The first order of business for the Detroit Pistons this offseason is to make a decision on their own free agents. The pending free agencies of Dennis Schröder, Malik Beasley, and Tim Hardaway Jr. will determine how much cap space the Pistons will have to spend elsewhere. Depending on whether and for how much they retain the three veterans will decide how aggressively they can pursue other free agents.
Regardless of what happens with their own free agents, the Pistons can still target lower-level free agents whom they can sign to minimum or below midlevel exception contracts. One of those players is former Pistons guard Spencer Dinwiddie.
Free Agent Spencer Dinwiddie Could Be a Good Fit in Detroit
The journeyman scorer has had a solid NBA career after he was traded by Detroit in the 2016 offseason. The former second-round pick of the Pistons failed to establish himself as a rotation-caliber player in his first two seasons in Detroit, but later blossomed into a good two-way combo guard.
The 32-year-old spent last year in Dallas and had a large role after the team was decimated by injuries in the second half of the season. After averaging 11 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game for the Mavericks, Dinwiddie will be a free agent this summer.
Dinwiddie played on a minimum deal last season, and whether he has done enough to warrant a larger contract is unclear. It's hard to imagine any team giving him a lucrative, multiyear deal and a starting spot. He will likely continue to be in an instant-offense-off-the-bench role, and the Pistons should seriously consider him for that spot.
This will especially be a good fit if Detroit can't re-sign Schröder. Dinwiddie is a worse version of Schröder on both ends of the floor at this point, but he is a similar type of player. The Pistons need more shot creators, especially when Cade Cunningham is on the bench, and Dinwiddie can at least help the offense stay afloat in short spurts.
Dinwiddie's first stint in Detroit didn't go according to plan, but he could have a chance to redeem himself in the city that drafted him.