The Detroit Pistons hired Trajan Langdon in May of 2024 to be their new General Manager. He immediately started making moves, signing Forward Tobias Harris and adding Tim Hardaway Jr, Joe Harris, Malik Beasley, and Paul Reed. However, Reed was mysteriously waived recently, which left Pistons fans with a hopeful pause. The Pistons had to make a move to reach the salary floor, and fans were hopeful it would be something to move the needle. However, the Pistons decided to bring up Javante McCoy from their G-League affiliate, which is underwhelming considering what Pistons fans thought would be coming. I read all over Twitter that it was Nikola Vucevic. But the Pistons had other plans.

With that being said, what does the addition of McCoy mean for the rest of the Pistons season?

Not much.

McCoy likely won’t see meaningful minutes, and he doesn’t necessarily add what the Pistons need. Although he averaged 14.7 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game, I doubt this move makes a difference in the game day lineups.

I wouldn’t rule out another move, but I also wouldn’t bet on it. The Pistons will most likely be standing pat, until the trade deadline at least. Pistons fans can remain somewhat hopeful, knowing they have a solid young core, with a budding superstar.

At this point, they really need to add a second star, someone who can score, play solid defense, and be a secondary ball handler to take some of the brunt off of Cade on the offensive end.

With that being said, the 2025 free agency class is fairly deep, and could really help the Pistons. USA Today did us a favor and ranked the top upcoming free agents, lets take a quick look at some of those names.

Kyrie Irving, G:

Irving would be a match made in heaven for Cade. He has shown in Dallas he can thrive as a #2. In Detroit he would likely be the #1 scoring option but the #2 ball handler. Both would be great for him and Detroit. However, I do not see Kyrie bringing his talents to Motown. He is likely to stay in Dallas, or sign with a different contender.

Grade if signed: B+. Only due to his age and lack of defense. Also could stunt Cade’s growth if Kyrie wants to be the man.

Lebron James, F:

This is not happening, so we can move on.

Grade if signed: He won’t be.

Brandon Ingram, F:

Now this one is actually intriguing. Ingram is only 27 years old, and could potentially be the perfect fit next to Cade. He’s a good scorer, averaging 22.2 points per game, and he wont need to be the primary ball handler. He is a solid shooter as well, shooting 37.4% from three on the season. He will be somewhat expensive, likely wanting a max deal. But, it would be worth it for a team that struggles to find talent in the draft consistently. Also, him being a free agent makes it so the Pistons can just add him to the current roster, without having to do too much to make him fit. The only real downside to Ingram is his defense. He is not a plus defender, and that could be a detriment for the Pistons. There is also a slight issue with his offensive consistency, but I think the Pistons way of play could help that a little.

Grade if signed: B+. It would be an A if he was a better defender.

Julius Randle, PF:

Randle would fit well, and would likely come cheaper than Ingram. The biggest difference between them is position, age, and how they would fit into the lineup. Randle is a big man, a true Power Forward in an NBA that is “position-less.” Randle would be great for this Pistons team, as he would offer a secondary scorer, and would be perfect for the pick and roll with Cade. Averaging 20.1 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game, he’s very productive, especially for a power forward. He also would be a solid addition for his rebounding and defensive chops, something Ingram would not. Randle is likely to see a bit of money this off-season, but I don’t see him getting a max. I’d expect something around $25M-$32M per year over 3 years. That would work well for Detroit as well. His age could be a problem, as he is leaving his prime right as the rest of this team are entering it. He would be a solid stop-gap if they can’t sign a true star.

Grade if signed: B. Randle would fit very well with this young core, and could be why this team is missing on both ends of the court. The only real problems I see are age, and the likely spacing issues he and Duren would cause when on the court together. Randle is a solid shooter, but Duren needs to camp in the paint to really be successful.

