Yardbarker
x
Pistons Earn Solid Free Agency Grade Despite Key Departures
Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

It has been an interesting offseason thus far for the Detroit Pistons as they try to upgrade their roster after their historic turnaround last season.

Of course, the Pistons were the worst team in the NBA the prior two seasons but that changed last season as they reached the playoffs behind a core mixed with young and veteran talent led by Cade Cunningham.

Due to this, Detroit entered the summer looking to bolster their roster and compete for a top seed in the weakened Eastern Conference next season.

Detroit began their summer by re-signing Paul Reed and they then signed Caris LeVert to upgrade their guard depth.

The Pistons also agreed to a sign-and-trade deal with the Miami Heat that saw them land Duncan Robinson while giving up Simone Fontecchio.

Despite these additions, the Pistons did lose Dennis Schroder via a sign-and-trade to the Sacramento Kings and Tim Hardaway Jr. signed with the Denver Nuggets while Malik Beasley still remain a free agent amid an investigation into gambling allegations.

With these moves, Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz gave the Pistons a B+ free agency grade despite their key departures.

“The Detroit Pistons have some notable additions and losses in free agency thus far, yet overall have improved the team's offense and future flexibility,” Swartz wrote. “LeVert is an ideal sixth man for this group with his scoring and playmaking ability. He's an underrated defender who typically gives good effort. Detroit ranked 14th out of 16 playoff teams in three-point shooting, an area that Duncan Robinson will certainly help with.”

There is no doubt that both Robinson and LeVert will be a major help the Pistons’ bench next season and while losing both Schroder and Hardaway Jr. was tough, they were able to replace them well.

Of course, the Pistons still have time to make more moves to upgrade their roster ahead of next season as they try to compete for a top seed in the East.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads:

Customize Your Newsletter

Yardbarker +

Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!