The Detroit Pistons and former Phoenix Suns’ forward Jon Leuer have agreed to terms on a four-year deal. Where does he fit in with the Pistons?
The Detroit Pistons have agreed to a four-year, $42 million deal with free agent forward Jon Leuer, according to ESPN‘s Marc Stein.
Detroit will be Leuer’s fifth team in his sixth season in the NBA. He was selected 40th overall in the 2011 NBA Draft out of Wisconsin. He has found his niche in the NBA, which has allowed him to land a long-term deal.
He spent the 2015-16 season with the Phoenix Suns. He proved that he can be a capable stretch-four off the bench, which makes him a perfect fit for the Pistons.
Leuer, 27, is going to get consistent minutes off of the bench for the Pistons. He will play behind starters Tobias Harris, Marcus Morris and Andre Drummond in the frontcourt. He could play alongside of Stanley Johnson and Aron Baynes.
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Expect Leuer to get the majority of minutes early in the season over rookie
Henry Ellenson, who was selected 18th overall in the 2016 NBA Draft.
Detroit needed an upgrade at the backup power forward position after Anthony Tolliver‘s struggles last year and they get one in the form of Leuer. He has the ability to stretch the floor as a 6-foot-10 forward that can put the ball on the floor.
He shot 38.2 percent from three-point range last season. He can also excel in the pick-and-roll with a good mid-range jumper, or as a dive man heading to the basket.
He hit 48.8 percent of all his shots last season, on his way to averaging 8.5 points per game in 18.7 minutes per game. That translates to 16.3 points per 36 minutes.
Leuer is also a 76.2 percent free-throw shooter, which could make him the go-to-guy off the bench when teams begin intentionally fouling the 35.5 percent free-throw shooting Drummond. He can play the center position as a small-ball center.
He is going to contribute plenty on the offensive end, but he should also be a good rebounder. He rebounded at a 16.1 rate, averaging 10.7 rebounds per 36 minutes. His ability to rebound and push the ball up the court and run in transition is going to help the Pistons offensively.
Especially when you consider Leuer’s 12.8 turnover rate.
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Moving forward, Leuer is going to be a pivotal part of the Pistons offense, whether it’s off the bench or getting playing time with the starters. He seems to be a perfect fit in Stan Van Gundy’s offense as a stretch-four with size, similar to that of
Ryan Anderson.
His offense will help the league’s worst bench in terms of scoring, according to HoopsStats.com. That and the agreement between Detroit and point guard Ish Smith should give the Pistons a needed lift after they relied upon Steve Blake and Anthony Tolliver in those positions.
In order to create extra cap space prior to free agency, the Pistons sent shooting guard Jodie Meeks to the Orlando Magic for a future second round pick. That cleared up an extra $6.5 million that they used on Smith at point guard.
If they didn’t move Meeks, there would have been a log-jam at the two-guard position with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Darrun Hilliard and Michael Gbinije. Now, the Pistons don’t have to worry about that.
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Moving forward, Leuer is going to become a well-liked player by Pistons fans. He brings a lot of hustle on the court and an offensive skill set that the Pistons have been desperately needing off the bench.