@PistonsTalk Joins To Discuss Whether The Detroit Pistons Should RE-SIGN Malik Beasley!

@PistonsTalk Joins To Discuss Whether The Detroit Pistons Should RE-SIGN Malik Beasley!

Should the Detroit Pistons bring back Malik Beasley despite the roster additions they made before this recent news with this investigation? We’ll break it down in today’s episode locked on Pistons podcast. Let’s go. You are Locked on Pistons, your daily Detroit Pistons podcast, part of the Locked On podcast network. Your team every day. What’s the deal? Welcome back to another episode of the Locked On Pistons podcast. Per usual, I am your host Kahill. I’ve been covering the Detroit Pistons for the Lockdown Network over the last four years. Being a credential media member over the last three years, and I appreciate all of you guys who make locked on Pistons your first listen of every single day. We are free and available on all your podcast platforms. And if you haven’t already, head to the YouTube channel, locked on Pistons, hit that subscribe button. And today’s episode is brought to you by Game Time. Download the Game Time app, create an account, and use code locked in NBA for $20 off your first purchase. Today’s episode, we are joined by Pistons Talk, otherwise known obviously real name Anthony. Uh you guys can find Pistons Talk on Twitter, YouTube. You guys know all about Pistons Talk. We’re going to be discussing whether the Detroit Pistons should be bringing back Malik Beasley if everything goes smoothly um with the investigation, continue to get some positive updates. Um whether the Pistons whether he believes the Pistons should extend Jane Ivy and Jaylen Duran this summer before the Pistons open up the season. And then also just what’s his expectations, excuse me, for this team next year after such a successful season this past year. But Anthony, thank you for coming on. How are you doing today, man? I’m good, man. I’m glad I got a re invite. The first time I came on, it was a lot of fun. So, um, I’m ready. All right, let’s get right into it. So, Malik Beasley, we got an update last week that he was no longer the target of the investigation. Now, immediately after I record an episode and I use the word cleared in um in the title, I’ve recorded a few episodes since then. Kind of have made sure I I corrected that because it’s not cleared. He’s no longer the target. He is technically still a subject. So, we don’t know what could come of it, but the way Sean’s reported on it, the way his agent has talked about it, it’s made it seem like this is a very positive, you know, direction that we’re going in and teams are interested in Malik Beasley again. So, I bring that up to say this. I’ve talked about on the podcast a few times, so I want to get your thoughts. Should the Detroit Pistons, if everything goes smoothly with Malik, should they still have interest in bringing Malik back despite acquiring Duck and Robinson and Caris Levert earlier in the offseason after the news of his investigation? Assuming what happens with him, if he’s like um I don’t want to say the word cleared, but assuming like everything like off the court like they don’t find anything 100%. um the way that he was able to come in and just be a six-man, a spark plug. Um I I think there’s just so much value in that. Obviously, they had to pivot really fast with Harris Levert and Duncan Robinson. I still think there is a a niche for him on this bench. You could probably still play him as a six-man. You could move Duncan Robinson over to small forward if you want to. Um, and you can kind of be more creative with his minutes. You don’t need him playing, you know, high 20s, high 30s like he was when Jaden Ivy went out last year. So, um, I think if the deal is right and, you know, Tan in his front office want to bring him back, I would be 100% open to it. Uh, how about you? So, I I like if you can bring him back, I’m not against bringing him back. I do have questions though about like would he would he be open to the role that maybe is available for him right now and would Duncan Robinson and Caris Avert be open to the potential role that would come to them like I think if you bring Malik back I think him and Duncan are going to be splitting some minutes so maybe you know maybe they find a way to make it all work but I feel like they’re probably seeing less minutes than maybe they would have be expecting and would that cause a little frustrations would they be as comfortable as happy in the locker room I think that’s the sun to look at tan talked about all the time, the locker room being amazing and being one of the reasons why they had such such a successful season. So like I kind of want to be protective of that. Um, so that’s the only concern I have about is like, okay, if you have Malik who wants to be, you know, the six man and was six man of the year worthy this past year, should have won it in my opinion, would he then come back this year and be like, okay, not only am I getting, you know, a one-year, $6 million, $7 million contract instead of like the long-term money I was expecting. Now I’m also going