The Detroit Pistons just finished their fourth-straight season of tanking, and so far, the results have been mixed.
Yes, they did get the high-end talent in Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey to build around, cleared the worst contracts off their books and cleaned the slate for a fresh start.
It was understandable given that they had a mediocre and bloated roster that wasn’t going anywhere. On paper, tanking makes sense, as it allows teams like Detroit that aren’t free-agent destinations the chance to acquire superstars.
Whether tanking is good for the sport, or whether the Detroit Pistons should have been doing it as egregiously as they did this season are definitely arguments to be had.