Possible free-agent target hits the wavier wire

The Detroit Pistons were the worst team in the NBA last season, obviously not ideal, but it does come with some advantages.

The Pistons get the first crack at any player who is waived by his team. Detroit still has an open roster spot, and possibly a two-way, but has so far given no indication of how they plan to fill it.

It’s possible the Pistons will want to keep a roster spot open in case they want to make a trade that brings back an extra player, but if not, there are still some interesting free agents out there.

Another one became available yesterday as the Portland Trail Blazers waived shooting guard/wing Jeenathan Williams:

He had a cup of coffee with the Portland Trail Blazers last season, playing in five games and averaging 10 points, three rebounds and two assists. But he has shown qualities in his career that the Detroit Pistons might be able to use.

Detroit Pistons free agent targets: Jeenathan Williams

Williams has mostly played in the G-League since entering the NBA as an undrafted free agent in 2022 after playing four seasons at Buffalo.

Williams shot the lights out in his final college season, hitting over 45 percent of his 3-point shots and nearly 50 percent from the floor overall. He increased his volume and accuracy all four years in college.

The 6-foot-5 Williams has played both shooting guard and small forward, so has some versatility on the perimeter. He continued his sharpshooting in the G-League, where he averaged 14.4 points per game last season on excellent shooting splits. He hit over 52 percent of his field goals and 41.7 percent from 3-point range on over four attempts per game.

The Pistons made a head-scratching signing recently with Zavier Simpson on an Exhibit 10 contract, as they need more wing players who can shoot and defend.

Williams has shown a lot of potential as a shooter, and at just 24-years-old, still has upside. Two-way contracts are easy to cancel, so it will be interesting if the Detroit Pistons make some further moves in their developmental pipeline.

• Published on 07/29/2023 at 5:00 PM EDT
• Last updated on 07/29/2023 at 9:28 AM EDT