The Detroit Pistons will almost certainly add to their roster this summer. After a disappointing second-round exit, the Pistons are feeling the pressure to take a big step forward. They will be active in free agency and the trade market to find more offensive firepower.
With the assets and cap flexibility the Pistons have, they can go in many different directions. The free agent market offers them plenty of solid options, but they can't afford to make a mistake on who to sign.
Norman Powell is one of those options. The veteran shooting guard is the right archetype of a player the Pistons should be targeting in free agency. After earning his first-ever All-Star nod last season, Powell is an unrestricted free agent and should be gettable.
Few teams have cap space this summer, and the Pistons are one of the handful of teams that can offer Powell more than the non-taxpayer mid-level exception, which starts at $15 million per season. The 33-year-old is a three-level scorer, hitting nearly 40% of his threes for his career while being one of the more relentless rim-attackers.
At this stage of his career, Powell could be the ideal sixth man on a championship contender. He could still play around 30 minutes per game and close games when needed. He can run bench units without Cade Cunningham while fitting perfectly next to him in the backcourt.
Free agent CJ McCollum's fit in Detroit would be questionable
The same can't be said about every veteran shooting guard. CJ McCollum is coming off a similarly impressive season, but wouldn't be the right fit in Detroit.
McCollum is a regularly discussed name among Pistons fans on social media. This is understandable, as the veteran guard had an excellent finish to the season in Atlanta. On paper, he has the skill set the Pistons need.
In reality, however, the Pistons need to aim higher than McCollum. The former Blazers star will turn 35 before the start of the season. He is a significantly bigger defensive liability than Powell. He gets hunted on that end of the floor on a regular basis. Plus, he is not as good an off-ball player as Powell.
McCollum largely needs the ball in his hands to be effective. He likes to create his own mid-range shots and take off-the-dribble threes. While this could be helpful when Cunningham is on the bench, it makes him a poorer fit next to him on the court. The Pistons need players who like to play off the ball and space the floor for Cunningham.
At this stage of their careers, Powell is just a more dynamic and dangerous offensive player. McCollum's playoff performance against the Knicks was impressive, but the Pistons simply can't put too much weight on that production.
Add us as a preferred source on Google