The Detroit Pistons are looking to be a little more competitive this NBA season after winning only 63 games the last three seasons combined. They added a few veterans that they are hoping will help them achieve their goal of winning more games.
A majority of those veterans were acquired this past offseason via trade. They were the surprise winners of the Bojan Bogdanovic sweepstakes as the Utah Jazz traded the veteran forward, embarking on their own rebuild.
The Pistons also completed two separate trades that involved the New York Knicks, which resulted in multiple veterans ending up on the roster. Alec Burks, Nerlens Noel and Kemba Walker all went from The Big Apple to the Motor City this summer.
However, it sounds as if not all of those veterans are going to remain with the Pistons heading into the regular season.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Kemba Walker & Detroit Pistons Updates
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, Detroit is expected to waive Walker before the Monday deadline to get their roster down to 15 players with guaranteed contracts.
This was a move that many people expected when it was originally announced that Walker was heading to the Pistons. They were seeking some veterans, but their backcourt already has plenty of rotation players to give minutes to, so finding playing time for Walker was going to be difficult.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Kemba Walker & Detroit Pistons Updates
Walker, who is a four-time All-Star, has struggled with injuries the last few seasons as he deals with a chronic knee ailment. That has sapped a lot of the explosiveness and agility that made him such a special player earlier in his career with the Charlotte Hornets. Never a highly-regarded defender, Walker has become even more of a negative on that end of the court.
While Walker likely won’t produce at an All-Star level any longer, he did show that he can still shoot and score the ball with the Knicks last season. He knocked down 36.7 percent of his 3-point attempts last season and had some big scoring nights.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Kemba Walker & Detroit Pistons Updates
As the backup point guard or third guard in a rotation coming off the bench, Walker can still provide a team with a little bit of a scoring punch. Contenders should look into bringing the steady veteran in as an emergency option at the end of the rotation.
