Detroit Pistons Making Changes To The Front Office? | James Edwards III Joins The Show

Detroit Pistons Making Changes To The Front Office? | James Edwards III Joins The Show

hey guys welcome back to Pistons Talk podcast we have a very special guest probably read his articles all the time over at the athletic and you probably listen to his podcast of Detroit players James Edwards II man thank you so much for coming on again yeah man no problem thank you for having me like I said I could have you on once a month because it seems like every month it’s just pure craziness with the Pistons I don’t know what it is but um probably keeps you busy I know I stay busy with it as well so um should be a really fun show yeah definitely uh I’ll say this uh the two things that despite the lack of winning that the Pistons have done in my seven years on the beat is they’ve always had good people around like like good genuine people that make it uh easier to get through the the tough play on the court um and they also do lot of stuff to keep to keep uh to keep it interesting for sure whether it’s trades or hirings firings there’s always something going on for sure for sure uh one of the first uh segments I wanted to talk about um was trange in langon and probably what everyone’s talking about uh you know Troy Weaver getting let go I wanted to know like what were your initial reactions because I know listening to your podcast you’ve been like hinting at it for like two two months like like it could happen like don’t be surprised if it happens uh are you surprised that they eventually did it no not not at all I think uh I think for me uh the kind of I mean you obviously figured you going through the season down the stretch that there were clearly going to be changes gor’s hinted as such um in December when when we talked to him um but I think once I wrote the story at I think right before the Spurs game which was the final game of the year that hinted well didn’t Hint it reported that they would be going after a president of basketball operations that was pretty clear to me there that it was it was probably the writing was on the wall it’s just very hard to Envision one somebody coming in here in that role and not wanting to have their own people in here and two it’d be hard to imagine Troy wanting to work for work under somebody um after running the show himself so I think that was um definitely not a surprise certainly but uh I think they wanted to make sure they wanted whoever they hired to make sure uh that’s what they wanted to do so I think that’s why you saw the process drawn out and allowing trun to get here and talk with everybody and and figure out what he wanted to do I I almost thought he wasn’t going to get hired because it took so long for them to announce it because it’s just like I I get like a I think a saw a lot of people talk about that yeah I mean like I had a conspiracy like with um Cory and he told me he’s like you can’t do your conspiracy anymore man because I’m starting to buy it what was it what was your conspiracy I thought that they were just gonna pull the let’s go get Tim Connelly kind of like they did let’s go get Mani like they did last year oh I mean that’s not a bad conspiracy I will I will say that I think people just need to needed to look at the Timeline right uh mm-hm it was reported on I think Thursday before Memorial Day weekend or Friday that he was going to that he was the likely one to get the job that he was going to get the job right yeah so then you have Memorial Day weekend um those I think people underestimate how like long legal contracts take to get typed up and figured out too so you couple that with the long weekend and then him having to get to Detroit I know he signed on Wednesday they didn’t announce it till Friday but he was signed on Wednesday okay okay I just think there’s just like behind the scenes Nuance that I don’t know what it was that took the press release longer to come out but he had signed on Wednesday yeah probably a lot of like like you said paperwork and then you have the Factory Memorial Day weekend and you know people are with their families and stuff like that I think some people are just kind of pounding the table like it’s like what what’s taking so long it’s been over a week but um I also I also didn’t understand that point that part because it’s like well multiple reporters including myself like announced that he was getting hired I it felt like people thought that like he I don’t know why it needed an email to make it official I guess but I I guess I don’t know I think people just want information I don’t know it’s just I maybe it’s because some NBA teams like I’ll just use Phoenix for example like they they fired their coach they hired bu noer and he had pressure within like what 48 Hours yeah maybe that maybe that’s where fans are coming from and I can understand that but I mean to me that reads more like they did a little bit uh they started talks with that guy a little bit sooner than maybe they let on but yeah I mean it’s a process I I understand it I could see why some fans get a little bit irritated by it but um um honestly I I’m not like I said I’m not surprised like if people like listen to your podcast I mean you guys should subscribe by the way it’s a very good podcast yeah you and L you and LZ have been absolutely love LZ too the filling in for he’s a good dude uh shout out to LZ appreciate him filling in and playoffs are winding down Vinnie should be back probably I mean probably July probably do he’ll probably make his return around summer league uh after covering the finals and everything so but