Detroit Pistons: Top-3 all-time best free agent pick ups for Detroit

The Detroit Pistons do not have a rich history in free agency but it’s interesting to look back and see how some of their current players might stack up.

Part of the reason for this is that Detroit has never been hot free-agent destination. Even though Detroit is a cool city that is rich in culture, it is bitter cold and not on one of the coasts, so free agents have never lined up to play in the Motor City.

The Pistons have always built their teams through the draft and savvy trades, such as when they selected Tayshaun Prince with the 23rd pick or made one of the best trades of all-time for Rasheed Wallace.

This is still the strategy, though the Detroit Pistons currently have a player in Jerami Grant who chose Detroit willingly even though the contender Nuggets offered him the same amount of money.

Detroit will still likely never be the first choice of players looking for new homes but the Pistons have made the most of the guys who they were able to get in free agency.

Here are the top-3 Detroit Pistons’ free agent pick-ups of all time.

Detroit Pistons: Antonio McDyess was a free-agent steal

Antonio McDyess fits the profile of the type of free agent the Pistons usually get, which is guys who need a fresh start after injuries or a bad run with a different team.

Josh Jackson is trying to be the next Piston to fit this role, but McDyess was one of the original “scrap heap” free agents who turned his career around in Detroit.

The Pistons signed McDyess before the 2004-2005 season for the mid-level exception and he ended up being a key cog in their championship runs.

Fans will remember McDyess as a quality defender who could knock down that top-of-the-key shot all day.

No one shot 3-pointers back then and McDyess is one of those guys who would probably thrive even more in today’s game as a 3-and-D wing with his size.