A low-risk, high-reward free agent target for the Pistons

The Detroit Pistons will look to add impact players this offseason in the NBA Draft, free agency and trades.

They need more star power, but they also need more from their bench and role players, as the Pistons have populated those spots with veteran placeholders over the last several seasons.

Hopefully, Monty Williams will use some of his connections to land players, whether they be top free agents like Cam Johnson or role players like Torrey Craig and Jevon Carter.

Troy Weaver has also shown a propensity for guys with ability who just haven’t panned out yet in the NBA. And though the time of taking risks on draft busts may be over, Weaver will still look for undervalued talent in free agency.

One player who could be a possibility for the Detroit Pistons is 23-year-old guard Jaylen Nowell, who is coming off a down season but has shown he has potential as a bench scorer and shooter.

Detroit Pistons free agency: Jaylen Nowell

Nowell showed a lot of promise in the 2021-22 season for the Minnesota Timberwolves, scoring in double digits off the bench in half of his games and shooting just under 40 percent from 3-point range.

Fans of the ‘Wolves were expecting a big break out this season, but a knee injury and cold shooting slump put an end to that. Nowell did average double-digits on the season in just over 19 minutes per game, but his shooting numbers went way down.

Nowell, a former second round pick, can likely be had at a bargain after shooting just 28.9 percent from 3-point range on the season. But this is a guy who can shoot the ball, as he hit 44 percent from long range in his final season of college and just under 40 percent a season ago.

He’s only 23-years-old and has a nice dribble-drive game to go along with his 3-point shooting. If he can get fully healthy and get that shot sorted, he’d be a nice get on a league-minimum or even two-way deal. He’s a decent perimeter defender and would give the Pistons another guy who can get his own shot off the bench.

He can play either guard spot, so would be able to potentially add some depth at shooting guard and occasionally run the offense. He had 3-straight 20-point games off the bench during his best stretch of this season and also put up 30 against Utah on 6-of-9 shooting from 3-point range back in February, so this is a guy who can get hot and put up numbers, the next step is to do it consistently.

Nowell went from a player who looked like he could be part of the Timberwolves’ future core, to one who will hit the free agency market with a big chip on his shoulder looking to prove himself. He could be a nice low-risk/high-reward option for the Detroit Pistons as they look to fill out the back end of their bench this summer.