The Pistons approached last offseason with an emphasis on future flexibility, but that may have hurt them in the case of Nickeil Alexander-Walker. He's now having a career year after signing a 4-year contract with the Hawks, which the Pistons likely didn’t want to match. Detroit certainly doesn’t regret the offseason as a whole, but this could be one of their key misses.
Alexander-Walker is an elite 3-and-D wing
Alexander-Walker, colloquially called NAW, was a marquee free agent after a couple seasons honing his craft in Minnesota. Over the last two seasons, he evolved into one of the league’s best perimeter defenders. At the same time, he improved as a shooter to the tune of 38% from deep on 4 attempts per game.
The Pistons knew they needed that kind of reliable shooting to elevate their offense but they missed out on NAW. Instead, he signed with the Hawks for 4 years and $60 million. The Pistons decided to pivot by signing veterans to shorter-term contracts; none of their signings have more than 2 guaranteed years.
Alexander-Walker is proving to be one of the offseason’s biggest steals with his performance this season. He’s averaging 21 points per game while shooting 47% from the field and 39% from three. He’s stepped up his offensive game tremendously and more than doubled his scoring rate from last season.
But there are also possible dividends to the Pistons’ approach. Their increased flexibility allows them to be players in blockbuster trades, whether it’s acquiring a star like Giannis Antetokounmpo or taking advantage of a third team for a long-term upgrade.
Alexander-Walker is having a breakout season, but it’s understandable why the Pistons were reluctant to commit to him long-term without seeing this production previously. They’ll have plenty of money tied up in their young core over the next few seasons and adding another costly wing to that bill could just complicate things.
Additionally, it’s important to remember that fit is extremely important when it comes to non-star players like Alexander-Walker. He’s done his best work this season without Trae Young in the lineup. That allows him to have the ball in his hands more and get into a better rhythm on self-created shots.
But on the Pistons, he would have to defer to Cade Cunningham on most plays. If his fit with Cade is anything like this synergy with Trae, that could’ve spelled disaster for the Pistons. In games with Young this season, Alexander-Walker is averaging just 16 points per game while shooting 41% from the field and 31% from three.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker looks like a big miss for the Pistons currently, but his production in Detroit wouldn’t be guaranteed. It’ll take more time to determine whether the Pistons truly did fumble by not offering NAW more years on his contract.