The Detroit Pistons needed to add a sharpshooter this summer, and they settled on Duncan Robinson, signing him to a three-year, $48 million deal after acquiring him via a sign-and-trade with the Heat. After looking at the deals that other shooters like Luke Kennard got this summer, Robinson's looks like an overpay, but there's a catch.
He'll make $16.8 million in his first season with the Pistons, making him the third-highest paid player on the team. Robinson is on a descending contract, so in the 2026-27 season, Detroit could owe him $15.9 million (the final season is non-guaranteed). The keyword there is 'could,' as only two million of that is guaranteed, and it won't become fully guaranteed until January 10, 2027.
Detroit made sure to give itself the flexibility to get rid of Robinson before then if needed.
Next season will be somewhat of a tryout for Robinson, who is a career 39.7% three-point shooter. The Pistons brought him in solely for his shooting. The playoff experience he gained with the Heat helped, but his inconsistency in the postseason was an issue in Miami. Robinson is a liability on defense, a part of his game that looks much worse when his shots aren't falling.
If things don't go well next season, the Michigan native may not spend another year in Detroit.
Only first season of Duncan Robinson's contract is guaranteed
The Pistons' top three-point shooter last season was Malik Beasley, who shot 41.6% from three on a team-high 9.3 attempts per game. Beasley is currently under federal and NBA investigations stemming from gambling allegations. He may or may not return to the NBA, whether that be with Detroit or another team.
Tim Hardaway Jr. signed a one-year deal with the Nuggets this summer. He shot 36.8% from deep this past season on 5.9 attempts per game, the third-highest attempts on the team behind Beasley and Cade Cunningham.
Without Beasley (that could change) and Hardaway, Robinson is Detroit's best three-point shooter, and his numbers should reflect that. The Pistons are coming off a thrilling season that led them to the first round of the playoffs, and they want to build off that momentum next season in what could be their first playoff series win since 2008.
The role that Robinson will play in helping Detroit get there is yet to be seen, but his contract structure should provide him with some extra motivation.