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Kawhi Leonard is going to be a member of the Toronto Raptors, and LeBron James is a free agent. It's 2018 again.
The Detroit Pistons, perhaps just theoretically, are among the teams that could be in the running for James, who informed the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday that he will take his talents elsewhere after eight seasons there.
Now 41 years old and entering his record 24th NBA season, James remains an all-around performer. His pending next move has become one of the summer's significant storylines.
James, the NBA's all-time leading scorer, averaged 20.9 points, 7.2 assists, 6.1 rebounds and 1.2 steals on 51.5% overall shooting and 31.7% shooting from 3, his worst mark since the 2007-08 season. Even if the Pistons didn't have a need at power forward, James would be a strong fit. He's LeBron James, after all.
INSIDER: Despite sign-and-trade rumors, Pistons committed to retaining Jalen Duren
But they do have a need at power forward, and ESPN reported that James instructed his agent, Rich Paul to contact interested teams around the league to get a feel for what offers are out there. That justifies this exercise, even if their actual odds of signing him seem low.
The Pistons have their non-taxpayer midlevel exception, worth $15 million in 2026-27. They also can create cap space by waiving Duncan Robinson and renouncing their rights to unrestricted free agent Tobias Harris. But considering ESPN also reported that James' primary driver in his decision is happiness and title contention rather than money, the Pistons may not need to create room at all if he'd sign for closer to the veteran's minimum.
Four teams reportedly waiting on James are the Golden State Warriors, Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat and Minnesota Timberwolves. The Warriors are looking to make one last run with Steph Curry, and the Cavaliers are the organization that drafted James out of high school in 2003, and won the 2016 championship with him following his return in 2014. James won two titles in four years with the Heat (2010-14), and the Timberwolves have a gaping hole at power forward after trading Julius Randle and Naz Reid.
The Pistons can't offer the prospect of playing with Curry, nor do they hold hometown appeal. But they do have a young superstar in Cade Cunningham, who could really use another elite ball-handler to take pressure of him. And they're coming off a 60-win season and No. 1 seed in the weaker Eastern Conference that featured two wins over the Lakers.
It could be a worthwhile pitch, regardless of its likelihood.
[ MUST WATCH: Make "The Pistons Pulse" your go-to Pistons podcast, listen available anywhere you listen to podcasts (Apple, Spotify) or watch live on YouTube. ]
[ MUST WATCH: Make "The Pistons Pulse" your go-to Pistons podcast, listen available anywhere you listen to podcasts (Apple, Spotify) or watch live on YouTube. ]
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: LeBron James to Pistons would be epic, but it seems like a longshot
Continue reading...
The Detroit Pistons, perhaps just theoretically, are among the teams that could be in the running for James, who informed the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday that he will take his talents elsewhere after eight seasons there.
Now 41 years old and entering his record 24th NBA season, James remains an all-around performer. His pending next move has become one of the summer's significant storylines.
James, the NBA's all-time leading scorer, averaged 20.9 points, 7.2 assists, 6.1 rebounds and 1.2 steals on 51.5% overall shooting and 31.7% shooting from 3, his worst mark since the 2007-08 season. Even if the Pistons didn't have a need at power forward, James would be a strong fit. He's LeBron James, after all.
INSIDER: Despite sign-and-trade rumors, Pistons committed to retaining Jalen Duren
But they do have a need at power forward, and ESPN reported that James instructed his agent, Rich Paul to contact interested teams around the league to get a feel for what offers are out there. That justifies this exercise, even if their actual odds of signing him seem low.
The Pistons have their non-taxpayer midlevel exception, worth $15 million in 2026-27. They also can create cap space by waiving Duncan Robinson and renouncing their rights to unrestricted free agent Tobias Harris. But considering ESPN also reported that James' primary driver in his decision is happiness and title contention rather than money, the Pistons may not need to create room at all if he'd sign for closer to the veteran's minimum.
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Four teams reportedly waiting on James are the Golden State Warriors, Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat and Minnesota Timberwolves. The Warriors are looking to make one last run with Steph Curry, and the Cavaliers are the organization that drafted James out of high school in 2003, and won the 2016 championship with him following his return in 2014. James won two titles in four years with the Heat (2010-14), and the Timberwolves have a gaping hole at power forward after trading Julius Randle and Naz Reid.
The Pistons can't offer the prospect of playing with Curry, nor do they hold hometown appeal. But they do have a young superstar in Cade Cunningham, who could really use another elite ball-handler to take pressure of him. And they're coming off a 60-win season and No. 1 seed in the weaker Eastern Conference that featured two wins over the Lakers.
It could be a worthwhile pitch, regardless of its likelihood.
[ MUST WATCH: Make "The Pistons Pulse" your go-to Pistons podcast, listen available anywhere you listen to podcasts (Apple, Spotify) or watch live on YouTube. ]
[ MUST WATCH: Make "The Pistons Pulse" your go-to Pistons podcast, listen available anywhere you listen to podcasts (Apple, Spotify) or watch live on YouTube. ]
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: LeBron James to Pistons would be epic, but it seems like a longshot
Continue reading...
