Pistons related Free Agency Thread

Crymson · Post #601 » by **Crymson** » Mon Sep 15, 2025 4:50 am

I'm seeing some major misconceptions in this thread about where Simmons stands as a player. Simmons is a broken shell of his former self thanks to his injuries. Even if he tries hard -- that's a big "if" -- he does not have much to offer anymore. He is certainly not "a great playmaker," nor can he attack the rim with anywhere even near the level of effectiveness he used to during the regular season. And for what it's worth, he'd be yet another non-shooter on a team that arguably has too many already.

He's also got a terrible attitude and has never cared about being his best self in the NBA. No thanks to having that in the locker room.

NYPiston · Post #602 » by **NYPiston** » Mon Sep 15, 2025 12:09 pm

A_dub06 wrote:In the event we do get Beasley on a contract around $6-7m once the investigation is finished, am I completely high to ponder whether we should be interested in signing Ben Simmons to a minimum contract for pg and defensive depth?
.

Yes

Invictus88 · Post #603 » by **Invictus88** » Mon Sep 15, 2025 3:09 pm

NYPiston wrote:
A_dub06 wrote:In the event we do get Beasley on a contract around $6-7m once the investigation is finished, am I completely high to ponder whether we should be interested in signing Ben Simmons to a minimum contract for pg and defensive depth?
.

Yes

Agreed. The guy doesn't like playing basketball and has buckets of cash. Neither party should want this to ever happen.

Edit: I just scanned backwards in this thread and now see this was more than just idle pondering or an offhand comment. A_dub06 is this really the hill you want to die on?

Uncle Mxy · Post #604 » by **Uncle Mxy** » Mon Sep 15, 2025 6:50 pm

Ben Simmons is subtraction by addition.

MortSahlfan · Post #605 » by **MortSahlfan** » Thu Sep 18, 2025 2:31 am

If we re-sign Beasley, he can guard the 1s and play the 2 on offense while Levert guards 2's and plays the 1.. And Ivey/Cade will have most of their minutes staggered.

chrbal · Post #606 » by **chrbal** » Thu Sep 18, 2025 10:19 pm

https://bvmsports.com/2025/09/18/pistons-sign-four-players-to-camp-deals/

Basically we just brought in 4 players to potentially join the Cruise

Kilo · Post #607 » by **Kilo** » Fri Sep 19, 2025 12:12 pm

Never addressed back up 4. So going to be a growing pain season for Ron Holland. He has the mentality to take his lumps as an undersized PF to use as motivation to get bigger.

Pistons will be in a bit of trouble if Harris goes down for any length of time.

bstein14 · Post #608 » by **bstein14** » Fri Sep 19, 2025 3:43 pm

Kilo wrote:Never addressed back up 4. So going to be a growing pain season for Ron Holland. He has the mentality to take his lumps as an undersized PF to use as motivation to get bigger.

Pistons will be in a bit of trouble if Harris goes down for any length of time.

The fact that we gave Paul Reed a more than minimum deal could mean he's the 10th guy in a 9 man rotation.

C: Duren / Stew / Klintman
F: Tobias / Reed
F: Ausar / Holland / Green
G: Ivey / Robinson / Lanier
G: Cade / LeVert / Sasser

We've got 14 under contract.

Starting Five:

Cade + Ivey + Ausar + Tobias + Duren

Bench Rotation (6 - 9)
Stew + Holland + Duncan Robinson + LeVert

End of bench (10-14)
Reed (10)
Sasser (11)
Green (12)
Klintman (13)
Lanier (14)

Uncle Mxy · Post #609 » by **Uncle Mxy** » Fri Sep 19, 2025 4:13 pm

chrbal wrote:https://bvmsports.com/2025/09/18/pistons-sign-four-players-to-camp-deals/

Basically we just brought in 4 players to potentially join the Cruise

We already waived one of them. I'm guessing John Ukomadu got a better offer.

whitehops · Post #610 » by **whitehops** » Fri Sep 19, 2025 6:34 pm

bstein14 wrote:
Kilo wrote:Never addressed back up 4. So going to be a growing pain season for Ron Holland. He has the mentality to take his lumps as an undersized PF to use as motivation to get bigger.

Pistons will be in a bit of trouble if Harris goes down for any length of time.

The fact that we gave Paul Reed a more than minimum deal could mean he's the 10th guy in a 9 man rotation.

i think the pistons are leaning into having 4 true perimeter defenders in all of their lineups and only one center (similar to OKC when chet or hartenstein sat). OKC's most used lineup in the regular season was hartenstein with dort, SGA, wallace and jalen williams (the last four all being 6'6 or shorter). for that to work having a capable 3rd center in case either duren or stew get injured is pretty crucial.

chrbal · Post #611 » by **chrbal** » Fri Sep 19, 2025 9:23 pm

Uncle Mxy wrote:
chrbal wrote:https://bvmsports.com/2025/09/18/pistons-sign-four-players-to-camp-deals/

Basically we just brought in 4 players to potentially join the Cruise

We already waived one of them. I'm guessing John Ukomadu got a better offer.

That could be true, but sometimes it seems like a player will be signed to this type of deal and immediately waived. Like it’s a bonus to join the G league affiliate

Crymson · Post #612 » by **Crymson** » Sat Sep 20, 2025 4:37 am

Uncle Mxy wrote:We already waived one of them. I'm guessing John Ukomadu got a better offer.

He was signed to an Exhibit-10 as a means to land him on the Cruise. In the case of the first four such players a team waives, their rights are secured for the team's G-League affiliates, and the team can offer them a bonus of up to $75K to sign with the affiliate rather than go play in another league.

bstein14 wrote:The fact that we gave Paul Reed a more than minimum deal could mean he's the 10th guy in a 9 man rotation.

