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Trendon Watford, Detroit Pistons news Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Pistons Could Find Value in Unsung but Impactful Team Player

Originally posted on Detroit Pistons on SI
By Geoffrey Knox | Last updated May 16, 2025 2:32 PM ET

As is the case with any well-run franchise, inventory must be taken at some point. It's always wise to see where the company is and what it possesses before moving forward. It's also in the organization's best interest that it never spends frivolously or overspends on unnecessary items that will sit on the shelf and catch dust. Taking inventory is exactly what the Detroit Pistons are doing these days.

Following a postseason appearance (and early exit), Detroit must weigh continuity vs. a 'win-now' method as team president Trajan Langdon so eloquently expressed during a season-ending press conference. In the coming months, decisions must be made about everyone from Dennis Schroder and Paul Reed to Lindy Waters III, Malik Beasley, and Tim Hardaway Jr.

Some contend the veteran portion of the roster, as currently constructed, has already demonstrated what it's capable of at its best. Others state keeping most of the core intact, building around the seemingly always-underrated Cade Cunningham, and pressing on will lead to the desired fruit.

Pistons Vice President of Basketball Operations Trajan Langdon and his staff have much to consider over the next few months.

More from Trajan Langdon on the Pistons’ need to figure out what they currently have:

“We have to learn more about our players. … That continuity, not only with the roster but with the coaching staff, (is something) this group has never had before. That will be a positive.” pic.twitter.com/iEPTqv8xvI
— Hunter Patterson (@HuntPatterson_) May 7, 2025

Regardless of what side someone stands on in that argument, here's where most can agree and reach common ground. Any successful business always needs to keep its eye out for those instances where it can get more by paying less.

An NBA comparison would be finding good fillers and depth options without having to pay top dollar to acquire them. Trendon Watford is someone who isn't being mentioned enough, but he fits the bill perfectly for a team looking to make a deeper playoff run a year from now.

If the Detroit Pistons go bargain shopping, they could find value in Trendon Watford.

While summertime discussions about the potential second-teamers on the roster aren't always adrenaline-inducing, they are important. Here's a name that isn't being mentioned often enough, Trendon Watford.

He averaged 10.2 points per game on 46.9 percent shooting. Those numbers include a 33% shooting percentage from the three-point stripe. He was an unselfish but unsung role player for the Brooklyn Nets last season.

He's a prospect that could pay dividends if given a longer leash than the one given to him by the Nets last season. He hovered around 21 minutes per game during the 2024-25 Nets campaign. Throughout his career, he has been relegated to rotational duty, but Detroit doesn't need him to start. He could flourish with more responsibility.

Watford stands at six-foot-nine and tips the scales at 240 pounds. He can help stretch the floor for Cade Cunningham and the like. He has demonstrated he can see the floor and dish the rock as evidenced by his 2.6 assists per game last season.

Most importantly, he'd be an inexpensive acquisition. After all, it always comes down to money, right? Watford made $2.7 million during the most recent Brooklyn run, and if signed to a team-friendly dollar amount, his acquisition would allow Langdon and his team some cap space to hang on to some of the aforementioned veterans.