Should the Detroit Pistons have made this waiver claim?

Philadelphia 76ers guard Julian Champagnie Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Philadelphia 76ers guard Julian Champagnie Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

When the Detroit Pistons traded Saddiq Bey and Kevin Knox for James Wiseman, they opened up a roster spot that they can use in a variety of ways.

Thus far, they have signed Stanley Umude to a 10-day contract, but they also have the option of grabbing other players from the G-League, or to take players who have been cut by other teams off the waiver wire.

Of course, they also have their own two-way players, including the much-maligned Buddy Boeheim, who has put together some good games of late and is making his case for a late-season call up.

Recently, there was a player who hit the waiver wire that might have been worth a look, but the Detroit Pistons had already added Umude, who has played decently for the Motor City Cruise.

But did the Detroit Pistons miss out?

Detroit Pistons: A wing on the waiver wire

There is no question that the Pistons need help on the wing, and recently the Philadelphia 76ers cut a player who might have been worth a look, but he was quickly snatched up by the San Antonio Spurs.

Julian Champagnie is a guy I wrote about last season as a possible 3-and-D project for the second round of the draft. Champagnie ended up going undrafted before being offered a two-way by Philly and he put up good numbers in the G-League, averaging 17.7 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game for the Delaware Blue Coats.

He is a big wing at 6-foot-7 and has shown the ability to score from both the mid-range and the 3-point line, where he has shot 35 percent on over seven attempts per game. Champagnie lacks quickness, but is a smart player who gets after it on defense.

In the end, this move wasn’t going to make or break the Pistons, and you could argue that Champagnie is really just a poor man’s Saddiq Bey, but Detroit should be looking for wing and defensive help wherever they can find it, and the fact that San Antonio snatched this guy up so quickly makes me think he might have been worth a look.