The Detroit News ranks the Pistons in value for 2018-19

15. Zaza Pachulia, C: The Pistons added some veteran muscle on the inside from the two-time defending champion Golden State Warriors, but it’s unclear what role Pachulia will have. If he’s the backup, he could be a pick-and-roll asset, but his scoring is dipping and the Pistons might have more success in smaller lineups with Blake Griffin or Jon Leuer.

14. Langston Galloway, G: Originally pegged as a combo guard, Galloway didn’t get much of a chance to show what he could do as a point guard. Even worse, he fell behind Reggie Bullock and Luke Kennard as an option at shooting guard. He’s a streaky shooter on a team that simply needed consistency. This will be a big year to try to regain some of that traction.

13. Bruce Brown, G: One of the Pistons’ biggest weaknesses was depth on the wing, so they drafted two potential pieces in Brown and Khyri Thomas. Both held their own at the Las Vegas Summer League and showed that they could garner some playing time in the rotation if called upon. More likely, they’ll spend most of their rookie season in the G-League with the Grand Rapids Drive, barring injury.

12. Khyri Thomas, G: He showed in the Las Vegas Summer League that he could be an asset as a dogged defender and a pretty good shooter. The Pistons ideally wouldn’t have to play him much this season with their roster depth, but there’s plenty to like in his game. Being on a rookie deal is the biggest value, as it'll develop and balance out the Pistons’ big contracts.

11. Henry Ellenson, F: In his first two seasons, Ellenson played sparingly, which shows a smaller value. If he can get regular playing time and take advantage of mismatches, he can become more of a fixture and potentially move ahead of Jon Leuer on the depth chart. It’s a big season for Ellenson to establish his value — or he could become trade bait.

10. Jose Calderon, G: The veteran free agent seems a little high on this list, but he has a clearly defined role. If Reggie Jackson sustains another injury, he’ll become the starter, keeping Ish Smith with the reserve group. Calderon, 36, still looks to have some juice left in the tank, and the Pistons had to find an alternative because of Jackson’s myriad of injuries.

9. Jon Leuer, F/C: Injuries sidelined the versatile big man for all but eight games last season. As a reserve in 2016-17, Leuer had impressive numbers but might best be used as a stretch center or power forward. He could see more time behind Blake Griffin and his 3-point shooting will be a welcome addition to a reserve group that struggled to generate offense.

8. Ish Smith, G: He would be much higher on this list if he shot better beyond the arc (35 percent) or if he were more effective in a regular starting role. Still, Smith has worked very well with the reserves and is the engine to their up-and-down style of play.

7. Luke Kennard, G: His value will increase as he gets more comfortable in the offense and improves on defense. With Reggie Bullock, there’s no need to rush Kennard along, but having either coming off the bench helps that group. He showed flashes last season as a rookie, but he’ll need to continue his development by becoming more of a facilitator. The Pistons will even try to put him in more situations to handle the ball and facilitate.

6. Glenn Robinson III, G/F: If Stanley Johnson doesn’t pan out, Robinson is a potential improvement at small forward, with excellent 3-point shooting (41 percent) and good overall size and athleticism — for a smaller contract. The former Michigan standout could compete for the starting role and end up filling the gap if Johnson is traded or goes elsewhere in free agency next summer.

5. Stanley Johnson, F: Even though he’s been up and down in his first three seasons, Johnson is a vital asset on the defensive end, where he can match up with some of the bigger forwards with his strength and quickness. He’ll have to shoot better and add more value offensively but with Detroit's main trio, Johnson doesn’t need to do as much. It’s also a contract year for Johnson, so it’s show-and-prove time.

4. Reggie Bullock, G/F: Former coach and team president Stan Van Gundy made a shrewd move in keeping Bullock on a minimal contract of $2.5 million and it’s paying off in the Pistons' cash-strapped situation. He’s a steady wing who doesn’t make many mistakes on either side of the ball and his 3-point shooting (45 percent) was among the best in the league. He should start, but eventually Luke Kennard will be groomed for this spot.

3. Blake Griffin, F: He has been injured for stretches in his career, but his value to the Pistons still is very high — and it should be for a max contract. Griffin's versatile skill set makes teams game plan for him and bring double-teams, which is the intangible the Pistons were missing. They went 5-3 without him last season, but his presence could boost their standing in the East if he stays healthy.

2. Andre Drummond, C: Last season was the best of his six-year career (15 points and 16 rebounds) that included a second All-Star appearance and he’s looking to add an outside jumper to his repertoire. Drummond has been very durable — missing a total of seven games in the past five seasons — so the Pistons have been fortunate to not have to find out what life is like without him. They don’t want to find out this season, either.