from 20 what, 28, 27 minutes to, you know, maybe low 20s minutes? Like, is that something he would be happy about? Um, and then would Duncan be happy about would he have signed with the Pistons? Would he have wanted to sign with the Pistons if he thought, “Okay, I’m going to go from 25 minutes maybe a night too. Now I’m probably maybe 20 20 minutes tonight.” Like that’s my only concern about it. Um, but like I’m not saying you should not bring him back. I’m not pushing it away. If you can bring him back, yeah, go ahead and maybe you figure this out later. Um, but that’s just my one concern about it if I did have one. I I think I kind of have the same concerns just in terms of like rotation and minutes and um how do you kind of fit both of those guys in terms of the rotation. Um but what also has me just kind of thinking about it in the back of my head is like I know Caris Levert very early on in his career wasn’t the healthiest. He’s been a little bit better as of late, but like let’s say Caris only plays, you know, 60 62 games this year. like adding a guy in Malik Beasley I think does have some value. I know it’s a long, you know, NBA season. Um, you know, maybe you can kind of make it work that way, but I mean that that’s just so contingent on injuries and we hope they don’t have injuries. Knock on wood. But I mean, you know, if he signs for a $7 million deal for one uh one year, 2026, you know, you kind of look at the landscape of it, there’s going to be over like 10 plus teams with like big cap space. So maybe it’s kind of just like a prove it year again for him. Um, and you know, he’ll be auditioning for teams that actually have cap space that can give him maybe that mid-level exception that he’s looking for. Yeah. And look, having the shooting I like the lineups could be really fun. Like having the shooting around Kate of Malik, Duncan, Robinson, like that would be pretty fun to see. Um, so I definitely think like it can work. I’m not saying it won’t work, but I that’s just my one concern. The one positive though, there’s another positive to this. I was talking with someone last week and they brought this up to me um right after the news broke um of him no longer being a target of the investigation was you know yeah it may be there’s some questions about rotation but there is a lot of tradable assets then at that point like you get to the trade deadline now you got Malik uh Duncan Caris maybe who knows where they’re at at that point with some of the young guys we’ll talk about them coming up in in just a moment but like Traan has said over and over and over again in this recently in this article with uh Hunter Patterson on over at the Athletic. During this interview, he’s talked about optionality and wanting to have this flexibility. And I think that would be something he very much would like to have is multiple guys that he can trade that if he wants to move on from and there’s someone that he wants to go after, well, now he just has another asset sitting here that teams would want. So, I think there’s a lot of positives to go with it. If they can bring him back, I think they should. I’m just I’d be weary of what the rotation would look like because I think like I I have like I feel like I have a pretty good idea of what they want the rotation to look like right now. Like I think Assar and Ron will split some of the three minutes with Duncan and then Assar and Ron will also split the backup four minutes and that’s how they’ll try to get them their minutes and then I will get a lot of his minutes at the backup point guard spot. Um Carris and Duncan maybe split some of the two position. Like I feel like that’s how they’re going to do it. If you get Malik I I do think there’s a little bit of a pinch for minutes, but I’m sure you can make it work. Um, do you think though that if you were Malik, because I talked about this from Malik’s perspective last week. Um, if you were Malik, would you come back to the Pistons and resign here? Because there are a few teams that we’ve heard that potentially could be interested in him that can offer the MLE still, that can offer maybe $10 million to him. I try not to I I’ve seen some people, you know, bring this up as well, and I think we all mean the same thing. None of us are really We don’t want to pocket. That’s not what we’re trying to do. But like with as much as the reporting that’s come out, it’s kind of hard not to be like aware. Like if I was in that player’s shoes, I maybe am just looking at look, I need this financial security. I want that, you know, I that’s what I need right now and that’s what I’d go for. If you were Malik, is that what you’re looking at or do you think he should look at it more? Detroit was a good fit. I loved it here. I love the rotation or the the team, the locker room. Like where do you think he should be at with that if you were him? That’s a good question. Trying to put myself in Malik’s shoes. Um, I I think there are two avenues like you could think of. Like if you came back to the Pistons, it might have a different perception not only in the media, but from, you