3 free agents the Detroit Pistons can’t overpay this offseason

3 free agents the Detroit Pistons can’t overpay

#3: Cameron Johnson

Like Brooks, Cameron Johnson is a guy who does a lot of things that the Detroit Pistons need.

He’s a big wing who can shoot and has hit 39 percent of his 3-point shots on high volume in his four seasons in the league.

He’s a pretty good defender who is averaging over a steal per game this season, and has shot up to 1.4 steals per game since being traded to Brooklyn.

On paper, he’d give the Pistons size, defense and shooting on the wing, which is something they sorely lack.

However, there are some problems. Johnson is a restricted free agent and the Nets are likely to want to keep him, so it’s going to take a big offer sheet to pry him away, potentially close to a max deal.

He’s also had trouble staying on the court, and has never played more than 66 games in a season. He played 57 as a rookie, 60 in his second season, 66 in his third and has suited up for just 36 games in this one.

The Detroit Pistons cannot miss on a max deal, so offering one (or close) to a relatively unproven guy is a fairly big risk. Of course, when you aren’t a free-agent hot spot, it might take a big, risky offer to get a top free agent, so you could argue that the Pistons are going to have to overpay someone to come to Detroit.

But Johnson seems more like the 3rd or 4th-best player on a good team, and not a guy that deserves one of the top salary slots. I’d love Johnson if the price is right, but it’s not going to be easy to get him out of Brooklyn without taking a big risk that Detroit is not in the position to make.