The Detroit Pistons are a few from the competition to compete for NBA titles, but one free agency signature could help you take the next step.
The Detroit Pistons are expected to become an upward team after winning the postseason for the first time since 2019 and slightly inflicting a close-up match against the New York Knicks in the first round.
Behind Cade Cunningham, Ausar Thompson and Jalen Duren, the Pistons have a solid young core, but key role players like Dennis Schroder, Malik Beasley and Tim Hardaway Jr. are all free agents.
Assuming they sign elsewhere for more money or bigger roles, Piston was able to add Michigan men to their lineup and advance their depths.
While Atlanta is not expected to offer competitive offers, Charis Lebert was traded with the Atlanta Hawks midway through last season. He averaged 12.1 points, 3.2 rebounds and 3.4 assists last season, and is one of the league’s best bench players.
“Levert is still a scary scorer and playmaker,” he wrote. Athletic Hunter Patterson. “His main goal with this Detroit team is to get out of the bench and provide a scoring punch. If pistons bring back Beasley and Schroeder, Levert will be an undesirable option as Detroit will still need to prioritize development in the Netherlands.
“However, depending on how negotiations between the Pistons and Schrader and Beasley are going to take place this summer, Levert could be a reliable option.”
Levert went into the scene during four seasons with Michigan’s Wolverine, averaging a highly efficient 16.5 points per game in his senior season.
In his freshman season, he helped Michigan State make the NCAA Finals, where he lost to Louisville. The following season he stepped into a bigger role, leading Wolverine to a sweet 16, and his return to the Great Lakes State may be delayed.
If Levert signs with a piston, it certainly will replace Beasley, who commands a lot of money in the open market. This means he will have to share the floor with Cunningham at crunch time and lead the bench unit.
He has not been a regular starter since 2022. His role as a bench scorer and a playmaker in middle schools seems pretty clear. Ron Holland and Isaiah Stewart can do things to be heavier at the edge of that floor, but he’s not the best defenders out there.
In Detroit, he becomes a scorer. He’s making $16.6 million this season and will sign a smaller deal no matter where he goes.