The Atlanta Hawks sent Kevin Huerter to the Kings in 2022 for Justin Holiday, Moe Harkless, and a protected first-round pick (that helped them land an unprotected pick in 2026). Since then, he's spent time in Chicago, where he was until the Bulls traded him to the Pistons before this year's deadline, a move that hasn't exactly worked in his favor.
Huerter played in four games for Detroit before the All-Star break, averaging only 4.3 points on 11.1% shooting. He went scoreless in his debut against the Wizards, but he attempted two shots in just six minutes. The guard put up another goose egg against the Hornets, going 0-of-2 from the field.
In his most recent game, he finished with nine points on 4-of-9 shooting from the field in 21 minutes. That was nearly two weeks ago, though, as Huerter hasn't played for the Pistons since returning from the break. He didn't even get any action on Saturday when Detroit traveled to Chicago to play his former team.
The Pistons have been the best team in the East all season, but their biggest weakness is their lack of outside shooting: They're shooting 35.2% from three (19th in the league). They average only 31.7 threes per game, ranking them 27th in the league. Even with all of that considered, Detroit still pushed Huerter out of the rotation.
Kevin Huerter has already fallen out of the Pistons' rotation
It's not over yet for Huerter, who has a lot to prove over these next few months, as he'll be an unrestricted free agent this offseason. He didn't shoot the three-ball well during the first half of the season in Chicago (31.4%), and so far, a change of scenery hasn't benefitted him.
While he can certainly string together a few good outings during the last few weeks of the regular season, where Huerter can make the most impact is in the playoffs if his number is called. All he would need is one hot shooting performance. Considering that Detroit's season should extend beyond the first round, where it ended last year, Huerter could get that opportunity.
What he's learning right now, though, is that the Pistons are stacked to the point where he's become an afterthought. That puts more pressure on Huerter to make the most of the minutes he receives, an outcome that could go either way. For his sake, hopefully, it will work in his favor, as it will determine the 27-year-old's next contract.