Signing wing Caris LeVert to a two-year, $29 million contract provides a proverbial splash for the Detroit Pistons.
While LeVert’s 34.5% career accuracy from 3-point range suggests he might not make consistent waves from deep, the move still marks a promising start in what recently became a reactionary offseason.
Odds are LeVert wouldn’t have flashed on the Pistons’ radar if not for an ongoing federal investigation involving gambling allegations against guard Malik Beasley. The runner-up for the NBA Sixth Man of the Year award reportedly was on track to sign a three-year, $42 million extension with Detroit.
No more — at least until the feds are through exploring the matter.
“An investigation is not a charge,” said Beasley’s attorney, Steve Haney. “Malik is afforded the same right of the presumption of innocence as anyone else under the U.S. Constitution. As of now, he has not been charged with anything.”
With respect to jurisprudence, the Pistons couldn’t afford to wait and see on another key roster piece — which already is their approach with guard Jaden Ivey.
Ivey suffered a broken fibula during a Jan. 1 game, and although he isn’t at full strength six months later, Detroit president of basketball operations Trajan Langdon and company expect Ivey to be ready when training camp opens in October.
“A player coming back off an injury, there will always be concerns and thoughts in his head,” Langdon said. “I played two different seasons after injury, and it is difficult mentally and emotionally. He wants to get back to the player he was pre-injury, playing a high level of basketball. But we feel it is our responsibility to put him in a place where he can get there as quickly as possible. He has been in here working his butt off all summer.”
The Beasley situation spurred Detroit’s front office into sudden action on the eve of free agency, and LeVert clearly offered enough to like as a rotational piece.
A veteran of nine NBA seasons, the 30-year-old gives a young and jelling roster a steady presence who can step in as a ballhandler when stars Cade Cunningham and Ivey need a breather.
Veteran Dennis Schröder no longer can fill that role after leaving Detroit to sign with the Sacramento Kings.
LeVert brings a different profile, spreading his scoring across all three levels, though he favors attacking the rim and midrange areas.
He attempted 284 3-pointers last season, compared to 766 for Beasley — meaning the Pistons surely know their search for shooting isn’t finished.
What’s reassuring until then is that LeVert connected on 106 of those deep attempts while playing for Cleveland and Atlanta, good for 37.3% — a notable jump from his career mark.
Buzz will swirl in Detroit about LeVert’s alma mater, too. He’s a Michigan man, you know. So is pending teammate Tim Hardaway Jr., an unrestricted free agent who seems likely to return after the LeVert signing didn’t swallow too much cap space.
Detroit won 44 games last season — 30 more than during 2023–24 — before losing to the New York Knicks in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.
A franchise on the rise needed to make a move with Beasley’s status in limbo.
Adding LeVert checks that box. Now, the Pistons continue their path forward.