I really appreciate Laz for jumping on and being part part of it and yeah he’s been he’s been great who do you have in the finals I got Boston um I just think I just think that they have the best team from one to nine or whatever it is um I think that if porzingis is back that’s huge um I just don’t know if I’m going to trust Dallas’s role players in uh at this stage but we’ll see I I just think that Boston has I think role players are huge and when you get to the NBA finals and I I really like Boston’s assortment of of role players yeah I think it’s Boston’s to lose because I mean yeah like you said they’re so loaded and I think Derek white is probably really underrated people don’t really talk about him too much like yeah think he’s big big glue guy but it’ll be a really interesting NBA Finals it’s kind of weird not having like stepher LeBron in every year it’s really hard to get used to but uh I’m happy there a little bit yeah there’s some change like I don’t like the same old thing like every year unless it’s like unless it’s like a dynasty like what the Warriors did where we’re like witnessing greatness I’m fine with it like who can Dethrone the dynasty but for the most part I like to see new teams I think it’s good for the league I think it’s good for individual profiles of players um I’m a I’m a big fan of this this playoffs have been a blast and I think it’s been great for the league in terms of just more showing that there’s more star power than the steps and LeBron of the world for sure so I wanted to talk about uh an article you wrote over the past couple of days now you don’t have to like give too much out of it because obviously you want people to subscribe to it but uh it was an article about trange and langan’s like number two like maybe his GM I don’t know what we’re calling it I don’t know if we’re calling it a GM like vice president because I know there’s a lot of different like languages that people use in the front office like advisor um you had Michael Blackstone I believe it was yeah is he the lead candidate to possibly come in and work under Lon yeah it sounds like from what Shams and I have gathered that uh Michael Blackstone is going to be trajan’s number two it won’t be he won’t be have the title general manager it’ll probably like vice president of basketball operations which is I mean in my opinion um tomato tomato right like I just don’t I don’t think that uh I don’t I’d imagine he’d have a lot of the same similar or same role responsibilities as a GM uh I know he has a little bit more of a background in terms of like working through contracts and stuff too so I don’t know I I don’t really get hung up on the title to me Tran’s going to be the one I think making the final calls well he will be on basketball decisions um so I think filling out his front office with with people who have maybe stronger I don’t even want to say stronger but uh people he can rely on in other aspects of of being in the front office uh I think he’s going to do that and it seems like for Michael Blackstone that’s the case uh he was he’s been in New Orleans forever I’ve had a couple people out of New Orleans tell me that was a that was a huge hire it felt huge um I think he’s somebody that Griff really liked uh and by Griff David Griffin uh I think he did a lot of the negotiations out there in New Orleans uh yeah it’s They promoted Bryson Graham when he was before he was promoted to now what Tran’s role is before he was G They promoted him to GM but I think Blackstone was in contention for that too um yeah I just I I just think he’s been very involved in like a behind the scenes guy in what New Orleans has done over the last few years and it’s very clear that tran identified him as somebody he wanted to bring over yeah when I was Googling his name for whatever reason Google wanted to uh give me search results for Michael blackon from Wild and out I don’t know why but I was just like no black stone I know I was laughing I I don’t think you can find a ton on him been pretty low-key guy assistant I think he was assistant GM for the Hawks prior to New Orleans I think he did some stuff with the caves before that if I’m not mistaken uh has played the background but from from everybody I’ve talked to uh smart smart basketball mind and brings a lot to the table apparently the one thing I did find on this LinkedIn is you wrote a whole article about team building and working in an organization which I I found kind of interesting kind of like being in the War Room yeah I was just like oh wow that’s that’s actually pretty cool but um it’s good to hear that you know he’s well respected and something that um I think a lot of fans were kind of harping on is like getting the right people in the front office and trying to get this ship like back in the right direction so um you click baited me with tan Prince I was like oh no way but I get it I hey I don’t choose which photos go just so people know it’s all good man it’s all good I enjoyed the Articles was very well informed yeah oh I appreciate it but yeah it’s uh I think a lot of people obviously when there’s H rings and Fir Rings people get excited obviously I think it would be unfair to say that there wasn’t this similar excitement when Troy was hired and um Stan Van Gundy for him so it’s just the nature of the Beast right but I think as far as the Pistons go they’ve done every they’ve checked every box in a candidate that you would want checked and that’s and that’s all you can ask for um he’s a guy who’s been at every level in a front office um he’s scouted he’s played he’s played overseas he played in the an American soil he