He was signed with Bird rights and has a non-guaranteed second year. Maybe it was recompense for the money they lost him last season, maybe it was toward the end of having more salary to use in a trade, maybe both, maybe neither. Either way, he can't play PF and he won't ever be worth fielding there.

Uncle Mxy · Post #613 » by **Uncle Mxy** » Thu Sep 25, 2025 4:28 pm

I didn't realize that one-and-done meant "one day and done".

One day: Quincy Olivari signed
Next day: Quincy Olivari waived

Crymson · Post #614 » by **Crymson** » Sun Oct 5, 2025 5:13 pm

Uncle Mxy wrote:I didn't realize that one-and-done meant "one day and done".
One day: Quincy Olivari signed
Next day: Quincy Olivari waived

He was signed solely for the purpose of waiving him, which secured his G-League rights for the Cruise and made him eligible for the signing bonus.

the_l_train · Post #615 » by **the_l_train** » Wed Oct 8, 2025 3:31 pm

To backfill Shroeder, we either need to fully give the keys to either Sasser or Jenkins, or go out and make a move ASAP. Ivey is too turnover prone to do this staggering minutes game again.

Mavericks just signed him, but Dalano Banton should be the target. Per the wiretap, "Mavs likely won't have a roster spot for Banton, but they will retain his G league rights." --- doubt it would take much to go get him, and although he cannot shoot, he can get to the basket and score at will. Would also be nice to have a lengthy 6 foot 8 guard as injury insurance.

Kilo · Post #616 » by **Kilo** » Wed Oct 8, 2025 4:53 pm

Ivey will be given every opportunity early to sink or swim - TL wants to see what he is and what Detroit has. This is a developmental year ultimately still, which is why no hlbig moves were made in thenoff season and flexibility was kept. TL doesn't see this team as any sort of contender - see what he has this year and make the move and splash to try and contend after this TDL and off-season.

Try to win with what we have this season but not trying to contend. If this team shows it can't win, then it will never contend in coming years and changes will be made to the core.

This is Cade's team and Ivey needs to make himself a fit on it.

MortSahlfan · Post #617 » by **MortSahlfan** » Wed Oct 8, 2025 5:50 pm

With all the injuries and gradual growth, it can't be "contend or bust"... We were the worst team in history and then almost beat the Knicks with bad calls and injuries. And we need to get to the 2nd round this year at least.

Ivey doesn't fit. Just watch games before/after he went down. And we can actually get someone back if we trade him... I rather spend cap space money on a guy who is an All-Star.. Already proven. And then I want money for Ausar, Ron, and maybe Duren. We need a backup pg and a backup 4.

VicVinegar · Post #618 » by **VicVinegar** » Wed Oct 8, 2025 8:30 pm

MortSahlfan wrote:With all the injuries and gradual growth, it can't be "contend or bust"... We were the worst team in history and then almost beat the Knicks with bad calls and injuries. And we need to get to the 2nd round this year at least.

Ivey doesn't fit. Just watch games before/after he went down. And we can actually get someone back if we trade him... I rather spend cap space money on a guy who is an All-Star.. Already proven. And then I want money for Ausar, Ron, and maybe Duren. We need a backup pg and a backup 4.

Maybe Ivey isn't the guy, maybe he is. But I'm putting zero stock in "watch games before and after he went down". His injury also coincided with Ausar ramping back up (only played 12 games, averaging 17.5 minutes a game before Ivey injury) and I think that also played a huge factor in the Pistons' second half surge.

I also don't really care what Ivey looks like the first 30 games back, as he needs to ramp up as well. Let's see how all 5 play together when healthy and we'll go from there. If he isn't a fit, we move on, simple as that. But I'm going to hold off judgment for now, especially since these guys have shown they can improve. Cade went from "not worth a max contract" to "Top 20 player in the league" in the span of one season. Duren went from "get this bum out of here ASAP" to "Yeah, I actually hope we can extend him!" in a matter of months.

MortSahlfan · Post #619 » by **MortSahlfan** » Wed Oct 8, 2025 9:00 pm

VicVinegar wrote:
MortSahlfan wrote:Duren went from "get this bum out of here ASAP" to "Yeah, I actually hope we can extend him!" in a matter of months.

He admitted right after a game during an on-court interview how he was "started the season on some soft $hit" but I'm sure he (and Ivey) were playing for a contract/stats. Both of their defense is bad. They hurt other guys' stats because the two are horrible during pick n roll (most of offenses) and the recovery guy is technically guarding him and get the bad (but not fair) stat.

zeebneeb · Post #620 » by **zeebneeb** » Wed Oct 8, 2025 9:23 pm

MortSahlfan wrote:
VicVinegar wrote:
MortSahlfan wrote:Duren went from "get this bum out of here ASAP" to "Yeah, I actually hope we can extend him!" in a matter of months.

He admitted right after a game during an on-court interview how he was "On some soft $hit" but I'm sure he (and Ivey) were playing for a contract/stats. Both of their defense is bad. They hurt other guys' stats because the two are horrible during pick n roll (most of offenses) and the recovery guy is technically guarding him and get the bad (but not fair) stat.

All of these players are extremely young, and for how "bad" of defenders Duren/Ivey supposedly are, the Pistons had a top ten defense last season, even with their poor start.

I have stated this for years, and years now, but not until a players 5th year, can you fully judge them as players. Some you can tell, right off the bat obviously, depending on expectations, but others take time.

I've also stated, in a separate thread, that I don't expect Ivey to hit his stride until around mid-december,(around 25 games) and it may be even longer until he rounds back into game shape. He hasn't played 5 on 5 in 10 months.

Also, Ausar got back into game shape, almost exactly when Ivey went down. Ausar has a massive impact on the whole team, and Cade aside, is the most important Piston on the floor. Context matters.