know, uh, guys in the front office that are looking to add shooters the following year. So, it would kind of say like a loyalty thing. Like that’s one way you could think of it. Um, another way, and this is like if I was in his shoes, I’m looking at who has the most cap space, who can pay me. I’m looking at the Brooklyn Nets. I’m looking at the three or four teams that have that full uh mid-level exception. I believe like it’s like Washington and a couple other teams out there. Like you’re probably going to go on a bad team that does have that full mid-level exception. Um I just don’t want to see them in a OKC uniform because I saw that they had a little bit. I was like, “No, no.” But like how do they have this? Like how do they have this flexibility still? Like what’s going on? Like I saw that. I was like, dude, how the hell do they still have money? I don’t. It’s Look, man. Preie, he’s a he’s he’s a goat. So, it is what it is. But yeah, I look, we’ll see what he ends up happening. I just hope I think everyone hopes that everything ends up getting resolved with him and he’s able to play basketball this upcoming season that he’s going to be on an NBA team. I think a lot of fans would like to see him back with the Detroit Pistons, but I would just like to see him back in the NBA. I hope everything’s good. he get, you know, gets cleared, everything, you know, everything’s good and nothing comes of this and he’s able to play this NBA season. I I I’ve said this a few times now. If nothing comes of this, which I think that’s most of people’s hopes, but if nothing comes of this, I feel so bad for him, man. Like, you he has lost out on 40 plus million dollars and his character has been attacked, him as a person’s been attacked. Like and if it nothing ends up coming of it, that would just be like I mean I’m sure that that would be good. Like you don’t want anything come of it and he can be like, “Yeah, I told you guys. I was like fine. You guys threw me out for nothing.” But at the end of the day, it’s also like I lost all of this because of something that didn’t even happen. Like why? Like I would feel so bad for him. So I just hope this gets resolved for him soon and he’s able to play basketball this upcoming year. But um coming up, we’ll get Anony’s thoughts on whether the Detroit Pistons should extend Jayen Ivy or Jaylen Duran andor Jaylen Duran. We did get some brief comments from Traan in this interview with Hunter at the Athletic on the potential extensions for either of these young guys. We’ll talk about that coming up. Today’s episode is brought to you guys by Game Time. College Football is back. 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Make locked on Pistons your first listen every single day. We are free and available on all your podcast platforms. If you haven’t already, head to the YouTube channel at Locked OnPistons. Hit that subscribe button or leave us a fivestar review on whatever podcast platform you’re listening to this on. That’s another great way to support the podcast. And I’ve mentioned this to you guys the last few episodes. I don’t know if you know this or not, but some of the podcast platforms have comment sections now. So, if you want to interact with the fans, interact with me, go to the comments, comment what you feel uh down below. Also, I have an important request for you guys. If you guys are watching on YouTube, you guys can see the QR code down here. Locked on wants to hear from you guys. We’ve put together a survey to learn more about our listeners and make your favorite podcast even better. This is your chance to tell us what you like, maybe what you don’t like. 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Traan Langden talked with Hunter for the Athletic and he was asked about these potential extensions. He said he’s never really going to get into these kind of things publicly and just kind of echoed that we are looking forward to having them on the team this upcoming season. So we are at we’re recording this August 28th. Where are you at with the extensions for either Jay and Ivy or Jaylen Duran? I think where I’m at with it, and I’ve talked about it at Nauseium. I’m sure like you have too. I think they get a deal done with Jaylen Duran before they get a deal done with Jaden Ivy. Just because I don’t think there’s any any benefit for Jade Ivy to actually get a deal done because I’m just under the assumption like if there was a deal on the table, it’s probably a lot less than what he wants and what his representation would probably want. I believe uh John Hollinger did an article a couple of weeks ago and they like value Jade NY like a 10 million. It’s like that’s just at that point it’s just you know go prove it prove to me that you can get 20 25 million or even more. I think they get a deal done with Jaylen Duran though. Um I I think when you kind of look at him obviously there are flaws in his game defensively. I think I think we’re all aware of that. But he is 21 years old. I I feel like, you know, after the, you know, first 25 games of the season, um, once the Sar Thompson’s, you know, minute