Two years ago, Kevin Huerter may have been the third-best player on the Detroit Pistons. That is barely hyperbole, if at all. If the 2022-23 version of Huerter, who averaged 15.2 points per game, was on the 2023-24 Pistons, he probably would have been the No. 2 option behind Cade Cunningham.
Now, just a few years later, after the Pistons added Huerter from the Chicago Bulls at the trade deadline, the sharpshooter can barely even crack the rotation. That's in part because his shooting hasn't actually been very sharp this year (he's at a 30.6% clip from 3PT) but also in part because the Pistons have too many good players.
Right now, it's tough to crack the Pistons' rotation, and with Huerter's down shooting year, there might not be a place for him to see the floor on a nightly basis. What a world!
Kevin Huerter is barely in Pistons rotation
Shooting was a priority for the Pistons at the deadline, and adding Huerter was a nice low-risk move that cost Detroit some useless picks and cash in a three-team trade. It was always worth a shot, even with Huerter's numbers being down thus far.
The Pistons don't need overall offensive help — they're still the No. 9-ranked offense in the league — but some extra floor-spacing would have been nice, considering they're also third-to-last in made 3-pointers per game. But Huerter, after not playing the past two games, is seeing firsthand that the Pistons are already pretty stacked with talent, and if he's not hitting shots at a near-elite clip, it might not be necessary for him to see the court.
With that being said, the best version of Huerter would be massively helpful in the postseason. And with the Pistons holding a 5.5-game lead on everyone else in the Eastern Conference, it might be worth giving him some spot minutes here and there in hopes he gets hot down the homestretch. They have some room to spare, Huerter isn't going to shoot the Pistons out of any games, and if he catches fire he could win them some games when the playoffs get underway. Worth a shot!
In the meantime, the Pistons are now good enough to trade for a guy at the trade deadline and not actually need him. Oh, how times have changed.