After both sides failed to reach an agreement, the owners called for a lockout, which began on July 1, 1998, putting a hold on all team trades, free agent signings and training camp workouts, and cancelling many NBA regular season and preseason games.
[7][8][9][10][11] However, on January 6, 1999, NBA commissioner David Stern, and NBPA director Billy Hunter finally reached an agreement to end the lockout.
[12][13][14][15][16] The Pistons had the eleventh overall pick in the 1998 NBA draft, and selected Bonzi Wells out of Ball State University,[17][18][19][20] but later on traded him to the Portland Trail Blazers.
[21][22][23][24] In the off-season, the team acquired Christian Laettner from the Atlanta Hawks,[25][26][27][28] and signed free agents Loy Vaught,[29][30][31] and Jud Buechler.
[32][33][34] Laettner would reunite with former Duke University teammate Grant Hill, but only played just 16 games due to an Achilles injury and a broken rib.