restriction got lifted, we started seeing, you know, Jaylen Duran being a little bit more active on both ends of the floor. So, if I had to guess, maybe it’s like around that that Nick Claxton type of money for Jaylen Dur just kind of like looking, you know, at previous contract extensions with bigs, but Pistons probably get a deal done with him. I I would like to assume. Yeah, I I’ve said that before as well that I if there are if there is one of these guys that are going to come to an extension, I do think it’s going to be Jaylen Durren. I agree with you. I think there’s like a proof of concept there with Jaylen Duran. Um, and it’s not of Jane Ivy’s fault. He can’t help the fact that, you know, he got injured, but at the end of the day, that is what happened. Like, they got a proof of concept that, hey, we can win with Jaylen Durr. won and got to the playoffs and played really well in the playoffs and took the Knicks all the way, you know, as far as we could go with the team in their first ever playoff appearance. We did that with Jaylen Duran. So, they have that proof of concept like, okay, this can at least happen. We know we can do this with Jaylen Dur. So, I think that will be a reason why um if I had to pick one, I do think they would extend Jaylen Duran. I agree with you as well. He’s just so young. I I’ve talked about this a lot in the podcast. He’s just so talented offensively. Um he does have to improve defensively. I’ve probably been one of his loudest critics about his defense, but I said this in the last episode actually. People probably have confu actually I said this with Pistons Jack on his podcast yesterday. People have probably confused me with like a Jaylen Duran skeptic. I have actually been pretty high on Jaylen Duran because of his offense. His off I think he’s extremely talented, very good passer, a good processor in the short role. Like I really like him offensively. I’m just openly, you know, critical, I guess, of his defense a little bit too much. But I would still extend him if he, like you mentioned, if the number is where you like it. I mentioned that the Jabari Smith number he got around 24 and a half million. He’s in the same draft class as these guys. Um, Jabari will be starting for the Rockets this year, but he wasn’t a full-time starter in the past few years. I do like Jabari, but I think Duran will look at his contract and be like, well, I should be at least around Jabari. Like, if Jabari is going to get 24 and a half, I think I should get 24 and a half. Um, and I think if the Pistons I feel like if the Pistons could get a deal done with Jaylen Durham for $24 million a year, I tend to lean towards I think they would do that. Um, I think they would get it done with Jaylen Durham. When it comes to Jane Ivy, I completely agree with you. I actually heard earlier in the offseason that he did um, here’s a little nugget for you guys. I actually did hear earlier in the offseason that he did have a bit of a higher asking price and that has led me to believe that I don’t think they probably get something done um this offseason for the reasons you mentioned like it doesn’t make sense for Jane Ivy really to do this and doesn’t make it definitely doesn’t make sense for the Pistons to meet such a high asking price but then it also doesn’t make sense for Jane Ivy to be like okay I’m going to take what the the board model that Hollinger did had him at 10 million like definitely not doing that I don’t even think Jane Ivy would want to take 20 million I think he wants to take 27 plus million dollars. Like I think that’s where he’s thinking of himself. So if you believe that of yourself, go out there and improve it and then get paid either by the Pistons or someone else. Don’t take a a contract that you’re you really don’t believe you’re like is way below you. So I think it makes sense for both sides probably this year or Ivy to just go into the season. Um and then Duran, I think it is possible. Though I think at this point I’d lean towards that neither of them get extended. I think they might go into the season with either or both of them um going into restricted free agency next year. Do you think that would be a mistake? I think it’s a huge gamble because if they come out and just ball out, that price goes way up. It goes way up. And I think that’s a really big gamble uh for the Pistons organization. And you also have to think like Sar Thompson could be extension eligible pretty soon as well. And like I think Assar’s number is probably going to be bigger than both Jade Navy and Jaylen Durren. Like I think Assar’s number will probably be on par with like what Jaylen Suggs got like 150 million easily. Um if he develops any type of jump shot it could go up even more. So I mean um I think if you can get a deal done with Duran like around like you said under 24 under 25 I think that’s a steal especially the way the cap space is going up because these contracts will just kind of like look really good. Like I remember us reacting to Isaiah Stewart’s contract extension, everyone saying, “Oh, he’s so overpaid.” But now that’s like the mid-level