Detroit Pistons: 3 reasons Glenn Robinson III is a good addition

2. Robinson was affordable

The Pistons only have a little bit of money to spend in free agency — so little money that an aging role player like Anthony Tolliver, who by all accounts the team would have loved to re-sign, was ultimately out of their price range.

Detroit had so little money that a lot of fans and media who cover the team were unsure if the Pistons could pick up part-time starter Reggie Bullock‘s very reasonable $2.5 million option and stay under the luxury tax threshold.

The Pistons had to set their sights relatively low in free agency, and GRIII might be one of the best bargains on the market.

Last season was supposed to be the beginning of a breakout for Robinson. After winning the dunk contest in 2017 to give himself some national notoriety, he finished the 2016-17 campaign averaging career-highs in points (6.1 per game) and minutes (20 per game) for the Pacers.

Unfortunately, Robinson suffered an ankle injury that kept him out of action for most of the 2017-18 season. By the time he returned to the lineup in February, the Pacers were already clicking and rolling toward an eventual playoff berth.

Robnson had a tough time cracking the rotation, averaging 14 minutes per game in 23 regular season appearances. He only saw the court in two of Indiana’s seven playoff games for a total of six minutes.

Had things gone well for Robinson last season, he probably would’ve hit the free agency market with a much higher price tag. Due to the injury and sporadic playing time, he was almost a forgotten man during the season and flew under the radar going into free agency.

The Pistons may have pulled off a savvy move in landing Robinson at a low price.