The Detroit Pistons are making legitimate progress with Andre Drummond as the anchor and Reggie Jackson as the lead guard. Stan Van Gundy has been instrumental in the process as head coach and president of basketball operations. The Pistons are currently rightful owners of the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference, making them playoff contenders, but in order to keep progressing, they need to keep building around Drummond and Jackson.
It’s well known that Detroit wants to make an upgrade at power forward. Zach Lowe mentioned on his podcast last month that Ryan Anderson and Donatas Montiejunas would be targeted by the Pistons in free agency this summer. Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press reports that Hawks forward Al Horford is also on their list:
Two persons with firsthand knowledge of the organization told the Free Press there could be interest in Hawks big man Al Horford (Grand Ledge) when free agency begins in the off-season.
Horford has been playing mostly at center for the Hawks, but he’s interchangeable, and some might argue that he’s better suited at power forward. If paired with Andre Drummond, it would definitely be a fit geometrically. Horford isn’t the stretch forward that Ryan Anderson is as far as stepping behind the three-point line, but he has excellent midrange touch and is one of the league’s better facilitating big men.
The Hawks had franchise-best success last season that couldn’t have been sustained. They’re in somewhat of a funky place right now with Jeff Teague in recent trade talks, suggesting they are open to change. The Hawks are reportedly willing to explore trade talks involving Horford with the prospect of him losing him for nothing in free agency, according to Marc Spears at Yahoo! Sports. Depending on how drastic things get for Atlanta in the coming weeks and for the rest of the season, Horford may want to explore the idea of signing with Detroit, a team on the rise in the East that will absolutely offer him a max deal, as will Atlanta in likely efforts to re-sign.