Looking toward the next NBA season, the Detroit Pistons are already in a position to succeed.
Their young guys are all playing great, Jerami Grant seems optimistic about his future in Detroit, a top-five draft pick is on the way (we hope), and Detroit has already shown potential with elite playmaking and stifling defense.
However, the team is not quite suited to be a modern NBA playoff team., as the Pistons’ three-point shooting has been a total embarrassment. As a team, they have no one who averages over three deep balls a night, leaving their interior plates like Stewart having to create their own shots, and their pass-first point guard Killian Hayes has no one to kick it out to.
The Detroit Pistons need shooters from the NBA free agent market.
Yes, Saddiq Bey has had a historical rookie season from behind the arc, but he is the only player on the roster who is just as comfortable from deep as he is on the inside.
Detroit could find shooters in the draft, but, ideally, they’ll be focused on drafting the next franchise player and building around their new star through free agency.
It’s estimated Detroit will have between 8-15 million dollars to spend in the off season, which is a wide range, so we can be a little optimistic.
Some players will be underpaid to come here but, ideally, general manager Troy Weaver can convince one of the following five players to complement the young stars Detroit has emerging.
As a bonus, three of the five players the Pistons have a shot at, went to school in Michigan.
Danny Green (40.1% career 3-point shooter)
Danny Green became notorious in 2020 for missing big shots during the Los Angeles Lakers’ championship run but, throughout his career, he has been the definition of a three-and-D player.
He has been a knockdown shooter for over a decade, and has playoff experience, and has been a key player on excellent teams. Detroit would have to shell out for him, and at the shooting guard position, it would not make sense for the Pistons to sign him if they drafted Cade Cunningham.
The question has to be asked: would Green be worth it? Maybe, if it meant he wouldn’t take minutes away from Saddiq Bey. If the two could play nicely together and rain shots from both sides of the floor and the corners, Hayes or Suggs or whoever is the starting point guard will have plenty of scoring options surrounding him.