played in the NBA um has great connections he’s still young like somebody that’s not only could possibly fix what’s happening now but be here for the Long Haul so they checked every single box I think they did what they were supposed to do in this search it’s just a matter of now you let the chips fall where they may yeah I listen to some old interviews of him and within the first 60 seconds he’s like I got to get the person right I was like yeah I knew it they got the guy like that’s just like something that I know gors and are and are like very high on is getting the person right getting the before the player and I was like oh yeah 100% that’s that’s going to be their guy um when they were going through that process I’ve heard good things just about how he approach the interview process um definitely didn’t seem like a lone wolf like he had all the answers was willing and wanting to get people around him who maybe accentuate what quote unquote could be his weaknesses or find people who bring ideas to the table um that that make him think so he seems like a very collaborative person I think that would obviously come from playing team sports and and all that and being a point guard and and wanting people to be involved so um certainly I think he sounds like he wowed them during the process and and sounds like Dennis Lindsay did too but I think Tran eector and the age and his ability and willingness to to really make it a group thing um and and be wanting to bring different Minds in with him uh I think got him over the top for sure for sure uh one of the next segments I I’m going to bring up to you and I think a lot of Pistons fans have a lot of questions about Monty Williams um and my question to you is could the Pistons move on from Monty uh given that we have a new president of basketball operations and everything that’s transpired over the past week or so yeah could they I I think so um 14 wins um I think there you obviously somebody new coming in I obviously I obviously think you have to consider everything on the table after a season like that right um now if you’re Monty you could make the case didn’t have the best roster to work with and there’s the obviously elephant in the room that he still owed like $60 million but as I reported a bunch if Tran wants to move on that it’s that money is no object for gors so I think they need to decide one is does Monty is his is his heart and and and and soul into coaching this young rebuilding team um I think they need to determine if what they maybe saw as coaching uh issues could that have been could that have not been a thing if the roster was better yeah those are all things I think they need to determine uh but I definitely I definitely think it’s a it’s a possibility sure I I don’t think it’s uh I don’t think it’s I’m 5050 on on if he’ll be back or not so I guess I can say that okay I know there’s th some things you can’t say and I I respect that and I understand that um but the question I would have is would they go for a a a veteran coach or would they try to go younger my gut would be that they would go younger um that doesn’t mean that that coach wouldn’t have experience I think they could get a would still have a youngish coach that has experience for example like James bargo’s been a coach before but I think he’s he’s not even 50 um he’s in his late 40s I believe early 40s or something like that uh but yeah I think where this team is and it kind of just also depends on where on what Tran’s plan is which we haven’t spoken to him yet he hasn’t had his press conference yet um which uh for one reason or another like obviously could be read into this question you’re asking me or not right so they’re still figuring certain things out but uh I think that whoever comes in depending on what tron’s plan is like if if he wants to evaluate the young guys here before making decisions I could see them going with a younger coach if they want to even just still keep a couple young guys and move a couple and add some veterans I could still see like a upand cominging or a coach that like Bargo who has experience but is still young uh just to have have like maybe more modern ideas and and and and philosophies so um yeah I I don’t get the sense that they would go older and by older I mean like a somebody who’s been Co a head coach for 10 plus years I think it would be somebody who’s either been a coach before but is still relatively young or somebody maybe even getting their first coaching job I could throw a name out there and I don’t know if it’s like if they do decide to move on I think Jamal McMillan would be a good option to look at personally if you want to stay in house yeah I’ve got to know Jamal uh great guy uh obviously comes from a coaching pedigree um very I think uh well respected in the league like I said really good guy um been a pleasure getting to know him over the last year I just would wonder if like I assume if Monty left I don’t know if they would I don’t know how many people from his staff would remain right like that’s kind of the the tricky part but um I think it all kind of comes down who he has relationships with who he doesn’t have relationships with uh he’s got his quote unquote dream job so I I imagine he’d want to get somebody he’s been fond of as a coach for a while assuming that that’s not Monty there’s a case that is Monty so uh yeah I but I I think Jamal has a bright future ahead of him for sure yeah I mean got to cover him like a lot with with the the other job I do have and I mean they were a top two seed in the G league with they didn’t like quote unquote have like a superstar like their best