The Pistons won't be making the big splash this summer some expected, but they could still dive into free agency on Thursday.
With Victor Oladipo as their target.
Oladipo is not expected to return to the Heat as they work out a big-money extension for Tyler Herro -- and the two-time All-Star is 'said to have interest' from Detroit, along with Washington and Denver, 'in the salary range of the taxpayer mid-level exception,' per Bleacher Report.
That would call for a deal worth about $6.5 million in 2022-23.
The 30-year-old Oladipo only played eight games last season after spending most of the year recovering from surgery last May on a ruptured quad tendon -- but he did play 15 more in the playoffs, averaging 10.6 points per game off Miami's bench. He hasn't played in more than 36 games in any of the last four seasons.
Still, Oladipo was an All-Star as recently as 2018-19 and averaged about 20 points per game in 2020-21. He would bring athleticism and leadership to a young Pistons backcourt and give the team another scoring threat off the bench.
Troy Weaver and the Pistons already added one vet to the backcourt when they acquired Alec Burks along with big man Nerlens Noel from the Knicks on Tuesday, a trade that consumed about $19 million of Detroit's cap space.
After they reach an expected agreement with Marvin Bagley III in the coming days, they figure to have between and $10 and $15 million to spend in free agency.
Oladipo, who spent the 2016-17 season with the Thunder when Weaver was the club's assistant GM, could be the signing few saw coming in Detroit.
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