For the Pistons, a long season has come to an end. And a crucial summer is about to begin. Detroit finished with one of the worst records in the NBA for the second straight year under GM Troy Weaver, but came out of it with a hardened roster and a hunger for what comes next.
"Before you can win, you gotta learn how to," Weaver said Tuesday. "And I thought after the All-Star break, these guys started learning how to win and what it took: staying connected, defending, sharing the ball. There was never a night where we felt like we didn't have a chance to win. And when you feel that, you know you're going in the right direction."
Now comes the hard part for Weaver and his team. It won't be enough next season to show growth without gaining ground. The Pistons need to start making a push up the standings behind Cade Cunningham, which will require both the players and the GM to make strides this summer. Both have a duty to make the team better.
"Like the team, this is a big summer for the front office and myself," Weaver said. "So looking forward to that challenge."
The Pistons will likely have another top-four draft pick at their disposal, with a 14 percent chance of picking No. 1. They're also projected to have the most cap space in the NBA as Blake Griffin's $30 million in dead money comes off the books. And Weaver is never afraid to swing a trade.
All told, Detroit has the tools to seriously enhance a core headlined by a superstar in the making in Cunningham, a rising young scorer in Saddiq Bey and promising pieces in Isaiah Stewart, Marvin Bagley III and Killian Hayes.
"We have a chance this summer to be aggressive in some other areas that we haven't been in the past, and we'll look to do that," Weaver said.
The Pistons' biggest addition will likely come through the draft, especially if they get lucky again in the lottery. Auburn's Jabari Smith, Duke's Paolo Banchero and Gonzaga's Chet Holmgren are considered the top three players on the board -- any one of them would instantly upgrade Detroit's roster -- but Weaver said he doesn't "see a drop-off" after the No. 3 pick.
"I like the draft. I liked it last year, I like it this year," he said. "The only key to the draft is adding a good player. I don't care what position he plays or where we're picking."
In free agency, the Pistons likely won't be in play for the marquee names like Bradley Beal and Zach LaVine -- though Weaver did say "we're going to look at everything." But they could take a run at Flint native and 23-year-old rising star Miles Bridges of the Hornets and they're known to covet 25-year-old point guard Jalen Brunson of the Mavericks. Detroit will also want to re-sign Bagley, perhaps to a long-term deal. Dwane Casey said adding three-point shooting will "be a priority."
Weaver said the Pistons are open to bringing in one player on a big deal or as many as three on smaller deals, whatever helps the organization "put a better product on the floor." But he won't jeopardize the future to maximize the present. If next season is when the Pistons arrive, Weaver intends for the team to stick around.
"We're going to stay true to our building process," he said. "We're going to stay with our core values and get the right people in here. We have some money this summer and like anything else, we're going to be aggressive and turn over every rock to improve the team. I don't want it to be the year. I don't want us to be a flash in the pan, no Milli Vanilli here. When we get there, we want to stay there. We want to be built to last."
Weaver, 53, has played a key role in two rebuilds in the NBA. He helped the Jazz go from last place in 2004-05 to the Western Conference Finals two years later, and he helped the Thunder jump from 23 wins in 2008-09 -- same number as the Pistons this season -- to 50 wins one season later.
OKC, with Weaver as assistant GM, was sparked by the additions of third overall pick James Harden and fellow first-rounder Serge Ibaka to a roster that already featured Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. Can the Pistons make a similar jump next season?
"I've seen it happen, I've been a part of it happening," Weaver said. "It just depends on the group -- how we come back, who we add to the team, how we continue to grow. I don't want to put a cap on where we're going, but we expect the team to improve and it's my job to get some players in here that can help move the needle."
