Grading Every Detroit Pistons Move This Offseason So Far

So much of Detroit's most important moves came before the first official day of free agency July 1.

The Pistons timeline has been set. While their youth gives them a much wider window than other teams, the Pistons' timeline for an NBA Finals run has officially begun. After two promising seasons from their young core, the time to act with urgency starts this summer. Last summer, Pistons President Trajan Langdon preached patience and seeing what their core was truly capable of. 60 regular season wins is a great benchmark for success. Levelling up from 60 regular season wins demands some kind of change.

This offseason has been about patching up holes and curing flaws in their game. There's no problem with the philosophies head coach JB Bickerstaff is implementing and there's no problem with the Pistons being able to develop young talent. Detroit just doesn't have all the pieces they need to win a championship and they've ran out of the patience it requires to have more players develop. Superstar guard Cade Cunningham is in his prime and Detroit is doing everything they can this summer to maximize that.

Drafting Ebuka Okorie: A

What Detroit's newest rookie lacks in height, he makes up for in heart and buckets. The Pistons traded up from the No. 21 spot in the first round of this June's NBA Draft to select Stanford guard Ebuka Okorie. He has all the skills Detroit needs immediately. Langdon traded the No. 21 pick and three second round picks for Okorie.

Okorie is a secondary ball handler capable of running the pick-and-roll when Cunningham is off the floor. He's an unconscious jump shooter and a confident shot creator in isolation. Okorie is creative downhill and around the rim. The basketball world is lucky Ebuka Okorie isn't six-foot-five.

Trading Isaiah Stewart in a salary dump: A

The Grizzlies had cap space and needed rim protection. The Pistons needed to cap flexibility to build their future. The Grizzlies returned Detroit's three second round picks back to them in a trade for Isaiah Stewart the following night. Stewart was pivotal to Detroit's defensive success under the rim and that side of his game will be missed, but something was going to have to give in order to improve this team. Detroit also loses the worry of Stewart suspending himself due to behavioral issues.

Trading for Isaiah Joe: A+

The Pistons traded less picks to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Isaiah Joe than they did for rookie Ebuka Okorie. Acquiring Joe, 27, was simply a steal for the Pistons, considering how desperately they needed his services. Joe has shot above 40% from three-point range for the past four seasons while shooting five threes or more per game in three of those seasons.

Joe celebrates his 27th birthday today.

Retaining Kevin Huerter: A

Kevin Huerter didn't get much of a chance to prove he can shine in the postseason for the Pistons, but his skillset and what he can provide to Detroit cannot be denied. At 6-foot-6, Huerter is comfortable as an offensive initiator. Huerter, on any given night can collect five assists, five rebounds, and three three-pointers. He appeared in just five postseason games for the Pistons and averaged nine minutes.

Huerter's services will be needed alongside Isaiah Joe on the second unit. They'll be needed even more if Duncan Robinson finds himself on a different team by the time the regular season starts.

Signing John Collins and letting Tobias Harris walk: A

Former Los Angeles Clippers big man John Collins signed to the Pistons for a similar average annual value to Tobias Harris' new contract with the San Antonio Spurs. However, Collins is five years younger and plays much better defense. Collins provides much more offensive versatility and spacing.

Collins also just averaged 19 points in 40 games played for the Utah Jazz two seasons ago.

Collins is coming off of a season where he shot 40.6% from three-point range on 3.2 attempts per game. He's not the kind of forward who puts the ball on the floor to hit quick-twitch jump shots like Harris is. Collins is a true big man that can play within a system. He's a rim protector, but he's also a confident perimeter jump shooter. He doesn't need to hold the ball or dribble five times in order to generate offense. His versatility on both ends of the floor will make him a perfect fit in Detroit.

Offseason Grade So Far: A

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