player at the time was jontay Porter and uh did pretty well in the G League when he wasn’t gamling but yeah but uh made a lot of money maybe it was betting on the G League game so he put 20 games I don’t know can you bet on League games in the apps I don’t I’d have to ask Brody I’m not sure he maybe he would know yeah I’ve never I’ve never I’m not a gambler I don’t but I’ve never checked to see if I could bet on the Motor City Cruise versus the Charlotte swarm or whatever the hell yeah you got it right yeah is that it yeah there we go I just found out today that new orleans’s g-league team is the uh the um Birmingham squadrons never had heard of that team before they got some pretty sick jerseys I’m not even gonna lie I love the name it’s a sick name the Birmingham squadrons that’s a hard name I’m a fan of that yeah I mean some some of the names are you’re just like what but some of the names are like lowkey fire I like squadrons squadrons is tough have to tell you guys about the game time ticket app how exciting would it be to attend an NBA Finals game this year I think I would absolutely love it game time makes getting NBA Finals tickets even faster and easier prices on the game time app actually go down the closer it gets a tip off with killer last minute deals all in prices views from your seats and the lowest price guaranteed game time takes the guess workk out of buying NBA tickets one of my favorite features within the app is they have a 360° view so you get to see how close you’ll be getting to the action I did that several times this year buying Detroit Pistons tickets and I got to see whether I was in a upper bowl lower bowl or almost court side absolutely love that feature within the app if you go over and you download the game time app and create an account and use code clns for $20 off your first purchase terms apply again create an account and redeem the code C LNS for $20 off your first purchase download the game time today last minute ticket deals lowest price guaranteed I I don’t know how deep you’ve gotten into the NBA draft um yeah I I kind of wanted to get like where you’re feeling with the Pistons like which prospects do you like at five for them uh if they’re gonna keep the pick because that that’s a whole another topic yeah yeah I actually have a piece uh that’ll be up on the athletic on Monday um where I look at and this isn’t my opinion I’ll give my opinion in a second but I have a piece up on the athletic on Monday where I kind of analyze how the Hornets or the Hornets how the Pelicans drafted um under TR and leg TR and Lon the last few years um and triy to get an idea of who would be the targets at number five working under some of the like characteristics of players that they drafted um in New Orleans so check that piece out to see what the three players I kind of landed and I thought one thing that was interesting uh is New Orleans never used like a valuable pick on a center uh they always either went and got yonis valun who’s a proven big man um Stephen Adams was a proven big man uh so maybe that’s intentional right you always hear over the last few years that there are a lot of people who don’t think there is uh it’s worth spending a lottery pick on a big man uh that or a more quote unquote traditional Center I should say um not a big man but so that’ll be interesting uh but yeah check out that piece to see which three names I think just observing new orleans’s uh drafting habits which three could be targets for the Pistons at five me personally um I like Stefon Castle um I like Cody Williams I like Donovan kingan um who else do I like richer Shay is interesting um I just I’m not sure I don’t I’m not I don’t know if I feel like comfortable that any of these guys are are going to be like stars I mean it’s going to happen because it’s happens every year like it’s just the nature of the beast but um I really like if Stefan Castle can if that shot can become a thing like I just really like the intangibles he has and the the defense the ball handling uh good size big fan of his and I think kingan has some like build a defense around him type characteristics and size so uh yeah there’s a those are the ones off the top Cody Williams I think is a little bit underw was a little bit underwhelming at Colorado uh I think more people wanted to see him dominate I think he had some injuries that may have helped derail that but I Al just don’t know if that’s his personality and he also played with like guys who think they’re going to be pros and it was a weird team there in Colorado uh but just his like tools also is like I mean six what six with a s foot wingspan doesn’t it’s not like an elite jumper but like finishes and ways he shot the ball well but small volume so you’re curious to see how that translates um has the length to be a good Defender smart player I I just the athleticism I wish it popped a little bit more and I wish there were more like dominant performances in college but um you kind of look at him and then you see somebody like herb Jones not the same type of player but similar ways of being evaluated out of college and and Herb has figured it out too so uh there’s a hint for one of the names in the story for sure for sure um I was kind of surprised you said Castle kind of given like what his campus said where he doesn’t want to go to a team with like a starting point guard already in place you think that would deter them not to draft him because he’s trying to go to San Antonio probably I mean I wouldn’t I like he’s not gonna get here and not play like he’s not gonna just like half asset I think obviously he probably has somewhere he