The Detroit Pistons' offseason was expected to be filled with bold swings that could offer Cade Cunningham the help needed to get over the hump.
Instead, Trajan Langdon has taken a much different approach than expected, making moves to bolster Cunningham's supporting cast rather than finding an immediate second option to relieve the offensive burden on the team's star guard.
Detroit made one intriguing move this offseason, trading up in the first round of the NBA Draft to select standout guard Ebuka Okorie, and while there's a solid chance he could offer an immediate scoring boost similar to Payton Pritchard's rookie season in Boston, the chance that he could be an immediate answer feels unlikely.
At the same time, if the Pistons are in the market for high-upside swings that don't cost them much, there's one name in particular on the free agency market that could be the perfect low-risk, high-reward target for Detroit to roll the dice on.
Pistons should sign Jett Howard
Jett Howard remains one of the more intriguing players on the open market midway through July.
The former lottery pick entered the league with high expectations, but up to this point, he hasn't exactly answered the call.
Several factors impact a slow career start, but the biggest factor always seems to be fit. With the Magic's deep backcourt, minutes were scarce for the Michigan product, making it hard for him to seize his opportunities.
Still, the guard has shown plenty of flashes throughout his three years in Orlando that offers hope that there's still a chance to tap into his potential, and with Detroit not necessarily having a deep backcourt behind Cade Cunningham, the opportunity to play extended minutes for a playoff team could be the exact opportunity Howard needs to take the next step.
In 55 games for the Magic this past season, Howard averaged just 5.5 points on 41.8% shooting from the field and 37.2% from three in only 12.6 minutes per game.
Obviously, the limited minutes make the sample size hard to judge, but given his production during his lone season as a freshman at Michigan, mixed with his 6-foot-8 frame and versatility he'd bring as an oversized guard, there's plenty of reason why a team could talk themselves into taking a swing on the former No. 11 overall pick.
The Pistons aren't exactly in the position to develop a raw prospect, but Howard isn't exactly raw with three years of experience, and with his dad being a former NBA All-Star in Juwan Howard, it's clear he has an understanding of the game and business.
Howard could just need an opportunity, and the talent he possesses could talk the Pistons into giving him one.
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