John Collins Is Signing With The Detroit Pistons On A Three-Year $51 Million Deal
John Collins agreed to a three-year, $51 million deal with the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday, giving Cade Cunningham exactly the kind of pick-and-roll partner he has been missing since the franchise committed to rebuilding around him. Collins, 28, averaged 13.6 points and 5.3 rebounds per game for the LA Clippers last season while shooting 55 percent from the field and 40 percent from three, the combination of above-the-rim athleticism and perimeter shooting that makes him one of the more uniquely useful bigs available in free agency.
Collins was Detroit's top target in the frontcourt market and the Pistons moved quickly to get him.
He fills the power forward vacancy created by Dean Wade's departure to Philadelphia and slots in as a starter alongside Ebuka Okorie, the No. 17 overall pick from this year's draft, in what the Pistons are building around Cunningham.
The specific value Collins brings is what ESPN described as an ability to space the floor "both vertically and with his 3-point shot," he dunked nearly 15 percent of his field goal attempts last season, meaning defenses cannot sag off him in the paint, and his perimeter shooting has returned to the form he showed during his best Atlanta Hawks seasons alongside Trae Young.
Cunningham's playmaking style benefits from a roll man who can both finish at the rim and stretch to the three-point line, which is the exact profile Collins has maintained despite three teams in four years.
