The Detroit Pistons’ need for some help from the guard spot was evident in their latest defeat to the Los Angeles Clippers, where they were without Cade Cunningham and failed to generate key shots and kept turning the ball over down the stretch.
If the Pistons want to be a true playoff contender, adding some depth like they did at the trade deadline last season with Dennis Schroder could be the way to go.
While there are still a few weeks until the Feb. 5 trade deadline, the Pistons will surely be linked to quite a few players whether business gets done or not. And one of the latest is Charlotte Hornets guard Collin Sexton.
The Pistons are among a group of the Clippers, Minnesota Timberwolves and Milwaukee Bucks viewed as potential “suitors” for Sexton, according to a report from ClutchPoints’ Brett Siegel.
The Hornets (14-25) are just four games out of a play-in spot, but they’re focused on building around the young core headlined by LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller and rookie Kon Knueppel.
Sexton, 27, is on an expiring contract and has become much less of a priority for the Hornets. He’s played in 31 games this season, making 12 starts and averaging 15.2 points and 4.1 assists in just under 24 minutes.
The former eighth overall pick is shooting 48.5% from the field and 39% from beyond the arc. While he’s posting some of the worst numbers of his career, his ability to be impactful on both ends is still there.
The Pistons could use a solid secondary scorer to run alongside Cade Cunningham when starter Duncan Robinson is off the court and has the potential to be a provider for the second unit.
Coach J.B. Bickerstaff certainly has familiarity with Sexton as he coached him with the Cleveland Cavaliers from 2019-2022, when he was part of a sign-and-trade deal that brought Donovan Mitchell to Cleveland.
“Collin is awesome,” Bickerstaff said in 2024. “I don’t know if I’ve been around a guy who works harder on his game, who’s more committed to his game, a guy who was eager to be coached. I’m just watching how his game has blossomed and how he’s been able to make more reads. He was fun to be around. We had a great time.”
Sexton’s first full season with Bickerstaff as his head coach was his best, averaging 24.3 points and 4.4 assists per game. He spent three seasons with the Utah Jazz after being traded and was dealt to the Hornets during the offseason.
He’s credited Bickerstaff with a lot of his development early on in his career.
“Honestly, he just gives you that feeling to play free,” Sexton told The Detroit News in 2024. “He gives you that feeling of, ‘Hey, don’t worry about mistakes. Don’t worry about turnovers. Don’t worry about missing shots; those things are going to happen.’ He was one of those coaches that allowed me to be me and play free. That allowed me to learn and get better.”
While his almost $19 million cap hit is a bit richer than Schroder’s from last season, the Pistons have kept themselves in a very flexible position if they opted to make some moves around the deadline.