would prefer to go but once he’s guys get to these places they have no choice if they want to have promising careers and uh I think I’d actually rather see Castle in a secondary ball handling role before I would give him like the Reign to run my offense and I think him next to Cade in that regard would be very helpful um in in something I think would be super intriguing uh just because of like I said his ability to break down guys off to dribble I think he has a very high IQ as a player and then even defensively him and a s could take some of the bigger matchups uh or the better matchups and and allow Cade to kind of find his a little bit of rest there on defense so I don’t think they go Castle I don’t know if he necessarily fits what I think langon covets in a prospect but I like Castle um and I think if you’re just going for upside I think he’s to me one of the higher upside if not the highest upside prospect that there is in the draft yeah I I I tend to agree with you I I just kind of Wonder like what what do you do with Ivy in that situation like is he starting is he a six man do you you play cast leic Cade there’s like a lot of in Sasser too there’s like a lot of question marks there with him but you D best player you’re not gonna go for you know fit because because I know a lot of Pistons fans right now in the chat they’re like dton connect or bust like they want connect at five and I’m somebody that I like connect and I understand that his game fits uh some of the limit ations that the Pistons have I guess primarily shooting doesn’t help the defensive side of the floor at all um but like I don’t know when you win 14 games I’m not sure you can necessarily afford to pick for fit yeah um you gotta get some guys yeah I see like Reed Shepard and dton connect like anytime I talk about draft prospects that’s kind of who the Pistons fans want and kind of the balous thing which I’m not even going to get into because it’s just a tired conversation they talk more about who he’s represented than the player he is I’m just yeah and I like I think yeah he’s just I get it it’s around these parts it’s a weird conversation to have uh I mean if you are in the know at all buellis was projected to go number one in this draft like six seven months ago um he’s been on the radar for a lot of people he’s the big Wing almost more guard likee to me um I really like his shot I think that’s another guy that could be available at be an option at five aside from the tum connection like I I just I mean he’s a tall Wing guard who hasn’t necessarily shot the ball well but has a I think has a nice looking stroke Cuts well doesn’t need the ball to be effective has the length to be a good Defender needs to get a lot stronger to me a lot of bellus’ issues are um weight room related and that one thing getting in the NBA will help him with that if he’s as long as he’s able to like put on decent weight like I I like buzel as a Pros um doing more research and if he gets picked I mean people are going to say what they say obviously because of the connection but he’s very much worthy of a top five pick like I said if you were reading way too early 2024 NBA mock drafts right after the 20123 one finished uh you saw buell’s name right at the top for for several weeks and months yeah him and Ron Holland and Alex sarber changing like I’m a sicko like Yeah I’m already looking at 2025 like right like right now that draft’s fun yeah that draft’s fun actually fun like Cooper flag and a bunch of other guys that are just going to be like absolute studs even the Pelicans told the Lakers like hey you can have our pick this year we don’t want it go for it yeah yeah you guys go ahead and try to win again and uh miss the playoffs and we’ll take that pick honestly man but um I honestly think the more I watch Like Old press conferences uh with TR and langin I think they might trade down because I think there are some prospects in the draft that kind of fit fit his AR type of players that he might like like a Tyler Smith from the g- ignite um TJ Shong from France makes a little bit of sense if you wanted this Bank on potential um because I I think there’s a lot of talent in the first round but I I don’t think people have actually like really gone down deep in the this draft because there’s not like a superstar in the draft but there’s a lot of talented uh players that I think are going to have long NBA careers yeah I agree I think the thing when we say it’s not the best draft I think like you said it’s it’s at the top and it’s kind of the fear of these guys from like to me one to like F I guess like like one to 15 almost like there’s not a lot of separation and it’s like you who you draft at five could easily be worse than who goes at 15 like that’s I think that’s the big there’s no clear-cut guys like you can talk yourself into anybody um and I think that’s the biggest like if I was picking Sam prey said it the other day like I like this draft like I would like this draft too if I was picking where the Thunder were picking like yeah there there’s some decent players there you’re not gonna have to pay them a ton and you don’t get the scrutiny of if you whiff on a top five pick if you whiff on 17 or whatever it is right so um I think yeah I don’t know my thing is if he trades it if he moves down it’s likely probably going to be for more of like you said the a project player but I wonder if so if you trade for a to move down for a project player hopefully if you’re the Pistons you either get in that like maybe a player um ready to go like a veteran to as part of the trade or you get multiple draft picks if you’re trying to build