According to a recent piece by James Edwards III of The Athletic, the Detroit Pistons are likely to begin pursuing restricted free agent Fred VanVleet.

Currently a member of the Toronto Raptors, VanVleet plays both backcourt positions for the team from the North. When Kyle Lowry went down with a broken thumb in November, VanVleet flourished in expanded minutes and is averaging career highs in points, rebounds, assists, and steals. The former Wichita State Shocker is posting averages of 18 points , 3.9 rebounds, and 7 assists per contest.

In wake of this news, the water is certainly muddy when considering the Pistons future. Recent comments from owner Tom Gores point to a potential rebuild, but pursuing a player like VanVleet certainly appears contradictory. Having lost Blake Griffin to injury and multiple reports coming out linking Andre Drummond to a move elsewhere, signing VanVleet may continue to keep Detroit in basketball purgatory.

(Featured Photo: Frank Gunn / CP)