The Detroit Pistons absolutely should be in the market to add a player with the three-point shooting expertise of Collin Sexton
When looking at the Detroit Pistons’ offseason agenda, President of Basketball Operations Trajan Langdon has a full plate with the 2026 NBA Draft just weeks away and free agency in tow seven days after that. On the surface, the Pistons might not need much work as a 60-win outfit that out-performed most expectations last season, but there are issues to address that lie within the surface.
Among those, Langdon will work to reach an agreement with Jalen Duren to bring the All-Star big man back to the Motor City for years to come. Langdon admitted as much during his end of season press conference, but the exec will also have an ability to shape the squad through free agency. As it stands, both Tobias Harris and Kevin Huerter are set to become free agents on an unrestricted basis (while Duren will be an RFA once he signs a qualifying offer), so Langdon could impact the direction of Detroit through his handling of those two veterans.
Harris, though 35 years old and a 15-year NBA vet, started every game when healthy last year, so he’s clearly become a reliable mid-range assassin during his second go-around in the Motor City. Huerter, on the other hand, worked his way into becoming one of the first Pistons off the bench during the final two weeks of the regular season, but a left adductor strain prevented the steady-shooting wing from contributing more mightily in the postseason.
If the Pistons are looking to add perimeter shooters who can handle the ball to Motown, which is what Langdon has said the team values, then Collin Sexton is a talented veteran guard who could help space the floor while distributing the rock in an on-ball role to help take pressure off Cade Cunningham as well.
Last season, Sexton split time between the Chicago Bulls and Charlotte Hornets, but the 6-3, 190-pounder shot over 40% from three-point range while operating as a secondary playmaker in both scenarios. The Pistons would benefit from adding that type of perimeter shooting alone, but Sexton’s ability to handle the rock and initiate offense in the half-court make the veteran guard an even more attractive option for Detroit during free agency.
According to Spotrac, Sexton made just over $19 million, so the Pistons would not necessarily have to break the bank to bring the seventh-year guard into Detroit to potentially operate on the team’s second unit with the ability to float in and out with the starters when needed. Overall, Sexton represents one of the safer value-driven contracts in the league given his laser-like stroke from beyond the arc.
Once it became clear that Sexton could be on the move back at the Trade Deadline, Pistons Roundtable presented the possibility of bringing him to Motown back then, and it would be a move that makes even more sense after losing to the Cleveland Cavs in the second round of the playoffs. Having a player of Sexton’s three-point shooting quality to put on the perimeter alongside Duncan Robinson would have forced both the Cavs and the Orlando Magic to play more honest defense without packing the paint so much, which would theoretically have opened up space for Cunningham and Jalen Duren to operate. With multiple shooters operating in the 40% range on the outside, the Pistons could continue to run their pick-and-roll sets with JD and Cade, many of which resulted in lob plays during the regular season before those opportunities dried up in the playoffs.
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