John Raoux/Associated Press
The Detroit Pistons were rumored to be involved in a number of high-profile trade discussions that included Andre Drummond and Reggie Jackson, according to Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders.
Both players stayed, and the Pistons' offseason was one of relative stasis. They added Avery Bradley in a trade with the Boston Celtics that's a clear win for now but could get expensive if they retain him next summer. Langston Galloway and Anthony Tolliver have also come on board and should play bench roles.
Otherwise, there is a whole lot of rollover on a team that won 37 games last season and once again failed to make the playoffs. Stan Van Gundy's tenure running basketball operations has not gone the way anyone expected, and the Pistons are pretty helplessly capped out for the next two seasons with this youngish-but-mediocre core.
With the schedule for the 2017-18 season being released Monday, let's take a look at some of the most important games and assess whether there's any real hope for improvement.
2017-18 Details
Season Opener: Wednesday, Oct. 18, vs. Charlotte Hornets (7 p.m. ET)
Championship Odds: 500-1 (via OddsShark)
Full Schedule: NBA.com
Top Games
Cleveland Cavaliers
First Overall Matchup: Monday, Nov. 20 at 7 p.m. ET
Despite all the internal turmoil, the Cavaliers are still the class of the East—provided LeBron James' arms and legs are functioning. It's unclear whether Kyrie Irving will be in Cleveland at this juncture or James will be joined by a package of talent acquired in an Irving-centric trade.
But the conference title train still runs through Cleveland, so any time the two teams play it's a litmus test.
Drummond is an athletic big who can give Tristan Thompson trouble inside, and Jackson's speed on pick-and-rolls makes him hard for Irving to defend. The Pistons don't have any remote chance of beating a LeBron-led team over a seven-game series, but they could wind up taking one of the regular-season matchups.
Detroit and Cleveland split their regular-season meetings in 2016-17.
Boston Celtics
First Matchup: Monday, Nov. 27 at 7:30 p.m. ET
There's zero contention with Bradley's departure because it was necessary to acquire Gordon Hayward, but it will be interesting to see if the former Celtics guard looks to go off in his first return.
Bradley grew in nearly every season with the Celtics, with his scoring average increasing in all but one campaign. He averaged a career-high 16.3 points and 6.1 rebounds per game on 39.0 percent from three-point range. Combine that with his stellar defense on the perimeter, and his contract was one of the NBA's best values.
That deal, a four-year, $32 million pact, of course became a bit of a contentious point in his final two seasons in Boston. While there wasn't much the Celtics could have or should have done from a logistical standpoint, it stands to reason he'll be a little happier with a more expansive offensive role in Detroit.
The Pistons also seem more than willing to pay Bradley at a rate Boston may not have been.
"We've got other strategies," Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy said, via NBA.com. "The finances will not inhibit our ability to re-sign Avery at whatever it takes. If we're in a situation where we want Avery back and Avery wants to be here, we'll be able to bring him back."
Prediction
The Pistons are essentially on the same tier as they were a year ago. They're going to compete in the No. 7-10 seed range, finishing somewhere between 35 and 42 wins. Jackson not being hurt for most of the season will help, but there's not much of a path out of mediocrity here.
With Doc Rivers of the Los Angeles Clippers and Mike Budenholzer of the Atlanta Hawks losing their front-office responsibilities this offseason, Van Gundy probably should and/or will be next. He has not made many egregious moves on paper, but the Pistons are still without a real plan to climb toward the top of the Eastern Conference.
With nothing but one sole first-round sweep to show for the last eight seasons, Pistons fans would likely just take a playoff win at this point. It's unfortunate, but that's about the peak of what they can expect from this team.