Pistons depth chart prediction 1.0: Examining Detroit's roster as Summer League closes (2024)

As summer league comes to a close, it’s time we turn our attention to the Pistons’ training camp — which, believe it or not, is a little over a month away.

Detroit’s roster for the 2021-22 season is pretty much set, minus the lingering situation with restricted free agent Hamidou Diallo. The Pistons extended a qualifying offer (roughly $2.1 million) to the 23-year-old swingman, sources tell The Athletic, but he has yet to sign it (more on this momentarily).

General manager Troy Weaver did what he said he was going to do this offseason: bring back his own players. The Pistons re-signed Cory Joseph, Frank Jackson and Rodney McGruder. Aside from the rookies, the frontcourt duo of Kelly Olynyk and Trey Lyles will be the only new faces.

There certainly will be players jockeying for prominent roles when camp begins. At this point, only a few starting jobs are set in stone. The same goes for some of the backup roles. The final two-way spot also could be a discussion. It should be an interesting camp in the Motor City.

Here, we’re going to look at what I believe to be the depth chart going into camp. From there, we’ll tackle some of the position battles and roster decisions that will have to be made in the coming months.

Positions don’t matter

Positions were created so novices could follow the game. As the sport has progressed, labels don’t matter as much. Your “shooting guard” can be your primary ballhandler. Don’t put too much stock into these labels.

Cade Cunningham, listed as a shooting guard above, will have point guard duties, with or without Killian Hayes on the floor. Joseph, too, will flip between point guard and off-ball movement. So on and so on.

When talking to the media this offseason, coach Dwane Casey has been adamant about not putting titles on players. Having multiple ballhandlers on the floor is something the Pistons very much covet and plan to use to keep opponents guessing. Expect to see Hayes initiate the offense for stretches. Also expect Cunningham to do the same. Someone like Josh Jackson can float between shooting guard and small forward. Jerami Grant will play some power forward and small forward. The same can be said for Saddiq Bey.

Olynyk is another player who can effortlessly float between power forward and center. It’s something I think Casey will do a lot. Olynyk can play alongside Isaiah Stewart, or he can be the center when Grant is at power forward. Olynyk’s shooting ability aside, his versatility to float between both frontcourt spots makes him intriguing.

Stewart will start at center?

I think so, though I wouldn’t bet money on it right now.

As Detroit continues to build the culture it has spent the last season cultivating, defense and toughness are still pillars in this foundation. Stewart checks both boxes. Setting a defense-minded tone to start each half, I believe, will be of importance to the Pistons once the regular season approaches. Stewart is by far the best defensive center on the roster, providing switchability and blossoming rim protection. Offensively, the 20-year-old showed his shooting range as a rookie and impressed on the offensive glass.

Olynyk certainly could make a strong case for himself, though. He’s a proven floor spacer who would greatly complement Hayes and Cunningham. However, when the dust settles, I think the Pistons prioritize Stewart’s energy, toughness and defense to start games.

In regard to minutes, Olynyk will still get a lot of them, even if he doesn’t start games. My guess is that he’d be the first choice off the bench. Like I said previously, Olynyk can play with Stewart — who needs to pick up fewer ticky-tack fouls — and that will allow both bigs to rack up a sizable number of minutes night in and night out.

Is there room for Hamidou Diallo?

At this point, the Pistons have 15 contracts guaranteed for next season. They’ll have to do some roster maneuvering to make it happen, but it can be done.

If this interest between Detroit and Diallo remains mutual — the Pistons wouldn’t have extended the qualifying offer if they didn’t want to bring him back — it feels like a trade is on the horizon. Jackson and Jahlil Okafor each have one year remaining on their contracts. Sekou Doumbouya, despite being 20 years old, is the longest-tenured player on the roster and wasn’t drafted by Weaver. Reading the tea leaves, if Diallo were to re-sign with Detroit, one of these three would be the most likely to go.

Now you’re probably wondering why Diallo hasn’t signed yet. It appears to be quite simple: He is holding out to see whether more money comes his way. The 23-year-old carries good upside as an athletic wing. He can get to the rim and finish. His shooting has improved. There’s potential as a real on-ball threat defensively. What has hurt Diallo is that a lot of outside teams have used the majority of their cap space, meaning no one has yet forced Detroit to offer more than the qualifying offer of $2,079,826. The Pistons can go over the cap to re-sign Diallo if a bigger offer does somehow materialize.

From Diallo’s standpoint, it makes sense to be patient. Who doesn’t want as much money as possible? There will come a time when Diallo will have to make a decision, but now isn’t it. If Diallo does re-sign for less than many anticipate heading into the offseason, my guess is that he’ll do a short-term deal to test his luck again next offseason or the following.

Who gets the final two-way spot?

Luka Garza, the reigning national college player of the year, appears to be the front-runner for the vacant two-way spot. The big man has been impressive throughout summer league, hitting perimeter shots, bullying inside and playing with an intensity Detroit covets from its players.

I’d be surprised if the Pistons did any maneuvering to get Garza a standard, guaranteed rookie deal for this season. He’s got a lot of work to do defensively. I do, however, think Garza has turned enough heads on the offensive end that the Pistons hand him a two-way contract so they don’t lose team control. Just signing Garza to a G League contract ignites risk of another team offering him a better deal.

Placing Garza on a two-way contract and having him spend a majority of his rookie season on the roster of the Motor City Cruise — the Pistons’ new G League team coming to Detroit this season — will allow the bosses to closely monitor how he holds up defensively at a high level. Offensively, Garza can play in the NBA right now. Unfortunately for him, though, there are two ends to a basketball court.

A well-known name because of how dominant he was in college, Garza would be a great attraction for the new G League team. Furthermore, he’s got enough skills that it’s worth monitoring closely. Garza’s limitations are obvious, but he certainly brings something interesting to the table.

Undrafted rookie Jamorko Pickett, who also has had a good ending to summer league, might be another candidate for the two-way spot. He’s a 6-foot-9 forward who can shoot, put the ball on the floor and doesn’t try to do too much.

(Photo of Isaiah Stewart: Brian Babineau / NBAE via Getty Images)

James L. Edwards III is a staff writer for The Athletic covering the Detroit Pistons. Previously, he was a reporter for the Lansing State Journal, where he covered Michigan State and high school sports. Follow James L. on Twitter @JLEdwardsIII