The Detroit Pistons are still in the rebuilding process under head coach and general manager Stan Van Gundy, but they weren't that far off from making the playoffs this past season. Fans expect them to return to the postseason in 2016, so here are three things they need to do to make the playoffs next year:
Sign a big-time free agent
There’s also the matter of free agency, where intriguing Golden State Warriors breakout star Draymond Green will be sitting there likely to command max money. The Pistons are reportedly not considering pursuing him, but that could very well be a smokescreen with over three weeks to go until free agency kicks off. Green is from the area, and with the salary cap set to explode next season, bringing a hometown star back home would be worth the price.
Re-sign Reggie Jackson
Jackson turned down a four-year, $48 million extension from the Oklahoma City Thunder last offseason because he coveted a starting role – something he was never going to get as long as Russell Westbrook had a pulse. He has that starter’s spot in Detroit, but he’s still likely to command a similar deal to the one he turned down with the salary cap set to inflate into the neighborhood of $88 to $93 million dollars.
Get the draft right
Sitting at #8 in the 2015 NBA Draft pecking order, the Pistons could target Mario Hezonja, Kelly Oubre, or Stanley Johnson at small forward, or they could look to power forward and potential fits such as Myles Turner and Kevon Looney. Van Gundy loves skilled shooters, and he's looking for someone he can put next to rising star Andre Drummond. Expect the Pistons to go more "sure thing" instead of shooting for potential, meaning Johnson could be the pick.
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