guard and have 3-4M in wiggle room.

[Snakebites]

Stefanski is telling some crazy lies if we're actually willing to pay the tax.

Not saying that's impossible, but definitely saying the position that we'll use the MLE does require ignoring what's been directly stated.

[Kilo]

Strategically it makes sense to lie if we were willing and expecting to spend the full MLE. First wave free agents are the max and more than MLE players anyways. Anybody signing for the MLE in the first wave is likely getting overpaid.

Realistically our salary structure says we shouldn't spend the MLE as our roster currently stands - sit out free agency this season with the idea Casey gets a year to gauge the team and players while also lopping a year off the current salaries here to have Ish walk and have Leuer, Galloway and even Jackson more tradeable with one less year remaining/owing.

MLE has to be a rotation player if not a starter. Ish is getting paid $6M, you don't make him third string. Kennard, Johnson, Bullock, Dre, Griff, Leuer round out our 8-man rotation. Leuer, Galloway are sunk costs at this point, but better to play them to maybe show some value as trade assets.

[The Penguin]

If the Clippers land Kawhi for Tobias and our 1st round pick, that will be my breaking point as a Pistons fan.