The Detroit Pistons were connected to Nickeil Alexander-Walker early in free agency but pivoted away, a decision they may regret.
The Pistons turned to Caris LeVert instead, a worthy second option who could have a mini renaissance in Detroit after being reunited with coach JB Bickerstaff.
LeVert and NAW signed for roughly the same annual salary, but the Pistons only had to commit two years to LeVert, while Alexander-Walker got a four-year deal with a player option at the end, details that might have been why the Pistons ultimately walked away.
Trajan Langdon has made his position on role players clear, which is that he’s going to keep them on short-term deals that are easy to move and won’t cause the Pistons any headaches down the road.
On the court, I’d argue NAW is better on both ends, though didn’t put up the same raw offensive numbers as LeVert last season. The offense is debatable, but NAW is certainly a better defender and there are arguments that the Pistons should have just given him the extra years.
Detroit Pistons: Point guard and competition in the Eastern Conference
Nickeil Alexander-Walker is not a point guard, but he can handle those duties at times, same as LeVert, but NAW has been the better 3-point shooter in his career.
He’s also a better and more versatile defender who made deep playoff runs with Minnesota and played in all 82 games in both of the last two seasons, while LeVert has played just 64 and 68 games the last two seasons.
Alexander-Walker is also four years younger than LeVert, so while he’s still a veteran, he fits better with the current core’s timeline and should perform at a similar level for the entirety of his contract, which will only take him to age 30.
This isn’t a diss on LeVert, who I have always liked, but NAW is the younger, more versatile player who hasn’t missed a single game in two years. Given how much Langdon has focused on availability when making acquisitions, it’s somewhat surprising that he didn’t see that attribute as a deciding factor.
NAW then signed with the Atlanta Hawks, who figure to be much better next season after a big offseason and will likely be a team the Pistons are fighting for playoff position next season.
Langdon chose financial flexibility in the end, and it’s doubtful that LeVert is ever going to hurt them, as he’s a solid player who won’t be around long, but the Pistons could have locked up a quality wing at a team-friendly price that will look even better in a few seasons.