One of the Detroit Pistons main focuses of the off-season will be to add more shooting. The team finished 28th out of 30 teams in three-point percentage last year, which is one of the main reasons they finished with only 37 wins and missed the playoffs.
There are lots of talented shooters that will be available through free agency, but many, like J.J. Reddick will command more money than the Pistons can dole out under the salary cap.
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So they’re solution remains consistent with what Stan Van Gundy has tried to since taking the reigns as coach and President in 2014 – fill the teams needs with “bargain basement” players.
The player the Pistons are targeting this time around is Indiana Pacers shooting guard C.J. Miles.
An ESPN.com report on Tuesday said Miles, 30, will opt out of the final year of his deal to become an unrestricted free agent
A person with firsthand knowledge of the Pistons’ off-season plans told the Detroit Free Press this morning Miles would be on their list.
Of course, much of the Pistons cap flexibility hinges on what they decide to do with restricted free agents Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who is expected to command a near-max contract, and Reggie Bullock.
The Pistons can offer Miles the non-taxpayer $8.4-million mid-level exception with the huge caveat that they stay under the luxury tax line.
Miles could be a very solid addition to the Pistons coming off a season where he shot 41.3% from three-point range on about five and a half attempts per game.
Miles claim to fame may unfortunately be missing a game winning jumper just before the buzzer sounded in Game 1 of the Pacers first-round series against the Eastern Conference Champion Cleveland Cavaliers, a move that teammate and Pacers star Paul George would criticize in the pose-game press conference.
What may attract Miles to Detroit is that since the 12-year vet is on the wrong side of 30 years old, the Pistons could be one of the few teams looking to give Miles north of three-years on deal.
There will be a million and one things that come out between now and the start of free agency, but as far as the Pistons are concerned, this just happens to be the first.