exception. So I mean if and he’s looked as one of the best valued contracts in the league now. Yeah. I mean like I want to give Troy Weaver credit for something. He was pretty good at uh you know getting contract extensions done. But uh kind of circling back like I would really like to see them get a contract extension done with Duran. it it could really backfire in my opinion. I think your point of of Isaiah Stewart is it’s I’ I’ve used this example a ton but I was I’ve had someone say to me it’s kind of like the stock market like you’re taking a guess like you’re taking a gamble at the you’re saying either you are going to take the gamble that if you pay them now the stock will decrease and now you have an overpaid player or you wait and maybe they end up making it to where you have to pay them even more than you originally wanted to. Like you just have it’s a gamble either way. It’s just a matter of which gamble do you want to go with? So, and I think again I was one of those people when they extended Isaiah Stewart I was like I would have waited a year. I would have just waited a year and paid him more. Turns out I would have been wrong with that because now he’s on a tremendous contract. He Stew is incredibly underpaid and he’s in that’s why you constantly hear opposing teams interested in Isaiah Stewart because he’s in he’s on such a great contract for the value he brings. So that’s the benefit to if you do get an extension done now, like if you get Jaylen Durren extension done now, you pay him 24 million a year and he does take a jump defensively. Now all of a sudden you got a guy that maybe is worth 27 plus for $24 million. Now you got a little bit of a bargain. So now not only is it a bargain to your team if down the line you maybe wanted to trade player X. Now it’s like, okay, this is a good valued contract. So there’s and then also obviously there’s potentially the downside that maybe you do pay a guy early and then they just don’t live up to it and then you’re like okay well now we got this overpaid player. It it can work both ways. It’s a matter of which way do you feel the most comfortable with. So I do agree with you though. I think if if it was me I would try to get something done with Duran because I’d feel more confident in that proof of concept. I’d feel comfortable going in and I think Traan’s comfortable going into the season with neither extended. Um, but I do think they’ll try to get something done with Duran. I just think it makes sense for both sides with Ivy to just wait till next season. I do want to ask you this about Ivy, though. How much do you think he is? One, how much do you think he’s worth right now? How much would you give him right now? And then how much do you think How much do you think he could theoretically make through this season? Like what was what’s the jump you think could happen if they risk it and wait this season out? I think on the open market, like right now, even with the limited games he played, he’s probably like around the $26 million range. If I had to just take a guesstimate, um, if he pops off, let’s just say hypothetically, you know, 20 points a game, you know, similar volume from last year, you might be getting closer into the 30 range, like if he still takes that jump, gets better defensively, just has like a breakout season. Um, that’s just kind of just like where I’m thinking at. I I had someone tell me he’s like he’s a $35 million player. I’m like, I got to see it, man. Like there’s the talent’s there. I believe in the I believe in the talent, but he’s he just has to put together a a healthy season and it’s it’s just kind of wild to think about. Like this back court has just had so much injuries where they haven’t had a full healthy season together. Yeah. No, and I think the other thing that’s playing into this a ton is what you mentioned earlier. The Pistons are at a point now now that they’re winning and K’s extension is now kicking in. Uh we already know about Stews, but Stews is really cheap, so it’s not really a big deal. But Assar next offseason will be extension eligible. Then you got Ron. So, and again, Cage’s on a on a rookie max now. So, you’re at the point now where you’re starting to have to I don’t want to say be concerned because these are like good problems to have if you feel like, oh, all of our players are good. We go and pay them. Um, but these you do have to be, I’d say, um, cautious and be smart with how you’re just giving out money because now you’re at the point where you could do something that really locks you in. And you have to be you just have to be careful, I guess, with what you do with the money that you’re handing out with these extensions because maybe if you extend all four guys, you better be confident. And when I say four guys, I mean like the Cade, Assar, Ivy, uh, Duran. You better be confident that’s your four four guys that it’s going to take you to the next level. Um, so it’s just I think that all of that is playing in Traan’s head and why we’ve heard so many times the word patience from him. Um, I think I think yeah, I think some fans like