Collins Boosts Pistons
Detroit Pistons acquire John Collins in $51M deal, signaling a major frontcourt strategy shift
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Key Points
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Pistons pursued John Collins as their top target to start at power forward, with the move aimed at pairing him with Cade Cunningham and adding a vertical lob threat in Detroit's frontcourt.
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Collins showcased a versatile finishing and spacing profile last season, dunking nearly 15% of his shots and shooting around 40% from three, underscoring both dunking ability and floor-spacing value.
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With the Clippers last season, Collins started 56 of 69 games and averaged 13.6 points and 5.3 rebounds in 27.1 minutes, even as his role was scaled back late in a season that ended without a playoff appearance for LA.
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Collins’ career path includes six seasons with the Hawks, followed by two with the Jazz before joining the Clippers, and he previously signed a $125 million contract with Atlanta in 2021.
John Collins has agreed to a three-year, $51 million deal with the Detroit Pistons, according to ESPN. The signing makes Collins the projected starting power forward, pairing him with All-NBA point guard Cade Cunningham to form Detroit's new frontcourt backbone.
Collins, 28, spent last season with the Los Angeles Clippers, averaging 13.6 points and 5.3 rebounds across 69 games. He shot 40.6% from three-point range and dunked nearly 15% of his shots — a profile Detroit coveted to unlock Cunningham's pick-and-roll game.
Detroit Trades Stagnation for a Vertical Lob Threat
The Pistons finished 60-22 last season — the best record in the East — but stalled in the second round against Cleveland. Detroit Jock City noted that Detroit's half-court offense struggled without a dynamic above-the-rim finisher. Collins is the direct answer to that problem.
Detroit cleared space to make this happen. The Pistons traded center Isaiah Stewart to Memphis on June 25, freeing $15 million immediately, per ABC7. That move opened the door for a run at Collins as their top free-agent target.
Collins Brings Efficiency and Floor Spacing to Detroit
Collins posted 55.2% shooting from the field and 40.6% from three last season with the Clippers. He started 56 of 69 games despite playing just 27.1 minutes per night in a veteran-heavy LA rotation. His efficiency stayed elite even as his role shrank.
Detroit Jock City called Collins "an athletic lob threat who can finish around the basket and has hit over 40% of his threes recently." The outlet did flag a concern: his shot creation and defensive versatility are only average. His fit depends heavily on Cunningham carrying the creative load.
$51 Million Deal Closes the Door on Tobias Harris Era
The signing almost certainly ends Tobias Harris's time in Detroit. Harris, 34, was seeking a multi-year deal but talks stalled over contract length, per ClutchPoints. Collins earns $17 million per year — less than Harris made last season — while being six years younger.
The deal takes up roughly 10.3% of the 2026-27 salary cap, set at $164.96 million. Detroit stays below the first luxury-tax apron for now. But Jalen Duren, a restricted free agent seeking close to $40 million per year, looms as the next big financial decision, per ClutchPoints.
Collins' Career Arc: From $125M Star to Detroit's Missing Piece
Collins broke out in Atlanta, posting career highs of 21.6 points and 10.1 rebounds per game in 2019-20. He signed a five-year, $125 million extension with the Hawks in 2021. After six seasons in Atlanta, he moved to Utah and then Los Angeles before landing in Detroit.
His market value has reset to the $17 million range — a far cry from his Atlanta peak. Yahoo Sports projects Collins slotting in alongside Cunningham, Duren, and Ausar Thompson in Detroit's starting five. The Pistons are betting that a leaner role suits him better than carrying a full offensive load ever did.
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