The Detroit Pistons aren’t likely to sign one of the marquee NBA free agents this offseason.
They are unlikely to have much cap space or room on the roster, so fans should probably lower their expectations if they think the Pistons are going to land a star free agent.
The Detroit Pistons will enter the offseason with just Killian Hayes signed at point guard, though they are likely to bring back Saben Lee and Frank Jackson, who both started at point guard this season.
But Jackson isn’t really a point guard and Lee is still raw, so the Pistons would love to add a veteran point guard to solidify the bench and mentor their young players.
But the Pistons should not reach in free agency to find one, as this year’s crop of free agent point guards has little to offer Detroit.
All of the unrestricted free agent point guards are either too expensive, not interested in joining a rebuild, overrated or just not good enough to make a difference.
Detroit Pistons: The high-priced veteran NBA free agent point guards
- Mike Conley
- Kyle Lowry
- Dennis Schroder
These three players are all too expensive for the Detroit Pistons. Don’t get me wrong, I’d LOVE to have Kyle Lowry or Mike Conley for a season to mentor Killian Hayes, but they are all likely to be making $25 million or more and will look to join teams with a chance of winning a title.
The Detroit Pistons aren’t at that stage of their rebuild, so adding one of these three would just be a waste of money.
Detroit Pistons: Free agent point guards who are perfect off a contender’s bench
- Derrick Rose
- Patty Mills
- Ish Smith
- Reggie Jackson
All four of these point guards have shown that they can be important role players for a good team.
It’s likely that at least three of them (Rose, Mills, Jackson) will be back with their current teams, as they all had productive seasons as bench players for teams that were in or near the playoffs.
Of the four, Ish Smith would likely get the most interest, has he has played for pretty much every team in the NBA (including the Pistons) and wouldn’t be a bad veteran scoring option off the bench, especially considering his game is similar to Saben Lee’s and be could teach him some of the tricks of the trade.
But Smith is more likely to join a contender after spending two years in Washington, and even though he is 32-years-old, there will be interest among teams looking for a third point guard.
It’s ironic that THREE of these guys used to play for the Pistons, which shows how good the Pistons have been at finding role players. They just never found the star to put them around.
Detroit Pistons: Overrated free agent point guards
- Elfrid Payton
- Cameron Payne
- Jeff Teague
Payton has been a consistent double-digit bench scorer for his whole career and can occasionally have a big game, which has caused some to overrate his value, as he can’t shoot from distance and is basically just Ish Smith with a funky haircut.
Cameron Payne has been pretty good for the Suns but has a similar game to Frank Jackson in that he is mostly an instant offense guy off the bench. He is the exact type of player the Pistons might have overpaid in the past and the type they should avoid at this stage of their rebuild.
Same with Jeff Teague, who has had a lot of productive seasons in the NBA and can still shoot the 3-point shot at high percentage.
All of these players are bit overpaid now and might be again next season. They might be able to move the needle for good teams looking for bench scoring but the Detroit Pistons aren’t there yet.
Detroit Pistons: NBA free agent point guards who are just plain bad
- TJ McConnell
- Austin Rivers
- Matthew Dellavedova
- Tim Frazier
- Brad Wanamaker
- Raul Neto
None of these guys are long for the league and are coming off mediocre to bad seasons. They are all getting older, declining and weren’t that great to begin with, so the Pistons would be much better off taking a chance with a second round draft pick or picking up a guy in a middling trade.
This represents the entire unrestricted free agent market for point guards, and as you can see, there really isn’t a guy who is a fit for the Detroit Pistons.
Detroit would love to add a veteran but shouldn’t do so in free agency.