Former Michigan Wolverines basketball star Caris LeVert signed a two-year, $29 million deal with the Detroit Pistons on the first day of free agency, reuniting him with former coach J.B. Bickerstaff.
How Does LeVert Fit In Detroit?
While most Pistons fans aren’t thrilled with the Caris LeVert deal, it could prove to be an underrated signing.Â
Bickerstaff has proven that he has the ability to get the most out of his veteran players, especially on the wing. Malik Beasley and Tim Hardaway Jr. enjoyed strong seasons in Detroit last year. With both players potentially on their way out, LeVert could follow in their footsteps and become a productive role player in Detroit.Â
Guard minutes will be tough to come by, especially if Jaden Ivey and Cade Cunningham can stay healthy over an 82-game season, but there’s a potential void for a secondary scorer off of the bench.Â
LeVert is a capable ball-handler who can score from all three levels, which is something Detroit sorely missed during its first-round playoff exit versus the New York Knicks.
Grading The LeVert Signing
The Pistons quickly moved on from sharpshooter Malik Beasley, who is under federal investigation for participating in an illegal gambling scheme. While LeVert won’t replace Beasley’s three-point shooting, he brings some scoring punch and shot creation off of the bench for Detroit.
Last season, LeVert shot 40% on pull-up 3-pointers and 52% on floaters. He was effective off the ball as well, knocking down 35% of his catch-and-shoot 3-pointers. A career 34.5% shooter from long distance, LeVert shot 40.5% from beyond the arc last season before being traded to the Atlanta Hawks.
Under Bickerstaff, LeVert had some of his most effective seasons while coming off of the bench in Cleveland. From 2021-22 through the 2023-24 seasons, he finished with a VORP of over 1.0 in each campaign, easily the best three-year stretch of his career.
Grade: B
Pistons Still Have Flexibility To Make More Moves
The start of NBA free agency has been relatively slow for Pistons fans but the team is still in position to make a bigger splash in free agency.
According to salary cap expert Keith Smith, the signing could still go under the cap or use the Non-Taxpayer Mid-Level Exception. This gives the Pistons some flexibility to continue to add to the roster during free agency.Â
Detroit has already lost some key pieces from last season’s playoff roster and missed out on potential free agency targets. The Pistons were unable to secure deals with Nickiel Alexander-Walker and Santi Aldama, two players who were linked to Detroit prior to the start of free agency.
With Beasley potentially facing a long-term suspension depending on the result of his gambling investigation, Detroit might have to get creative to improve its offense and keep one of the league’s best bench units from falling apart.
Backup point guard Dennis Shroder has signed with the Sacramento Kings. However, rumors have surfaced that the deal could be sign-and-trade with the Kings that brings Malik Monk and other assets back to Detroit.
An emerging option for the Pistons, sources say, is Detroit trading for Kings guard Malik Monk. Sounds like there’s a chance this deal, if agreed to, could turn into a sign-and-trade that brings Dennis Schroder to Sacramento.
— Jake Fischer (@JakeLFischer) July 1, 2025
Like Beasley, Monk is a high-volume, microwave scorer who can heat up in a hurry. While he’s coming off of one of the worst 3-point shooting seasons of his career, Monk has shown considerable growth as a playmaker over the past two seasons, averaging more than five assists per game during that span.
