Free-Agent Flop
Cameron Johnson
Cameron Johnson was a guy the Pistons at least kicked the tires on this offseason, though they would have had to shell out huge money to pry him away from Brooklyn. He ended up signing a 4- year/$94.5 million contract and I was happy when Detroit didn't try to go over that.
Johnson is a good player, but he's had a long history of injuries in his basketball career, and the last thing Detroit needs is another player who can't stay on the floor. He's missed seven games already this season, and his numbers have been pedestrian.
Johnson is averaging 15 per game on 37 percent from long range, so "flop" might be a bit harsh, but when you factor in his salary and injuries, he's a guy the Pistons were smart to stay away from.
If they wanted a guy who could score 15 per game on that kind of shooting efficiency, they could have just kept Saddiq Bey (why didn't they by the way?), who isn't quite as good as Johnson, but isn't far off when you factor in injuries and salary.
There are still fans complaining that the Pistons didn't sign Johnson, but he wouldn't have changed this much, as he's missed nearly half the games and would have just joined the Pistons' ranks of the wounded.
Now let's get to some of the guys they should have signed, from role players to more expensive free agents.