assets but I just am kind of interested to talk to Tran and find out like what his plan is for this team because to me that’ll help determine what’s more likely that they do with the number five pick if he wants to lean in and learn what young guys he has here for until the trade deadline and risk maybe value falling even more like I’d understand it like you want to you don’t want to lose what you have at home uh that’s not that’s not ideal but at the end of the day and I think obviously Troy suffered a lot of this backlash is he’s also Tran isn’t just starting fresh like he has a whole fan base who hasn’t who’s been fans of a team that haven’t won in 15 plus years yeah so it’s it’s it’s interesting like that Dynamic and it’s it’s not it’s not unfair because it’s sports like at the end the day people want their team to win but it was kind of the same argument with Troy like Detroit was rebuilding the right way at the time starting when Troy got there and they obviously it didn’t work out but the teams Before Troy like they weren’t rebuilding they were just bad yeah and then finally try to start rebuild the right way now with Tran coming in he has the he’s coming on the heels of uh a situation where fans were ready to believe that they finally rebuilt we got the number one pick we’re going to finally start heading upward and it didn’t happen so it’s now it’s like well can he afford to keep slow playing it um does he risk trading young players too early like it’s a it’s not an easy situation to be in but that’s why you get paid the big bucks not at all and he has a clean slate to I do want to say that like if you want to trade out of the five pick you’re GNA actually have more salary cap depending if you don’t take salary back because a fifth pick is kind of pricey I I I don’t think some fans understand like top five picks get paid yeah even though it’s just like it’s still like around like I think anywhere from I want to say like seven to 10 like around that area yeah it’s around seven to 10 yeah yeah so if I was if I was a team looking to move up I’d rather have the number five pick like I’d rather call the Pistons for number five than number three um or if you don’t or if you think the players two to five if you think the player you want at five or you think could go at two might also be there at five but you like two guys like even the difference from two to five is is significant financially and with and with obviously teams having to monitor their financial situations more like it’s a couple million dollars like it’s not nothing so I think that’s why the number five pick could have a little bit more value than people think if uh if the Pistons were to trade it from the financial aspect alone and in kind of the clumping of the prospects interesting I actually had I kind of someone asked me about like um the Pistons could like uh trade out of the fifth pick I didn’t I didn’t really see too many teams wanting to trade up for the fifth pick because I was just like I don’t really think it’s that valuable I think it’s like if it was in last year’s draft maybe it would be valued like as a late lottery pick maybe like outside of that but I just don’t see it like teams trying to trade up to get the fifth pick unless definitely possible unless you’re the Bulls and you just want to get donov and kinging because bich is getting older like I don’t know yeah and I mean you’ve heard reports of some teams looking for extra lottery picks like I think um Charlotte was one uh but they said they’d want to take on bad contracts and I don’t I don’t think the Pistons really have a bad contract on the books right now um there was another team looking for an additional first round pick I can’t remember who it was was it Portland uh there’s another team looking for another first round pick so yeah you never know and as the draft goes people fall in love with prospects yeah maybe they you just never know but yeah I agree like there’s a world where nobody wants to move up in this draft but you start evaluating and really diving deep into your your draft preparation and maybe you fall in love with somebody hey I’m wrong more times than that so prove me wrong I I prove me wrong absolutely would love it man like I’ve been ruged so much humbled me a lot so I was just like man I man I’m I think uh I need to stay off these CBD gummies a little bit because they’re messing with my brain now we’ve all been wrong it’s it’s you’re not you’re not living right if you haven’t been wrong yeah I mean I think I have a wallpaper of freezing cult takes I could just uh wallpaper them what’s your favorite oh probably a conversation um with pistons thoughts I don’t know if you’ve ever met him or talked to him before yeah I met him in he lives in LA right or he did yeah yeah yeah he’s he’s introduced himself to me a few times when I’ve been out in La covering games nice guy shout out to Pistons thoughts yeah shout out to Jordan really nice guy uh we he had a CO I think a comment about when Andre Drummond just got his max contract and Jaylen Brown was only averaging like 10 points a game and we we were both like we’d much rather pay Andre Drummond a Max and Jaylen Brown a Max and that thing aged like m like it was so bad I mean that’s not like a it’s not like a super bad take at the time but yeah I mean yeah it didn’t age well at all but no I I took it on the chin it it resurfaces every year I’ll wake up to like 100 plus like notifications on Twitter I was like oh this time of year again cool Celtic is it Celtics fans oh it’s everybody it’s the NBA Twitter fans it’s like uh the The Muse account in the season