I thought right now I’d be writing about the Detroit Pistons’ new deal with Malik Beasley, but after the news that he is under federal investigation for gambling, they had to switch to Plan B and signed free-agent Caris LeVert instead.
Shams Charania first announced that the Pistons and LeVert agreed to a two-year deal worth $29 million, making his annual salary slightly lower than it was this season. The details have not yet been fully released, so we’ll have to wait and see how this affects the Pistons’ cap space as well as their plans for their other free agents.
Losing Beasley put a huge dent into the team’s 3-point shooting and the Pistons weren’t good even with him, so the LeVert signing does seem like a strange fit.
LeVert is not a spot-up shooter and likes to play more with the ball in his hands. He shot the ball relatively well from 3-point range this season, but he shoots about half the number that Beasley was taking and only hit 37 percent of them, so he’s not a great floor spacer.
But LeVert can score and is a guy who can have big games off the bench, so he’ll give that unit more pop even if he not the same kind of shooter Beasley is. If you think of him as a Tim Hardaway Jr. upgrade, it's more palatable, especially if the Pistons add shooting elsewhere.
There is also an advantage to LeVert’s contract that the Pistons may be able to capitalize on down the road.
Detroit Pistons: Caris LeVert is a very tradable contract
I never expected the Pistons to make a huge move this summer, and had Beasley not come under investigation, it’s highly likely that he would have been their big signing.
Part of the reason the Pistons are unlikely to make a big trade (aside from wanting to see more from their young players as a unit) is that they don’t have many stackable contracts to match a big salary.
It’s hard to trade for a star if you don’t have a few guys making 15+ million, as you have to send back too many players to match the salary, leaving you with a gutted roster.
LeVert and Tobias Harris will total around $40 million, and neither contract is long term, so those are deals the Pistons could potentially look to package and use at the deadline to make a larger trade.
LeVert isn’t the most exciting acquisition, but the former Michigan Wolverine offers more size and defense off the bench, as well as some insurance for Jaden Ivey, who is returning from a broken leg.