The Detroit Pistons must avoid the next Duncan Robinson contract

The Detroit Pistons will head into the offseason with a pile of money and plenty of work to do.

They are on the hunt for their next head coach already, but also need to retool their roster in the 2023 NBA Draft, free agency and/or via trades.

The Pistons are in a precarious position when it comes to free agency, as there isn’t a long list of players that would help fill their biggest needs. Without a true star available, Detroit is at risk of overpaying for a role player, which is something that has hurt them in the past.

With all of their young core basically on the same timeline when it comes to their next contracts, the Pistons have to be guarded with their cap space and not blow it on players that that don’t live up to the numbers.

This is exactly what happened with the Miami Heat, who gave a massive 5 year/$90 million contract to Duncan Robinson after he had one good season and a big run in the playoffs that helped the team get to the NBA Finals.

He’s gotten worse ever since, culminating in this season, when he appeared in just 42 games, averaged just six points and shot a career low from the field. It hasn’t hurt the Heat much so far, as they already had their team in place, have the stars to make up for the wasted roster spot and other role players that have stepped up.

But considering that contract runs for three more seasons after this one at around $19 million per year (the third year is not fully guaranteed), they are now stuck with an overpaid, underperforming player whose contract will hamper future moves.

This is the type of deal the Detroit Pistons need to avoid this offseason and there is one guy in particular who has a little Duncan Robinson feel to him.

Detroit Pistons: The free agent they can’t overpay

The player I am referring to is Austin Reaves.

I should first say that I like Reaves and think he could be a great addition to the Detroit Pistons at the right price, which is why I included him in a recent article about possible under-the-radar free agents to watch in the playoffs.

But the similarities to Robinson are hard to ignore. Like Robinson, Reaves was undrafted and made it onto the Lakers on a two-way deal. With two superstars around him, Reaves has been the beneficiary of a lot of open looks, same as Robinson when he was playing well for the Heat.

Reaves had a great start to the playoffs, and could be one of the unlikely heroes for the Lakers if they make a run at the Western Conference Finals. If so, he’s also the most likely player to get overpaid this offseason, as he is a restricted free agent, so the Lakers can match another offer.

The catch is that the Lakers are limited in what they can offer Reaves, so it won’t be impossible for another team to swoop in and steal him away.

Is Reaves a really good player or a guy who is benefiting from a great situation playing next to LeBron? His numbers are similar to Duncan Robinson’s from back in 2020-21 and he too could ride a hot playoff performance into a big payday.

It’s unlikely Reaves gets anything near what Robinson got, and he does appear to be on the rise, but he’s already 24-years-old and may be a product of his environment. In a vacuum he’d be a nice addition for the Detroit Pistons, a team that desperately needs shooting, but they can’t overpay to get it, as Reaves could already be at his best and may not represent a sound long-term investment.