Big changes could be coming to the Detroit Pistons this offseason.
Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders reports on Thursday that the Pistons are gauging the trade market for center Andre Drummond and guard Reggie Jackson, also noting that both were available this past trade deadline.
Sources: Detroit Pistons are gauging the trade market on Andre Drummond and Reggie Jackson. Both were on the market at the trade deadline.
— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) June 8, 2017
Drummond, who will be 24 in August, averaged 13.6 points and 13.8 rebounds per game in 2016-17. While he is an elite rebounder, the former No. 9 overall pick is very limited offensively and isn’t as strong of a rim protector as you might think. A skillset like that is one that the league appears to be moving away from, and Pistons head coach Stan Van Gundy has been open about his frustration with Drummond recently.
Meanwhile, the 27-year-old Jackson put up 14.5 points and 5.2 assists per game last season. He’s a quality pick-and-roll player but his ball dominance hampers the flow of Detroit’s offense and caps their ceiling with him running the show. Jackson seemed close to going to Orlando at the February deadline.
The Pistons are in a tough spot, as they are currently trapped in mediocrity in the Eastern Conference. This current core has had serious difficulty even getting into the playoffs, so a hard reset may ultimately be necessary.
