The NBA Finals are over, and the offseason is upon us.
The Detroit Pistons have the 37th overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, scheduled for Wednesday, June 25, and Thursday, June 26. Now that the 2024-25 season is officially finished, the Pistons can now begin negotiating with their pending free agents.
Starting Sunday, June 30, at 6 p.m., 2025 NBA free agency begins when teams will be permitted to negotiate with pending free agents from other teams.
At 12:01 p.m. July 6, players will be able to officially sign contracts.
The Pistons have five players entering unrestricted free agency they can start talking to now — Malik Beasley, Tim Hardaway Jr., Dennis Schröder, Paul Reed and Lindy Waters III. Here’s what we know as another fascinating NBA offseason gets rolling.
SG Malik Beasley
Age (when next season begins): 28.
2024-25 salary: $6 million.
Stats: 16.3 points per game, 41.6% from 3 on 9.3 attempts, 82 games.
The buzz: The veteran sharpshooter put together a historic season, becoming the fifth player in NBA history to knock down at least 300 3-pointers in a single season. Beasley outperformed his contract and is due for a significant raise, potentially up to the non-taxpayer midlevel exception starting at $14.1 million per season. They can offer as much as $60.6 million over four years.
He has familial ties to Detroit through is mom and has signaled publicly multiple times, including telling president of basketball operations Trajan Langdon not to trade him at the February deadline, he’d like to return next season.
“In my whole nine years in the NBA I never had this much fun coming to the gym,” he said after Game 6 on May 1, a season-ending loss to the New York Knicks. “I’ve been through a lot of stuff just this year alone, and every day coming in was probably the best thing that happened to me. Coach J.B. (Bickerstaff) and Trajan did an amazing job making sure when you come here, it’s fun, it’s energetic, it’s a place you want to be. It’s definitely a place I want to be.”
PG Dennis Schröder
Age: 32.
2024-25 salary: $13 million.
Stats: 10.8 points, 5.3 assists, 25.2 minutes per game, 28 games with Pistons.
The buzz: Langdon addressed the Pistons’ biggest need at the deadline by trading for Schröder, a veteran point guard who became an indispensable part of the rotation down the stretch due to his ball security, defense and clutch shot-making. Langdon hinted in February they’re very open to re-signing Schröder this offseason, and can do so without cap space due to them having his Early Bird rights.
SG/SF Tim Hardaway Jr.
Age: 33.
2024-25 salary: $16.2 million.
Stats: 11 points, 36.8% from 3, 77 starts.
The buzz: More than a decade after his standout career at Michigan, Hardaway was a stalwart for the Pistons thanks to his outside shooting and durability. They likely won’t be able to guarantee Hardaway a large role next season with Jaden Ivey’s pending return, or match his annual salary from last season. Regardless, the club needs shooting and a reunion makes sense.
C Paul Reed
Age: 26.
2024-25 salary: $1.4 million.
Stats: 4.1 points, 2.7 rebounds, 1.5 combined blocks and steals, 9.7 minutes, 45 games.
The buzz: As a backup behind Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart, Reed (6 feet 9, 210 pounds) was impactful with his rebounding, hustle and athleticism. The Pistons still need a third center, but may look to get bigger at the position after the Knicks exposed their lack of size off the bench in the playoffs.
SG/SF Lindy Waters III
Age: 28.
2024-25 salary: $2.2 million.
Stats: 4.9 points, 2.1 rebounds, 34.4% from 3, 52 games (Warriors, Pistons).
The buzz: Waters didn’t play much after arriving at the deadline with Schröder, but knocked down 15 of his 38 attempts (39.5%) from 3 with the Pistons and could fill a need as a shooter.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Pistons have 5 players entering NBA free agency: What we know