Myles Turner, C:

Turner would fit perfectly as the next Pistons big man. He can stretch the floor, play lock-down defense, and he rebounds very well. The only real issue with Turner is his age and asking price. The Pistons have a solid young big man in Jalen Duren, so spending $30M+ per year on a center is not the biggest need for them. His age isn’t as big of a problem, as he is still only 28. However, if the Pistons were able to make a big trade or draft a young scorer, Turner could make a lot more sense. Jalen Duren would likely need to be flipped, and maybe they could make a trade for another scorer. That would make this a much better signing.

Grade if signed: B. Only because it is a lot of money for a guy that wont offer a ton on the offensive end, at least not as a ball handler. He would be a perfect fit, but he just doesn’t move the needle as much as you’d like for the price tag.

Jonathan Kuminga, F:

Kuminga might be my favorite of all. He fits well offensively, averaging 15.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game. He is a plus defender, averaging 1 steal and .6 blocks per game, and standing at 6 foot 8 with a 6 foot 11 wingspan, he can guard 1-4. His age is perfect as well, only 22 years old, he would grow with the rest of this Pistons team. The real problem with Kuminga is the opposite of Ingram, he’s not the greatest scorer or shooter, only shooting 32.3% from three. He does have a solid field goal percentage, though, at 45.2%. The other issue I could see arising is the money. Kuminga will want close to a max deal, and that would be hard for the Pistons to do seeing as there is a lack of production on the offensive end. However, he is so young there is a high chance he just keeps getting better.

Grade if signed: B+. It would be much higher, but Kuminga has some growing to do offensively, and the Pistons need offense now.

Fred VanVleet, G:

I could see this as a plan D. If Ingram, Randle, and Kuminga don’t work out, I’d be fine with going after Fred. The big problem here is obviously age, and price tag. I would assume VanVleet will garner at least $25M per year. That wouldn’t be terrible, but it might just be another Tobias Harris signing. VanVleet is a little better right now though, averaging 15.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 6.0 assists per game. However, those numbers don’t make up for his current massive contract. VanVleet would be a solid two guard for the Pistons, and would allow Ivey to have less pressure on him. This would be just another stop gap.

Grade if signed: C+. I don’t love VanVleet’s production, age, or fit. However, it would be a “fine” signing and could potentially give the Pistons another ball handler to win them more games.

Naz Reid, F:

Reid would be a great signing for Detroit. Similar to Randle, he is a big man. However, he is more of a stretch big than a true Power Forward. He is not quite as productive on any front though, and will likely want a big payday. He is averaging 12.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.6 assists while shooting 45.1% from the field, and 35% from three. His shooting splits are pretty good, but you want more from a guy who will likely get $25-$32M per year. His age and fit are great, however, at only 25 years old. He would be a great 4 for the Pistons for similar reasons as Randle. Lets also not forget the performance he had in last year’s playoffs, on both ends of the court.

Grade if signed: B+. It could get higher, if his contract gets lower. I like his on court fit, his age, and his playing style would fit well here.

Josh Giddey, G:

Giddey is a bit of an odd one. He is very similar to Cade, as a 6’8″ true Point Guard. For me, Giddey just wouldn’t fit well in Detroit, unless he was the backup Point or was able to play some wing. I wouldn’t love or hate the addition. Giddey is averaging 11.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 6.9 assist per game this season. Those are pretty solid numbers, but I just think he would be a bit redundant on this team. He does help with having a second ball handler, and his high IQ should be a good thing. His age is also perfect, at just 22 years old, he has a lot of room to grow. He is a solid shooter, shooting 45.2% from the field and 32.7% from three. His defense does worry me, though. He’s not a terrible defender but he wouldn’t move the needle much for us on that side of the court. With his asking price, I would pass. He is asking for $30M+ per year, and I just don’t think he fits well enough here to justify the price.

Grade if signed: C. I just don’t love his fit, or the price. The Pistons need more defense and scoring, Giddey really only helps on the offensive end, and not as a true scorer.

With that being said, the Pistons have a lot of season to go. They could make a big trade, although I doubt they will. Realistically, free agency and the draft will be where the Pistons make the biggest changes to the roster. Let’s hope they can finally build a team that can bring us back to the playoffs.