The Detroit Pistons haven’t been having the best summer so far. They lost Tobias Harris in free agency, and they re-signed Kevin Huerter to a deal worth $9 million per season (a bit too rich for my blood). To make matters worse, the Pistons also inked John Collins to a three-year, $51 million contract, proving they’ve missed the point when it comes to building around Cade Cunningham.
Entering the offseason, the Pistons needed to add an infusion of offense alongside Cunningham. And technically, they did that by signing Collins. But they missed the mark. They needed offensive creation, and they shouldn’t have sacrificed so much on the defensive end.
The Collins signing is not great. It doesn't matter that the last two years are non-guaranteed. Collins just isn't the right fit.
John Collins signing was bad for the Pistons
First and foremost, the Pistons losing Harris in free agency is a very, very tough blow, especially considering how good he was for them in the playoffs at times. Detroit needed to add to him, not lose him and add elsewhere.
Instead, he’s now going to join the Spurs, who just made a run to the NBA Finals. He should give them some much-needed additional production at the power forward position.
In his place, the Pistons signed Collins. There’s no doubt that Collins can be an offensive upgrade. And his help on the glass should be great, too. But Collins isn’t a creator.
Collins is an off-ball offensive piece, best suited to succeed while playing off the gravity of other people. That’s not what the Pistons needed (and Collins, historically speaking, isn’t even that consistent on offense).
Not only did they sign a guy like that as their big splash of the summer, but the price they did pay was pretty brutal. Paying a guy like that $17 million a season is way too much, especially considering what the Pistons actually need.
Detroit needs additional shot creation to help take the burden off Cunningham. At least Harris gave them a little bit of that at times. That is really not Collins’ game.
He’s not the type of guy to create, and yet the Pistons still decided that he was the best possible fit for them in free agency, proving they still may not actually know what Cunningham needs.
They needed a guy like Anfernee Simons. A guy like Collin Sexton. But they probably needed even more than that. Someone like Tyler Herro or Kyrie Irving.
Collins was not the type of player the Pistons needed to spend their money on this summer.
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