hearing the patience word from him, but I think I already see some fans like, okay, how long is this, you know, what how long are we going to hear patience? Like what when is that going to stop being said? But we’ll see what happens, man. I I I August 28th, we got two months to go until the season starts. Anything could happen. So, we’ll see. We’ll see what happens. I want to get you actually before we move on. Final prediction, make your guess. Does Dur get extended? Yes or no? He does and it’ll be $100 million. I think it gets 25 a year. All right. Does Jane Ivy get extended? No, not at all. Okay. All right, everyone. Go ahead and chop this up, clip it, save it, and then when something happens, use it against Anthony on Twitter. But coming up, we’ll get Anony’s thoughts on his expectations for this team moving in the next year. After such a successful season this past year, what should the Pistons be expected to do this year? We’ll talk about that coming up. Today’s episode is brought to you by FanDuel. The NFL season is almost here and my god, guys, Lions fans, I like I cannot believe the Cowboys just traded Michael Parsons within the NFC North. It’s like I I almost don’t want the NFL season to be here, but I kind of do because FanDuel is making it sure you’re ready for kickoff with a can’t miss offer. Right now, new customers can bet just $5 if your bet wins. You’ll get $300 in bonus bets to use across the app. Remember, this is a new deal now. Again, $5 and if your bet wins, this time you win $300 in bonus bets to use across the app. I’ve told you guys this many of the times before. I’ve been using FanDuel for years. 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If you haven’t already, head to the YouTube channel, locked on Pistons. Hit that subscribe button or leave us a fivestar review on whatever podcast platform you’re listening to us on. That’s another great way to support the podcast. Um, but Anthony, let’s get into this. The Pistons obviously had an extremely successful season this past year. Blew by all the expectations. Traan has made it a point to say every single time he’s asked about it, I didn’t think they would be that good. He’s said it multiple times now. So, he’s he even he was shocked that they were this good. Um, going into this year now, there’s obviously expectations. When you are a good team, it’s no longer just catching people by surprise. People are expecting to play you. People are expecting you to be a good team. They’re taking you serious. Like what? So, with all that said, and the additions the Pistons made and the people they lost, all that stuff, what are you expecting to see from this team this upcoming year? My expectations might be different from, you know, some fans. I still expect them to be a top six seed in the East. Um, but I expect them to win their first playoff series. Like I I think that is 100% obtainable. Uh, they just have to win a home playoff game. Uh, I don’t know what it is with this team last year. Like for whatever reason, they love playing on the road. Close games. Like I I I I really thought we were going to get a home playoff win against the Knicks. We probably should have. I thought game six was it. I I know. Same here. I That’s I I thought a sar had figured Jaylen Brunson out. I was I I had just watched um the whole playoffs like maybe two weeks ago. I was like, man, we are so close. But um I I think they’ll finish top six again. I I think um winning a playoff series would be huge, not only uh for all these young players, but ownership like ownership has not won um a playoff series since they purchased the team years ago. So that’s mine. I’d love to hear what your expectations are. Uh, so I think where I’m at right now, I think they will be So it’s it’s interesting because I wonder if I I’ve mentioned this a few times. I wonder if Trejan’s goals are the same as the fans goals because I think with the way Trean spoke about it, it feels like that he’s not that he doesn’t want to win. It just feels like he’s he’s kind of still in the I just want answers about the young guys and whether it’s good or bad answers, I’ll take it. Like I if it comes with losses, then it is what it is. If it comes and wins, great. Um, so I just wonder if Trajan’s really putting that type of pressure to, you know, win all this year. I think he’s kind of still just, you know, being patient again, like using that word that he always says. For me, I think I look at the East and I see Cleveland and New York as the top two teams. I think Orlando is going to be the third best team in the East. I I think they are a very, very good team that won 41 games this past year with injuries to Suggs, Beno, and Fron. Um, the fact they were able to do that was pretty impressive. So, adding Bane, those guys getting back healthy, I think they’ll be the third best team in the East. I think they’re very good. And I think it’s going to be the Detroit Pistons versus the Atlanta Hawks for the four seed. I think those two teams will be battling all year. I think that will be the rivalry this year for that fourth seed. Um, and I think