The Detroit Pistons have talked with the Sacramento Kings this offseason about a trade for Josh Smith and while there is no deal imminent, there is a chance that the team make a trade this summer and names like Derrick Williams or Jason Thompson could be moved and this comes as the Pistons are building around Andre Drummond, Brandon Jennings and potentially Greg Monroe if they get him signed.
According to ESPN.com, Smith was the center of talks between the Kings and the Pistons, but things have not picked up since earlier in the summer. Williams and Thompson could be options, but right now the Pistons are focusing on signing Monroe and that could lead to a trade with Smith down the line. The Pistons have improved their three point shooting this season by signing Jodie Meeks and that it big after they were one of the worst in the league last season.
The Pistons come into the season after winning just 29 games last year and now they are looking to improve under Stan Van Gundy and he comes in as president of basketball operations and head coach. Van Gundy is looking to reshape the team and he has been making some solid moves this offseason and he has reportedly told Smith that he likely will remain with the Pistons this season, but there is still plenty of time this summer for a deal to get done.
Last season the team ranked 14th in the league in scoring, but they were near the bottom in defense and that is one area where Stan the Man will look to improve. The team has size in the middle but the wings need more work and that is one reason why Smith was considered as a trade option in the first place. The team was third in rebounding last season and that is indicative of Drummond and Monroe and now the Pistons are looking to improve in other areas, including assists and three point shooting.
The Pistons added Butler this offseason and he was signed for two years and that fits into what Van Gundy wants to do, as he was looking for "singles and doubles" and not "home runs" this summer. The team has filled out their roster with Butler and DJ Augustin and depending on what happens with Smith, the bench could have some other names as well. Butler was with the Thunder last season and Augustin comes in after averaging 13.1 points for the Bulls and he will be a nice backup point guard off the bench.
The first big deal for Van Gundy was Jodie Meeks and that was a three year deal worth about $20 million, according to ESPN.com. Meeks was solid for the Lakers last season and set career highs across the board, including averaging 15.7 points, 2.5 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.4 steals per game and he also shot over 45 percent from the field. The biggest thing is his three point shooting, as he was 40 percent from three and that comes after the Pistons were ranked near the bottom of the league in long range shooting and now they have a solid option from beyond the arc.
