The Detroit Pistons agreed to sign John Collins to a three-year deal worth $51 million, which instantly made the Isaiah Stewart trade look worse. Cade Cunningham wants a co-star. This trade was supposed to be about getting that number two option, not signing an empty stats big man who’s worse than Tobias Harris. The Pistons traded away an elite defender in Beef Stew and got significantly worse on that end too.
Collins is far from a savior. The 6'9 forward averaged 13.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 0.9 steals in 27.1 minutes per game last season for the Clippers. Collins will be on his fourth different team in five years. Pistons fans may be hyped that he shot 55.2 percent from the field and over 40 percent on his threes, but the advanced metrics tell a different story.
Stewart ranked 90th in the NBA by win shares per 48 minutes, and Collins was 189th. They produced identical value over replacement player (VORP) numbers, but Collins should have been higher as he played over 500 more minutes. The Pistons traded Stewart with big dreams, but the payoff was painful.
Pistons' Isaiah Stewart trade looks even worse after John Collins deal
The Clippers had a negative-1.5 net rating with Collins on the floor. They were 5.3 points per 100 possessions better when he was out of the game. Nobody should be surprised. The Hawks dumped the 6’9 forward in 2023 because he wasn’t helping them win. Nothing has changed. Collins may put up flashy counting stats, but his impact on winning doesn’t match. His team hasn’t made the playoffs since 2023 and hasn’t won a first-round series since 2021.
Stewart struggled to get minutes in the playoffs, but he can still protect the rim, rebound, and finish inside. Beef Stew’s defense and energy make an impact. If Collins isn’t getting buckets, he offers virtually nothing.
The Pistons still have a massive hole. They need another playmaker and scorer next to Cade. Ideally, it would be a star comfortable being the number two. Detroit’s interest in Kyrie Irving and Austin Reaves made perfect sense. Instead, they traded for Isaiah Joe and signed John Collins.
They addressed their shooting questions this summer, but the Pistons aren’t a legit title threat. Right now, they need Cade Cunningham to do it all. He is the lone playmaker and creator. Detroit must get him some help, but spending concerns may prevent that. The Pistons want to pay Jalen Duren and Ausar Thompson, which leaves virtually no room for the missing piece.
Turning Beef Stew into John Collins and three second-round draft picks didn’t make sense. They leaned away from their defensive identity and replaced Tobias Harris with Collins at the four. That feels like a downgrade. Collins provides empty stats and has seen his minutes drop in the playoffs in his last two trips. Not a great add for a team with championship aspirations.
The Isaiah Stewart trade just keeps looking worse for the Detroit Pistons. They agreed to sign-and-trade for John Collins to create a trade exception for the Clippers. Still, this was not an upgrade and didn’t solve the Pistons’ problems. Not great for a team with a prime superstar looking to win a championship.
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