Troy Weaver didn’t have many memorable moments to point to during his time as general manager of the Detroit Pistons.
But one of them happened last season when he traded Kevin Knox and a second-round pick for Simone Fontecchio.
Fontecchio didn’t join the NBA until he was 27, but he’s improved every season since, including a 16-game stretch with the Pistons last season where he averaged over 15 points per game while shooting 43 percent from long range.
That was enough to land him a new contract in Detroit, which This seems like excellent value for money for a guy who can defend and makes 3-point shots at a high rate.
New Free Agent Has Ties to Trajan Langdon. dark. Related Article. New Free Agent Has Ties to Trajan Langdon
It was one of the only ones Weaver’s low-cost buying moves It worked, and now Trajan Langdon might have a chance to do it again with a player he knows well.
Sharpshooting wing Matt Ryan was recently released by Langdon’s former team, the New Orleans Pelicans, and will be a free agent if he clears waivers:
Sources: The New Orleans Pelicans are parting ways with forward Matt Ryan. Ryan averaged 5.4 points and shot 45.1 percent from three-point range in 13 minutes per game in 28 games for the Pelicans last season. pic.twitter.com/gbc2bZCRkK
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 23, 2024
Ryan played just 28 games for the Pels last season, but shot over 45 percent from 3-point range as a 6-foot-6 forward.
Should the Detroit Pistons take a chance on another free agent shooting guard?
Langdon obviously prioritized shooting this offseason when he added Tobias Harris, Malik Beasley and Tim Hardaway Jr.
The Pistons have long been one of the worst teams in the league in terms of 3-point shooting, so it makes sense to try to get more cap space around Cade Cunningham.
If Detroit wants to build a stockpile of shooters, a one-year deal for Ryan could be a worthwhile investment, because you can never have too many shots, and Ryan can shoot. The Pistons don’t particularly need another wing, but another team could, and if Ryan continues to shoot at this rate, Detroit could potentially trade a cheap contract for a draft-deadline asset.
It’s also possible that Ryan is a late bloomer like Simone Fontecchio who could evolve into a solid rotation player on a value contract in the right context.
It would be a small bet, as the Pistons have roster spots and more than enough cap space to gamble on Ryan.
Trajan Langdon knows his stuff, so if he was impressed with Ryan’s time in New Orleans, then we could see him on his way to Detroit.
