The Detroit Pistons weren’t ready to allow their 2025-2026 in-season trade pickup to walk in NBA free agency this summer.
Months after adding Kevin Huerter from the Chicago Bulls, the Pistons invested a brand-new three-year deal in the sharpshooter. He will make $27 million over that time.
Initially, the deal came off as a head-scratcher to some. Nearly two months later, it remains questionable. Recently, the NBA insider Vincent Goodwill described it as a possible overpay.
8-Year NBA Sharpshooter Creates Valid Overpay Questions For Pistons
Following the Pistons closely, Goodwill expects Detroit to remain strong as a regular-season squad in 2026-2027. However, there are valid questions.
It has become clear that the Pistons struggled to land some of their top targets in the offseason, as they searched for shooting upgrades. Perhaps that played a big part in their decision to give Huerter the contract he landed.
“I want to see if Isaiah Joe is enough for them–I don’t know if Kevin Huerter–if that was an overpay to bring him back at $9 million a year when you look at the market of some of the guys who performed better than Kevin Huerter but went for less. That’s a gamble that they are taking.”
Huerter has been in the NBA since the 2018-2019 season. He had some bright spots during his time with the Atlanta Hawks and the Sacramento Kings.
The short run with the Chicago Bulls will go down as forgettable, while the 25-game stretch with the Pistons warrants the overpay label at this time.
Kevin Huerter’s Pistons Debut
In 25 games, Huerter came off the bench for all but three of those matchups. He averaged 20.5 minutes of action. The veteran sharpshooter produced 44.3% from the field and hit only 29.4% of his shots from three, averaging 8.6 points per game.
On top of his shooting struggles, Huerter battled setbacks during the playoff run, leaving him to average just 9.2 minutes in only five games.
Goodwill’s questions aren’t overreactions. Huerter’s deal looks like an overpay initially. Of course, that can change with a bit of stability, but the early stage of his Pistons run is concerning enough to have big questions heading into the critical 2026-2027 NBA season.