The Detroit Pistons will be one of the only teams with cap space this summer and could use it to bolster their backcourt and offense.
Detroit had one of the worst offenses in the league, so acquiring scoring and shooting will be a top priority this offseason.
One name that has been mentioned for the Pistons is restricted free agent Collin Sexton, who missed all but 11 games this season for the Cavaliers.
Darius Garland stepped up in his absence and the Cavaliers made the playoffs, so they could decide to part ways with Sexton.
The Pistons are going to be attached to just about every restricted free agent since they are one of the few teams that could realistically make an offer the other team doesn’t want to match.
But should they make one on Collin Sexton? There are pros and cons to signing a guy like him.
Pros and cons of Collin Sexton for the Detroit Pistons
Collin Sexton’s Talent
Pros
In his last full season, Collin Sexton averaged 24.3 points per game with 4.4 assists and a steal. He shot 37 percent from long range and is a guy who can create his own shot or play off the ball.
Sexton has shown himself to be a reliable 3-point shooter, hitting over 40 percent once in his career and averaging 37 percent overall.
He’s still only 23-years-old, so it would be hard for the Pistons to find a guy who perfectly fits the timeline who has proven he can score 20+ppg in the NBA. Those guys don’t grow on trees, so to get a potentially elite scoring option to pair with Cade Cunningham would be a big win for the Detroit Pistons.
Cons
Collin Sexton is only 6-foot-1, so doesn’t have great size for a shooting guard, which is what he would be on the Detroit Pistons.
He is not a great defender, and even though he had a 29.7 percent usage rage (higher than Cade Cunningham), he doesn’t create much for teammates. He is a classic ball dominant scorer who is fairly one dimensional, which does not fit the mold of a Troy Weaver player.
While Sexton is certainly better than Frank Jackson, he’s not THAT much better, and would give the Pistons two shoot-first, undersized guards who don’t offer much else. If Jackson can give you 15 ppg on similar shooting splits (he might not ever do that btw), I’d rather just have him at $3 million and find help elsewhere.
Pros and cons of Collin Sexton for the Detroit Pistons
Collin Sexton’s Contract
Pros
Sexton will be a restricted free agent, so the Cavaliers will have a chance to match an offer he receives. But will they?
It’s hard to imagine them investing big in Sexton when they already have Garland, who is younger, just made the All-Star team and could win Most Improved Player this season.
They might not match at all, which means the Detroit Pistons could potentially steal Sexton away for less than it might take for other restricted free agents.
That doesn’t mean he’s going to be on a “team-friendly” deal, but more that he is a realistic target whose team may not match, unlike someone like Deandre Ayton.
Sexton might even be interested in taking a short-term deal to try and rebuild his value on the market, so the Pistons might be able to take a flyer on him without any real risk.
Cons
Collin Sexton is reportedly still looking for $20 million a year even though he only played 11 games this season. The crazy thing is that he will probably get it.
Like I said, guys who can score 20+ points per game in the NBA don’t become available that often, so Sexton is going to get attention from just about every team that has cap space.
Locking up Sexton would be a pretty big risk at $20 million a year, especially when he has not yet shown that he is back from his injury and 100 percent.
This has “Ben Gordon signing” written all over it. Gordon was also a one-dimensional player who put up big numbers for the Bulls but was never able to fill a bigger role for Detroit, nor justify his high cost. Sexton could be similar, so buyer beware.
Pros and cons of Collin Sexton for the Detroit Pistons
Collin Sexton’s Fit
Pros
The Detroit Pistons need scoring and Collin Sexton can score. For all the talk about the frontcourt this season, it was really the backcourt that let the Pistons down, as they were forced into starting Cory Joseph, who is not a starting-caliber guard in the NBA.
Adding a 20+ppg scorer would create space for Cade Cunningham to operate and give him another target to kick out to. Cade averaged 10.5 potential assists this season and Sexton would help turn some of those dimes into assists.
Yes, Sexton is on the small size, but he doesn’t play like it, and playing alongside a big, quality defender like Cade Cunningham would mask most of those deficiencies.
You can’t win without scoring, so the Detroit Pistons have to add someone who can consistently get buckets, and Collin Sexton can get buckets.
Cons
Putting Sexton in the backcourt with Cade Cunningham forces the Pistons to put the number one pick on the other team’s best guard.
While Cade is up to the task, it would be nice to have a two-guard who can at least hold his own or even take on the tougher assignment so that Cunningham isn’t always forced to defend the other team’s best guard.
While Sexton can play off the ball some, he is far more comfortable with the ball in his hands and can sometimes be a myopic isolation player, which does not fit into how the Detroit Pistons want to play with Cade.
Detroit was at their best this season when he ball was moving and they weren’t playing iso-ball, so adding a player like Sexton doesn’t make a lot of sense.
He could negate a lot of the positives Cunningham brings as a playmaker and any move that potentially takes the ball out of Cade’s hands should be scrutinized closely.
In the end, Sexton does have the scoring punch the Detroit Pistons need, but he doesn’t bring enough else to the table to justify the payday he is likely to get and could possibly stunt the growth of Cade Cunningham on both ends.
I hope the Pistons look elsewhere for offense this summer.