NotACat wrote:This is such a dumb take. Kyrie was 30 when they traded for him, Lillard is 34 and Lillard is making $55M and $58M for the next two seasons.
It would be idiotic for the Pistons to tank their cap flexibility for Lillard.
My take isn't dumb, and I will prove to you why it isn't dumb.
Now, you may disagree with the direction for which Lillard is for the Detroit Pistons. However, my first argument would be that Detroit added older talent around Cade this year, which worked better than anyone expected.
My second is Lillard isn't tanking their flexibility.
Lillard for Harris + Fontecchio + 1st works for Detroit salary-wise.
All of a sudden, Detroit has a handful of youthful pieces (Cade, Duren, Ausar, Sasser, Ivey, Holland Jr, Stewart), which is their future core (similar to OKC), but adds an All-Star level Veteran (Top 30 player in Lillard).
Detroit must find a way to get over the cap and utilize the MLE. Otherwise, Detroit adds someone else to the Lillard deal and operates over the cap before acquiring Lillard (Maybe they add Ivey instead of a 1st).
Even WITH Lillard, the Pistons would be well below the Salary Cap in 2026-2027. They can offer Lillard a Holiday or Gobert-like contract, lowering his Player Option Salary from 2026 to 2027 to give him a few extra years.
Acquiring Lillard doesn't impede their future salary constraints in any significant capacity. Lillard is set to expire after 2026-2027, while Ausar, Stewart, and Holland are all under contract through at least 2026-2027. Duren is the only extension, but if he is truly worth a Max, then Detroit doesn't have a problem since Duren is an all-star big man paired with Cade and just entering his prime, and if he isn't worth a Max then Detroit isn't sniffing the Tax Line.