accounts I was like that’ll do it that’ll do it for sure um I I I did want to ask you about um a player that’s in New Orleans that I think is going to get moved um and that is Brandon Ingram do you think he would be a realistic Target um for the Pistons to go after on paper I mean all right well let me preface this first you’re talking to a big Brandon Ingram fan um same here I obviously know his limitations as a player and but I just thorough I like enjoy watching Brandon Ingram play basketball um do I think he would Sam Vini doesn’t think that Ingram is a good fit next to Cade uh I don’t agree but like I understand why that could be the case um I think he physically like fits the type of archetype that they need I think he’s an underrated playmaker um the shooting he’s a good shooter but it comes and goes um I think he’s a a good Defender too solid Defender it depends on how much you’re going to have to pay him he’s still young um like if I can get him for just the number five pick I personally would um if I had to throw in like a little bit more or something else and they can throw in something else too like I think one I think one I would do it because I do think this team needs to try to get better sooner rather than later and Ingram does do that and two Ingram’s young like what are the like you’ll have them under team control for four or F for four years five years four years like I don’t know what are the odds you do better than that um in free agency than a 26y Old 27 28y Old who’s I think Ingram’s only 26 right do you have his agent in front of you yeah I I’m can look it up in two seconds maybe he’s 27 yeah I think he’s only had a one he’s got one year left on his deal and then you probably just give him that he’s 26 so you can kind of give him that foure uh Max whatever probably like around 200 million but hey yeah I mean I like Ingram um I would I would strongly consider it but I also understand like if you don’t think he helps move the needle enough and you tie yourself up then you had a pay Kade soon um I understand it if you want to maybe try to hold off but if you don’t have to give up much to get them I would really really consider it now the other question is um it’s been very clear or at least up to now that I’m not sure that the Pelicans are willing to give him the extension he’s looking for and that was the case prior to Tran arriving like is is Tran one of those people uh that’s a question we don’t know right so yeah um that’s that that’s it’s tough to say without knowing that but certainly like if you’re asking me personally I think if the Pistons wanted to get Ingram I think they could find a way yeah for sure yeah one of my buddies is on the the beat um for for the Pelicans and he’s basically he’s like yeah it probably take like Ivy Duran in the fifth I was like that’s way too much that’s way too much all three I’ve heard I’ve heard Pelicans people say I think one deal floated out there was like durren and five for Ingram and 21 um which I mean that’s that’s a dealer’s choice right like if you believe you obviously have the fear of what Duran could become um and what that number five pick could become but I think that’s far more fair in value than five Duran and Ivy like yeah I would give up all that yeah that that’d be like highwa robbery if that happened honestly for a guy one year left on his deal yeah no I think he he’s a player that a lot of fistance fans think is going to come here because Tran was in the New Orleans but like you said maybe he wasn’t the biggest fan of Ingram maybe he’s the maybe he doesn’t want to bring him to Detroit wants to get players that maybe he values a little bit more yeah you know yeah exactly like it’s it’s clear that there was some type of hold up and it’s it’s apparent that they’re shopping him like they wouldn’t be shopping him if they were interested in paying him and maybe that’s all smoke and they ended up paying them but um you have to ask yourself well this has been a conversation prior to Tran signing with the Piston so you have to then therefore wonder is he one of the ones that doesn’t really have interest in paying Ingram that significant amount of money for sure for sure um I’m G to try to fit in this last topic because I know you have to go yeah I made a list maybe about two weeks ago of unrestricted free agent uh targets I’d like to see the Pistons to go after and I’d like you to react to it to see if there’s any names on this list that you think is a possibility so put it put it on the screen real quick all right monk I mean makes sense Claxton makes sense Trent Jr makes sense UB makes sense hartenstein makes sense Malik Beasley I mean like in theory makes sense but I wouldn’t spend a lot of money on Malik Beasley uh I like Derek Jones but I don’t think the Pistons have the infrastructure to make for Derrick Jones to thrive in like he has like how he is right now miles Bridges um that’s a tough one for me obviously I’m from Flint but and went to Michigan State but certainly I’m not sure he moves a needle enough to deal with the uh to deal with the things that he’s done and I don’t I don’t think he moves the needle first of all I don’t think moving the needle should be let me clarify that moving the needle either way shouldn’t necessarily excuse if somebody did what he did and and should be playing here uh but if you’re if you’re a team like the Pistons just coming off 14 wins The Worst season in franchise history have’ only won 31 games the last two years have dealt with um things like the the Rob Murphy incident I’m not sure that you can afford I don’t know if you have enough Goodwill built up to