Acquired from Chicago last season, Kevin Huerter put up modest numbers (8.6 PPG, .294 3PT%) in 25 regular season games for Pistons and then missed most of the team’s postseason run with a left adductor strain.
However, the president of basketball operations Troyan Langdon remained high on the veteran wing, re-signing him to a three-year, $27 million deal and telling reporters this week that he thinks Detroit could make it to the second round with a healthy Huerter as By Amari Sankoff II of The Detroit Free Press relay (subscription required).
Langdon added that Huerter “looked great” over the summer and said the team is looking forward to having him back in the rotation this season. The 28-year-old is equally enthusiastic about what lies ahead for him and the Pistons, saying during Monday’s media day that he thinks Detroit is a “really good” team with the potential to be even better.
“I was definitely looking forward to coming back, very excited to be back here.” Huerter said. “The offseason was primarily about getting healthy, getting my body right and working on my shot in a lot of ways. Those two things, my body and my three-point shot, have gotten some of my rhythm and confidence back.
“… (The Pistons) wanted me back, kind of from the jump, when I came here, I was traded here, for them and for me, it was something that hopefully lasted more than three months. I like the chemistry of this group, I like the toughness of this group, I like the coach JB (Bickerstaff). I hope it’s a multi-year thing that we can build on and I’ll still be part of a team that’s going to be better in the next couple of years.”
We’ve got more on the Pistons:
- John Collins told reporters this week that he was “excited” to hear from the Pistons when he reached free agency this summer. according to Sankoff (subscription required) who says the team is excited about the new dimension the big man will add to the roster. “He’s the right size for this position” Bickerstaff said of the veteran forward. “Above-average athletic ability at the position. Adds versatility. He’s obviously got the ability to throw. But he can play the five if you want him to, he can set screens and rush, he’s a front-end threat at that spot. He can pop up and play secondary and he can break into the corners. He just brings a ton of versatility. And defensively, we picked up last year below-average team and one of his strengths is defensive rebounding.”
- 5 overall in the 2024 draft. Ron Holland played an inconsistent role during his first two years with the Pistons, serving as a strong perimeter defender but struggling with his jump shooting (.246 career 3PT) while registering nearly as many turnovers (168) as assists (177). Improving his shooting and possession has been a focal point for Holland this off-season and Bickerstaff is confident the club will see growth from the third year forward in 2026/27. “I don’t want to put Ron in a box and say, ‘You can only play defense.'” bickerstaff said for Sankoff (subscription required). “That’s not who he is. He has an offensive game where he can get to the basket, he can score at a high level. I expect him to be more aggressive. I expect him to find more spots. He’s been working on his shot and shooting it with more confidence and belief, so we expect him to make an impact for us this year.” Holland will be eligible for a rookie scale extension next offseason, assuming Detroit exercises his $11.5MM team option for 2027-28 this fall.
- Ahead of next season, the Pistons are adjusting their offense to accommodate the increased number of three-point threats on the roster. Keith Langlois of Pistons.com there is a story.
- Thursday is the long-awaited deadline for the restricted free agent center Jalen Duren to accept his qualifying offer. In case you missed it, we did broke down what that means for Duren and what options he still has on the table.