I want the Pistons to either finish four or five. Like, I think that’s where the expectation should be for them. I don’t think they should finish six or below unless maybe like Philly is healthy all year and all of a sudden Embiid can play 82 games. God, you know, God willing, all of a sudden that happens and now now we got prime Embiid again. But I think four or five seed will be where the Pistons are at battling with Atlanta. And I’ve said this before, I think the edge that the Pistons have over Atlanta is maybe Atlanta has more proven talent, but the Pistons should have better health. I know last year they lost Ivy, but outside of Ivy halfway through the year, the Pistons actually had good health throughout the like they didn’t have a bunch of nagging injuries, guys missing a ton of games. Like it was Ivy that was unfortunate. No, like no one wants to see that, but Tobias was basally healthy all year. Kade was healthy most of the year. Osar the blood clot is kind of, you know, that doesn’t count as injury prone. Like he was healthy after he came back. Dur was healthy most of the year. Stu was like it it felt like the Pistons had some good health overall health luck I would say. And when you look at Atlanta, they’re banking a lot of what they’re doing with Chris Stops, who’s injuryprone. Luke Canard, who’s injuryprone, Jaylen Johnson, who I really like, but is also injuryprone. So, it’s like if they are healthy all year, I really like that team in their offseason. So, I think they might have the edge talent-wise at the four spot, but the Pistons have, I would say, another year playing together. They’re a more healthier team, and I feel like they have some young guys with maybe some higher ceilings that they could tap into. We just don’t know if they’ll hit that this year. So, it’s kind of hard to predict, but I think those two teams will be fine for 4C. That’s my prediction and my expectation for them this year. Playoff series win. I don’t know, man. You think they could? So, if they get let’s say they get to Okay. Well, let’s say if they get the Okay. Yeah. I just now realized if they get four or five, they probably are going to be going against Atlanta in the first round. And that’s I don’t think that’s a crazy hard like I know we’re projecting so far out. is like six or seven months away. But like that’s according to my how I’d rank the standings. Like they would go against Atlanta and it’s like can they beat Atlanta in a series? Yeah. So I think my expectation to where if they do something less than this I would be disappointed. A very competitive first round series again. Go seven games. I think if they do that I won’t walk away saying oh this season sucked. I’ll walk away saying okay another step in the right direction. You know they’re you know they’re going. Um, if they got a playoff series win though that I agree with everything you say. It would be huge. I didn’t even think about it from Tom Gore’s perspective. He doesn’t have and really, you know, this past year playoff win was the first he’s ever had. So, I’m He’s probably really pushing for that playoff series win to get that state off of him. Yeah, he got that uh playoff revenues uh from those tickets because they were crazy. He probably wants a playoff series win really bad, man. like just like kind of just looking at this team and just like I know some people have gotten like win totals like I’m not so concerned about like a win total like if you win a playoff series like I don’t even care if you’re a eight seed and you upset the one seed if you win a playoff series I’m chilling I’m cool over here like that that’s just like the goals that I have for them this season. So before we wrap it up, do you have any expectations awardwise for any of these guys? Whether it’s an All-Star appearance, all NBA, all defense, uh defensive player, anything. Do you have any award predictions or expectations for this team? I think we will see Kate Cunningham make his first team AllNBA. I think he has the capability to get it. I thought he should have made it second team over Steph Curry. That’s just me. But I had the same I had the same thing. Maybe I’m drinking a little bit of I love Steph. I love Steph. But like the first like three, four months of the season, it was looking a little rocky for him. I was getting scared. Yeah. Same here. I I think Assar Thompson and Stu could make all defensive teams. I think Stu got hosed last year with the minutes like playing 19.9. You needed 20. Um if Assar was healthy, he’d probably be up there with his brother a men last year. Um, I’m going to give you most improve who I think is kind of like a under the radar candidate. I think Ryan Holland, he’s not going to win it, but he he will be in the conversation. Like I I could I could see him on some sports books maybe being like a, you know, plus 5,000 right now of just like being um a candidate, man. Like I saw the summer league and I’m like, man, that shot looked very good. That passing looked great. Like the the the dimes he was making. uh the defense like averaging four steals, shooting over 40%. I know