Would add reliable scoring off the bench, but not the spacing Detroit is likely hoping for
While it’s been previously reported that the Detroit Pistons and Atlanta Hawks were the leaders in the clubhouse among those wishing to add Minnesota Timberwolves swingman Nickeil Alexander-Walker, it looks like the Hawks have surpassed Detroit in the lead to sign him.
Jake Fischer reports in The Stein Line that, “the Hawks can comfortably absorb Alexander-Walker” as part of a sign-and-trade deal with Minnesota, courtesy of last year’s Dejounte Murray trade. That would seemingly make it easier for Minnesota, which is hovering around the second round, to take back only draft capital and not players in return for NAW.
The Pistons, meanwhile, have set their sights on Caris LeVert, who split last season between Cleveland and Atlanta, as a veteran scorer off the bench. LeVert, 30, would be more of a stopgap compared to the 26-year-old Alexander-Walker.
LeVert can also score more reliably and dynamically compared to NAW, but he is nowhere near the defender Alexander-Walker is. He averaged 12.1 points in 24.9 minutes per game last season and hit 55% from inside the arc. However, he is not a reliable 3-point threat, connecting on just 37% last season and 34.5% across his nine-year career. At 6-foot-6 and 205 pounds, the former Michigan Wolverine is capable of playing the small forward position, and the Pistons might want to use that size in lineups with the likes of Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey.
LeVert doesn’t have any elite skills, but he also doesn’t have any glaring holes in his offensive game. The Pistons, always hungry for spacing, probably wish he would be a more reliable 3-point threat, but he’s no ball stopper. He can make the right reads and the correct secondary pass, and he takes reasonable care of the ball.
The Pistons are in an unfortunate position of having to navigate potential life without Malik Beasley, one of the league’s top three-point shooters who was expected to sign a new long-term deal in Detroit this offseason. However, Beasley is facing a federal investigation related to NBA betting. That doesn’t preclude him from suiting up this year as the legal process plays out, but it looks like a long-term deal from Detroit is off the table for the time being.