The Pistons don't need to make a star trade, they need to find value offensive production from a player like Sam Merrill.
The Detroit Pistons made their first appearance in the playoffs in six seasons largely on the strength of their top 10 defense.
The offense was still mediocre at best and still lacked 3-point shooting both in terms of volume and accuracy.
We saw how much spacing matters this season, as the Pistons flourished with better shooters around Cade Cunningham, but if they want to take the next step as a team, they have to improve offensively and certainly can’t regress.
The Game Theory Podcast recently suggested an under-the-radar free agent who could add more shooting to the Pistons’ bench, which they may desperately need depending on what happens with Malik Beasley and Tim Hardaway Jr.
And in this case, the Pistons could potentially improve while depleting the depth of a division rival.
Detroit Pistons free agency rumors: Sam Merrill
Sam Merrill is not going to be a headline grabber in free agency, but he’s a guy who could help the Pistons, as he’s a 38.6 percent 3-point shooter for his career.
Malik Beasley wasn’t a headliner either, but we saw how much his floor spacing mattered to the Pistons this season and Merrill could bring a similar type of value.
He was only on a league-minimum deal this season, so Merrill will likely get a raise that will price him off the Cavaliers but should still only be in the salary range that Beasley was in this season, which could make him great value for money.
There are fans who want the Pistons to make a big trade, which isn’t likely to happen, or to splash out in free agency with cap space that they don’t have, but to me, they should be looking to add around the fringes with players who can fill distinct needs, guys who can produce on team-friendly deals.
Detroit still has more evaluation of their own core to do, so to trade one of them now would be malpractice. But that doesn’t mean the Pistons should run it back with the exact same team either, as that would be a recipe for regression, as a lot of things had to go right for this season to be a success, things you might not be able to count on happening again.
Instead, they should be looking for value upgrades, guys whose contracts are never going to kill them, players who will likely outperform their deals.
Signing Merrill would also deplete the depth and shooting of the Cavaliers, one of the teams the Pistons will have to overtake if they want to be elite in the Eastern Conference.
Merrill played 20 minutes a game in 71 appearances this season and was 3rd on their roster in total 3-point makes.