it’s a summer league, but I mean I was just so impressed with just how he looked out there and that’s what you want to see out of your second year player, but I mean those are the some some of the predictions I I’m I’m thinking off the top of my head right now. Yeah, I I had actually I talked last episode about players I thought were most likely to break out and I tweeted I think I also tweeted out with a graphic. Um I had Assar and Ron top two. I thought I think Ron could really I think he could really break onto the scene this year and I I like that. I last episode with Jack I said Jaylen Duran could sneak into most improved, but I actually really like the idea that Ron could get it. I think Ron’s going to be really really good. Um, I just I if I won’t be shocked if it happens this year, but he is still very young to where maybe it takes another year, but he is he looked so good in summer league and I love the mature um he I I I felt like he attacked summer league in his offseason s with such a mature professional mindset. Like you brought up the passing in the summer league. I love the fact that even when he would turn the ball over or throw a bad pass, the fact that he walked into something league saying, “Hey, I’ve been watching Cage film trying to see how the games opened up and like counters to when guys try to wall off my drives.” The fact he’s trying to learn those things and understands that like, hey, I have to be able to make basic reads to make defenses pay. I can’t always just go up with it instead of, you know, some guys go out to some league and just try to score 30 plus a game. I I feel like he was just so mature with this offseason. I loved it. So, I will not be shocked at all if Ron ends up on some most improved bouts and I think he could really break out whether it’s this year or next year. I think he’s going to be really good. Um, I’ll before we wrap up, let me ask you this last thing. If you have a hot take that you want to debut here, you make. If you don’t have one, I’ll give you mine. I I have one. I think I think the Pistons make a big splash at the trading deadline. Okay. Okay. All right. All right. I think when you say a big splash, you mean like you think a young guy gets traded? I think a couple get traded for a bigger piece to get Cade. This might piss some people off, but like a true number two, you know? I I I think Tjan right now he’s in Evale mode and he’s just trying to see like what he has because he didn’t draft these guys. But I think if they’re let’s just say they’re, you know, maybe top five, maybe he can get a trade where they’re up there with Orlando. That’s my hot take. I actually would be that would be super interesting if they I’m not against them doing that if the right deal is out there. My hot take is I’ve said it before in the podcast so I’m sure some people aren’t going to be as surprised. I think Assaro will be a top 50 player this year. I think this year he enters top 50. I think he improves enough offensively. He plays enough all year to where he makes all defensive team. He’s one of the best defensive players in the league. And he becomes baseline enough offensively to where it’s just like, yeah, we got he’s one of the most impactful players in the league. That’s my hot take, but thank you, Anthony, for coming on, man. Let everyone know where they can find you and all your content. You can follow me on Pistons Talk on all social media platforms if you’re not already. Coup, I appreciate the invite as always. Always good talking basketball with you, my guy. Appreciate you, man. I’ll be on I I’ll be on your show tomorrow. So, everyone stay tuned. We’ll have some backtoback content for you guys. But like as always, appreciate you guys making Locked on Pistons your first listen every single day. Free and available on all your podcast platforms. Hit that subscribe button to the YouTube channel. Leave us a fivestar view. Whatever podcast platform you’re listening to this song on. Go make sure you check out Anthony if you’re not already on Pistons Talk. I’m sure you guys all know about Pistons Talks. One of the biggest content creators in the community. Um, so make sure you guys go check out his content. But until next time, I will see you guys later. Stay safe out there and peace out everybody.

Pistons’ Roster Shake-up: Beasley’s Return, Young Stars’ Extensions, and Playoff Dreams

Will Malik Beasley rejoin the Detroit Pistons? Ku Khahil and Anthony from Pistons Talk dissect the potential impact on team dynamics and rotation. The duo analyzes contract extension possibilities for rising stars Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren, weighing risks and rewards. Bold predictions fly as they forecast a top-six Eastern Conference finish and first-round playoff victory for Detroit. Cade Cunningham’s All-NBA potential and a possible blockbuster trade deadline move take center stage.

Tune in for expert insights on the Pistons’ path to contention and the young core’s development in this can’t-miss analysis of Detroit’s upcoming NBA season.

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