Kevin Huerter is sticking around in Detroit.
On the eve of NBA free agency, the Pistons plan to sign Huerter to a three-year, $27 million deal, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. It keeps Huerter in the Motor City after Detroit picked him up in a trade deadline move that sent Jaden Ivey to the Chicago Bulls.
Huerter’s time with the Pistons was a short sample, but the numbers give a clear picture of where he stood. In 25 games, he averaged 8.6 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.5 assists while shooting 44.3 percent from the field. The bigger issue was his three-point stroke, which dipped after the move to Detroit.
He shot 29.4 percent from deep in 25 games with the Pistons, a two percent drop from his run with the Bulls earlier this year. In Chicago, Huerter connected on 31.4 percent of his threes.
Detroit’s interest in keeping him makes sense in the context of a roster that badly needs better shooting. With Huerter back and Isaiah Joe arriving from the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Pistons are trying to climb out of the basement in three-point percentage after finishing near the bottom of the league last season.
The hope is that Huerter can settle in and bounce back as a floor-spacer. That piece matters for Detroit as it pushes toward its first NBA championship since 2004.
Huerter is the first of four Pistons free agents to make his return official this offseason. The next names to watch are Jalen Duren, Tobias Harris and Javonte Green. Duren is expected to land an extension, while Harris and Green remain the bigger questions.
Pistons general manager Trajan Langdon has said he wants Harris back for his veteran leadership. Green, meanwhile, could be headed elsewhere as Detroit looks to create room for a free-agent addition.
NBA free agency begins Tuesday at 6 p.m. ET, and more Pistons decisions could come together quickly after that.
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