During the offseason it’s OK for teams to carry as many as 20 players, but franchises must pare down their rosters down to a maximum of 15 by opening night. The Pistons find themselves in a bit of a difficult situation, with the team currently possessing 17 players with fully guaranteed pacts, as Hoops Rumors’ Chuck Myron examined last week.
This brings me to the topic of the day: Looking at the Pistons’ roster below, which two players with fully guaranteed deals should the team waive or trade prior to the start of the regular season?
The players who own fully guaranteed deals are listed below alphabetically, and I’ve also included the 2015/16 salary for each player, courtesy of the Basketball Insiders salary pages, for your convenience.
- Joel Anthony (C) — 6’9″/32 years old/$2,500,000
- Aron Baynes (F/C) — 6’10″/28 years old/$6,500,000
- Steve Blake (G) — 6’3″/35 years old/$2,170,465
- Reggie Bullock (G) — 6’7″/24 years old/$1,252,440
- Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (G) — 6’5″/22 years old/$2,891,760
- Spencer Dinwiddie (G) — 6’6″/22 years old/$845,059
- Andre Drummond (C) — 6’11″/21 years old/$3,272,091
- Danny Granger (F) — 6’9″/32 years old/$2,170,465
- Darrun Hilliard (F) — 6’6″/22 years old/$600,000
- Ersan Ilyasova (F) — 6’10″/28 years old/$7,900,000
- Reggie Jackson (G) — 6’3″/25 years old/$13,913,044
- Brandon Jennings (G) — 6’1″/25 years old/$8,344,497
- Stanley Johnson (F) — 6’7″/19 years old/$2,841,960
- Cartier Martin (F) — 6’7″/30 years old/$1,270,964
- Jodie Meeks (G) — 6’4″/27 years old/$6,270,000
- Marcus Morris (F) — 6’9″/25 years old/$5,000,000
- Anthony Tolliver (F) — 6’8″/30 years old/$3,000,000
Keep in mind that Detroit has no choice in the matter, and will have to part ways with a minimum of two of the players listed above prior to the regular season tipping off. Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on which two players need to go, and more importantly, why? We look forward to what you have to say.
Note: Since these Shootarounds are meant to be guided by you the reader, we certainly welcome your input on the topics we present. If there is something you’d like to see pop up here for a discussion, shoot us a message at hoopsrumorsmailbag@gmail.com.
I think the choice is clear. Granger is 32 years old and doesn’t fit what we are trying to do. Granger from 3 years ago would be great, but he has lost so much through the cruel injuries he has dealt with. Martin is the next to go. Whether you view him as a SG or SF we have too many guys ahead of him on the depth chart. Martin was very poor last season and I think we made a mistake by giving him a player option in his contract. I think Bullock has some potential and is still young ( fits with our current plan). Dinwiddie deserves another season to prove himself, he may even be called upon if we get an injury. I really like the look of Hilliard so I don’t even think he should be in the conversation. Can’t wait for the season to start! In Van Gundy we trust, GO Pistons
Cartier Martin and Danny Granger?
Dinwiddie possibly as well. Hillard could be cheap for a couple years so they will probably keep him. Idk why they really traded for Steve blake and had to resign Joel Anthony after signing Baynes?
SVG really likes Joel Anthony, so in that context the Baynes signing was more of a surprise to me. I think Blake’s good to have around in case Jennings isn’t healthy to start the season (he’s suggested that he won’t be 100% for a while) and in case Jennings is traded.
Anthony had 1 block/game in 8 minutes last year. Not bad. Their third center is barely going to play because Drummond is so good. It’ll be good to have a vet who can defend the lane in that role. It doesn’t matter that he can’t play offense. He’ll be in there to keep the ship afloat while other guys rest up. Teams seem to value character in their 3rd sting vets, too.
I agree with the first commenter who said Granger and Martin. They just drafted two wings and traded for another one. Time to let Granger and Martin go. They’re declining and have played really poorly lately..
Yeah exactly! That’s what I was thinking. Granger really isn’t a fit in most organizations anyway and he is old too, which doesn’t help. Martin seemed like the next logical choice, considering Tolliver and Anthony are still doing ok.
The preferred route would be a trade, I’d have to think. Of course, Brandon Jennings, who’s probably their best trade chip, is still recovering from a torn Achilles, so a team that’s looking for immediate point guard help (i.e. Utah) probably wouldn’t be interested at this point.
If they have to end up waiving people (or doing buyouts), I’d say Granger and Martin, too, but the Pistons agreed to sign Martin on the first day of free agency last summer, so SVG the executive seems to like him. Then again, SVG the coach buried him on the bench last season. Tough to get a read on the situation there.
How does Joel Anthony get a 2.5mm deal? Baynes 6.5? Van Gundy has made some question signings there, and it’s not like either of those guys can stretch the floor. I guess they needed some depth…but jeeze, they couldn’t spend that 9 million elsewhere?
Yeah, $6.5MM for Baynes is a ton; he’s getting paid like a premier backup center, and I’m not sure that he is. And I’m not sure the Pistons needed to exceed the minimum for Anthony, either.
Granger definitely has to go and then I think it’s a tossup between Dinwitty Bullick and Anthony
Van Gundy is a horrible GM and the Pistons will be bad for a while. Stanley Johnson is a potential bright spot, but he is going to have to learn how to play in the NBA. He is a physical specimen however.
He does seem like a pretty awful GM. Paid way too much for Aaron Baynes. Paid the same amount for Jodie Meeks. Didn’t trade Greg Monroe and couldn’t trade Josh Smith.
Cut Martin and Granger