This time last offseason, the Detroit Pistons' signing of Caris LeVert was viewed as the offseason move that could help J.B. Bickerstaff's squad make a deep run. The veteran guard inked a two-year, $28 million deal with the expectation that he could be the sparkplug scorer off the bench, who could take the offensive burden off Cade Cunningham and the starters when the reserve unit checked in.
Instead, LeVert led the charge on what many would describe as one of the most disappointing bench units in the league this past season.
Averaging 7.4 points, 2.7 assists, and 2.0 rebounds, on 41.7 percent shooting from the field and 44.4 percent from three, LeVert's production not only made his contract look worse than it already was, but it put Detroit in a position where moving on from him was borderline impossible, even with his expiring deal.
Now, with the Pistons seemingly having to pay to move LeVert's contract, it all but confirms that the 31-year-old's value was at an all-time low.
Caris LeVert was a terrible signing
According to ESPN's NBA Insider Shams Charania, the Pistons have traded LeVert and two second-round picks to the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for Taurean Prince and Gary Harris.
Obviously, the move saves Detroit $7 million, which alone provides financial flexibility for Trajan Langdon to continue retooling the roster ahead of next season.
Perhaps this move even suggests an extension for restricted free agent Jalen Duren is on the horizon,
However, entering the offseason, the hope was that LeVert's expiring contract could be used in a bigger deal to find Cade Cunningham the help he desperately needed.
Whether that came by way of Trey Murphy III or Tyler Herro was unclear, but given LeVert's $14 million could be viewed as an expiring contract that more teams would be inclined to take on for future salary relief, it felt like any big move would include the Michigan product's salary.
Instead, the Pistons were forced to incentivize another team to take on the deal, which proves just how little value he had on the trade market around the league.
Both Prince and Harris could carve out a role on Detroit's bench, but neither player is a real needle mover, which makes the only logical way to view this deal as a salary-shedding trade.
Trajan Langdon's lackluster offseason continues to frustrate the fanbase, and paying to move on from LeVert is just the cherry on top of what has already been an underwhelming start to the summer.
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