Entering the 2025 offseason, the Detroit Pistons already desperately needed shooting. What was made apparent during Detroit's first-round loss to the Knicks was the lack of spacing around Cade Cunningham. On top of that, the Pistons lost Tim Hardaway Jr. and Malik Beasley (he may still return), creating an even bigger need for shooters on the roster. GM Trajan Langdon responded by executing a sign-and-trade with the Miami Heat for Duncan Robinson. While Robinson is certainly a quality sharpshooter, this reeked of a panic move as the Pistons overpaid for him in a three-year, $48 million deal.
Because of this overpayment, Robinson may find himself moved during the season, not being able to finish the season in Detroit.
Duncan Robinson Could Find Himself Traded by the Pistons This Season
In Detroit's defense, the second year of Robinson's contract is only partially guaranteed, and the third year is non-guaranteed. This softens the blow of the deal, but the Pistons still have to pay the 31-year-old small forward over $16.8 million for the 2025-26 season. That is a lot of money for a player who is a major weakness in all aspects of the game outside of shooting and has not been a regular starter in Miami for the past three seasons.
What makes him an intriguing trade chip for the Pistons is the fact that his salary could be used in any deal for an upgrade. He is essentially an expiring contract, and his salary is large enough for the Pistons to use in a major move. Some combination of Robinson and Tobias Harris, Isaiah Stewart, or Caris LeVert could help the Pistons get a near-max contract in return via trade.
The desire to move on from Robinson will only be exacerbated if the Pistons end up re-signing Beasley. There is a ton of buzz between the two sides, and the Pistons are seen as a frontrunner to bring back their former shooting guard. If that happens, finding room for Robinson will be even tougher.
On paper, Beasley and Robinson don't play the same position. Robinson is bigger, slower, and defends (or tries to defend) forwards more than guards. However, they bring similar skill sets as elite three-point shooters who don't do much else. With more forward minutes needed to go to Ausar Thompson and Ron Holland, finding enough of a role for Robinson so that he is worth being the third-highest-paid player on the team doesn't seem very likely.
If that happens, the veteran shooter's time in Detroit may be shorter-lived than many had thought at the time of his arrival.