to go and get miles Bridges uh Andre Drummond I think will I think there’s yes I think Andre makes sense um would he come back to Detroit and be able to kind of find himself as the type of role player he has been to the last few years and was successfully in Chicago if he came back to Detroit where he was once the star like I would assume so at this stage in his career but I think that’s something um they’d have to consider I if I believe he’s either a year or two ago I think there was I think he was interested in coming back um if if I’m not mistaken Tobias Harris yeah I mean that’s another one I know people are torn on Tobias I also think a lot of people think that Tobias is getting a Max to come here here I don’t don’t I don’t think that’s the case so I mean if you can get Tobias for 17 to 22 million a year on like a two or threee deal like I don’t I don’t see what’s so bad about that uh personally but yeah I don’t I don’t I agree with most of these names on this list and all of them are role players and I think that’s the Pistons biggest issue right now is they don’t have or that was their biggest issue this season is they tried out a lot of they tried to make a lot role players they try to make a lot of players role players who weren’t even role players um yeah and they just didn’t have enough NBA Talent on the roster and uh all those guys are NBA players and and have been for a while so yeah I like all those names yeah I mean that that list was really hard to uh come up with I like I I back and forth with Miles Bridges I was like if I don’t put it it’s whatever if I do put it it’s gonna you know piss people off and I understand that but I mean um I honestly think they’ll Target at least one person on that list that’s just my go feeling I don’t know if it’s going to be like a monk or you know Gary Trent maybe even I didn’t include buddy heeld maybe they go after buddy heeld you never know they need shooting yeah and uh when was Buddy in New Orleans was that was that free I think that was pre uh Griff and pran you might you might be right let me look it up yeah that had to be early on uh oh yeah that was 16117 yeah that was his second he Budd he got traded his first year in the league hold on yeah oh was he part of the boogie trade he yeah I think he was 1617 yeah because he went from New Orleans to Sacramento yeah that that Boogie was that I still remember that that trade was so wild that happened like 4 in the morning I was just like what wait didn’t that I thought that happened wasn’t that the trade where Boogie found out he was traded while at all-star weekend and that’s why they changed the rule I think so I’m not 100% I remember Langston Galloway was in that trade too I’ve talked to Langston about it if I’m not mistaken I think I think that’s the trade where Boogie was at Allstar doing his media session and he found out he was Tred during the media session and then they made tra and then they changed the rule where um what’s what’s first now the deadline or the allstar game deadline right yeah pretty sure now the deadline the All-Star games after the deadline now I think after that wow that’s that’s crazy I I still remember that trade though because I was like getting ready to go to bed and I was like it’s 3 in the morning why am I getting a w notification I like I was like what that that that’s crazy that was crazy um shout out to Boogie I miss I miss Prime Boogie shout out to Boogie he was fun as hell to watch yeah had a short Prime but man like he was really good then when when he was right I mean easy like 25 and 10 at night the couple BLS carried me in fantasy for many years shout out to shout out to Boogie cousins man for sure for sure I I know you you said you have to go and I do appreciate you making the time like you always do um if you have anything you want to promote or plug the floor is yours uh nothing that we haven’t already talked about check out check me out on the athletic if you haven’t already uh my Twitter is JL Edwards I II as I said earlier I have a story up if you’re on Monday um looking at who what the Pistons could do or who the Pistons could Target with the number five pick now that tran langon is in I’m kind of evaluating their Trends as in in New Orleans as they drafted I have a I have a podcast on patreon the Detroit players I do it with Vincent Goodwill NBA columnist Yahoo sports I gave him the playoffs off so he didn’t have to be boarded by talking about Pistons draft picks while he’s also covering the postseason and the great LZ Jackson has filled in for him um and we drop a podcast every Monday and then I do a bonus episode every Friday uh where it’s like interviews I had in the stash or like I’m right now I’m dropping like stuff from the combine I got from prospects uh we do emergency podcast when when news breaks um it’s $4 a month once you’re a patreon member you can listen on iTunes or Spotify wherever you get it from there’s a it’s easy to to figure out how to do but yeah it’s only $4 a month and you get at minimum eight podcasts a month so uh check it out and uh appreciate you having me on as always man for sure we appreciate 1600 people in here right now like appreciate you guys that’s that’s amazing I don’t think I’ve ever had that much before um hey let’s go that’s that’s insane man that I I appreciate everyone in here um some of the comments I’m gonna have to go back and read because I didn’t read any of them and I’m sure they’re they’re probably funny but um appreciate you coming on appreciate everyone in the chat and we’ll see you guys uh next week peace peace

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