Detroit Pistons offseason recap: Drummond secured as franchise cornerstone
With the bulk of NBA free agency in the books, USA TODAY Sports explores how all of the offseason moves will alter each team as we look ahead to the 2016-17 season.
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Projected starting five: Detroit Pistons
(Statistics from 2015-16 season)
- Reggie Jackson - Points: 18.8, assists: 6.2, rebounds: 3.2, steals: 0.7, field goal percentage: 43.4%
- Kentavious Caldwell-Pope - Points: 14.5, rebounds: 3.7, assists: 1.8, steals: 1.4, field goal percentage: 42.0%
- Marcus Morris - Points: 14.1, rebounds: 5.1, assists: 2.5, steals: 0.8, field goal percentage: 43.4%
- Tobias Harris (with Orlando and Detroit) - Points: 14.7, rebounds: 6.7, assists: 2.2, blocks: 0.5, field goal percentage: 46.9%
- Andre Drummond - Points: 16.2, rebounds: 14.8, assists: 0.8, blocks: 1.4, field goal percentage: 52.1%
Added - Drummond (re-signed), Jon Leuer, Boban Marjanovic, Ish Smith, Ray McCallum, Henry Ellenson, Michael Gbinije
Lost - Anthony Tolliver, Jodie Meeks, Joel Anthony, Spencer Dinwiddie, Steve Blake (unsigned)
Biggest acquisition - Drummond
As a restricted free agent to start the summer, Drummond's five-year, $125 million-plus max contract — which was reached on the first day of free agency — came as no surprise. With his re-signing, the 22-year-old became both the highest-paid player in Pistons history and an official franchise cornerstone alongside Jackson, who thinks the Pistons don't have a ceiling this year.
Biggest departure - Meeks
The 29-year-old can add value as a scorer when healthy, as he showed during his 2013-14 campaign with the Los Angeles Lakers (15.7 points, 40.1% from three). But the fact that Meeks — who played just three games last season after undergoing foot surgery and missed 22 games the season before with a stress reaction in his lower back — was the team's most notable loss speaks volumes to the strength of Detroit's summer.
X factor - Caldwell-Pope
The 23-year-old shooting guard made significant progress in each of his first three seasons with Detroit while emerging as a valuable member of the team's young core. But as he enters the fourth and final year of his rookie contract, he has yet to be re-signed, meaning he'll become a restricted free agent next summer if no agreement is reached by the upcoming Oct. 31 deadline.
Offseason grade - A
Check out our other offseason recaps: Atlanta Hawks • Boston Celtics • Brooklyn Nets • Charlotte Hornets • Chicago Bulls • Cleveland Cavaliers • Dallas Mavericks • Denver Nuggets
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