Pistons have a dream offseason signing who’s thankfully flying under the radar
The Detroit Pistons have to maintain a shut eye on Phoenix Suns level guard Collin Gillespie. Gillespie is arguably the most improved participant in the NBA, award or in any other case, having made a colossal leap from the fringes of an NBA roster to the beginning lineup for a potential playoff staff.
With an expiring contract and the good talent set to take stress off of Pistons famous person Cade Cunningham, Gillespie must be a high goal in free company. And but, nobody’s actually speaking about him.
Gillespie has maybe the strongest case for the Most Improved Player award if we’re it by way of the lens of what the title of the honor implies. He’s already performed extra video games in 2025-26 (58) than he amassed between his first two NBA seasons mixed (57).
Furthermore, Gillespie averaged 5.9 factors, 2.4 assists, 2.4 rebounds, and 1.2 three-point area targets made per recreation in 14.0 minutes throughout his 33 appearances in 2024-25.
In 2025-26, nonetheless, Gillespie is averaging 13.4 factors, 4.7 assists, 4.1 rebounds, 1.4 steals, and three.0 three-point area targets made on .431/.420/.843 taking pictures. Furthermore, he isn’t solely enjoying 28.3 minutes per recreation, however has began 39 of his 58 appearances for a Suns staff that is already inside three wins of their 2024-25 whole.
Compounded by the indisputable fact that the Suns are 6.8 factors per 100 possessions higher when Gillespie is on the court docket than when he is not, he is the epitome of what the Pistons want from free company.
Pistons should signal Collin Gillespie to ease Cade Cunningham’s burden
Cunningham is an MVP candidate who has put the Pistons’ offense on his back whereas nonetheless sustaining a excessive degree of play on protection. That’s each spectacular and alarming, as the Pistons’ offensive score drops from 118.9 when he is on the court docket to 108.3 when he is not.
The main motive that each statistics and the eye check reveal a want for roster development is the easy indisputable fact that Detroit lacks an ideal complementary playmaker.
Daniss Jenkins has turned heads throughout his breakout season, however continues to be enjoying simply 17.1 minutes per recreation. Ausar Thompson has made progress on offense, however he continues to be a non-shooter whom skeptics fear might be focused in the playoffs.
That leaves a obvious void for a participant who can each create for his or her teammates and house the flooring with effectivity and quantity. Enter Gillespie.
Collin Gillespie gives on-ball and off-ball worth on each ends of the flooring
Gillespie is a artful playmaker and assured shooter who can function each with and with out the ball in his arms. He’s taking pictures a mind-blowing 49.0 p.c on catch-and-shoot threes, whereas the Pistons rank No. 25 in the NBA at 35.6 p.c.
Furthermore, Gillespie’s 4.7 assists per recreation would rank second on the Pistons behind Cunningham at 9.8—and much forward of Jenkins, No. 3 on the record, at 3.1.
In addition to thriving offensively, Gillespie is one in all the finest defenders nobody talks about. He ranks in the 87th percentile in off-ball chaser protection, the 86th percentile in ball display screen navigation, and the seventy fifth percentile in perimeter isolation protection, per Basketball Index. In different phrases: He excels in each on and off-ball conditions on each ends of the flooring.
If the Pistons are lucky sufficient to have a probability to signal Gillespie, they should not assume twice about bringing in the good match for what the staff wants on each ends of the flooring.
