The Detroit Pistons were understandably quiet at the trade deadline.
The only move they made was to move on from Jaden Ivey and bring back Kevin Huerter. Ivey had fallen out of favor in the crowded backcourt, and the Pistons desperately needed more shooting, so the swap made sense on paper.
While Detroit would love to see Huerter become an important part of their rotation both in the final stretch of the regular season and the playoffs, the Pistons are a well-oiled machine with a defensive identity. They have made it this far into the season without Huerter and could make a deep postseason run with or without their new shooting guard.
This puts Huerter in a precarious position.
The 27-year-old will be an unrestricted free agent in the summer. He carries a $17.9 million cap hit this season, and as things stand now, he will almost certainly not make close to that number. How he performs for one of the best teams in the league over the next few months will determine the number of zeros in his next annual salary.
Pistons' Kevin Huerter Is Already on Thin Ice
Huerter had signed a four-year, $65 million contract extension with the Hawks in the 2021 offseason. He was traded to the Kings before his extension even kicked in. Since then, Huerter hasn't been able to live up to the expectations that came with the contract.
A big reason is that his shot hasn't been falling. After shooting over 38% in four of his first five seasons in the league, he has been nowhere near that level in the last two and a half years.
This has continued in his first four games in Detroit. He is 1-of-9 (11.1%) from three and has not attempted a free throw. For a player whose calling card is his shooting, that is not good enough. It is hard to justify playing Huerter for significant minutes if he isn't going to make shots, as he is a liability in other aspects of the game, especially defensively.
Huerter is a decent passer and a fine playmaker off the dribble. Yet, that skill set isn't very valuable if opposing defenses aren't intimidated by his outside shot.
Head coach J.B. Bickerstaff will give Huerter a chance in the final 29 games of the season. Given that the Pistons are almost a lock to clinch the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, Bickerstaff has the luxury to try different lineup combinations and dig deep into his rotation.
This stretch will determine whether Huerter will be in Detroit's playoff rotation.
If he isn't, then he may have to settle for a short-term, prove-it type of deal in the offseason. If he can rediscover the form he had in Atlanta when he helped carry them to the Conference Finals in 2021, then Huerter can secure an eight-figure annual salary once again.
After the All-Star break, few Pistons have as much to lose as the veteran shooting guard.