How New Pistons Big Man John Collins Should Level Up Detroit's Offense

In the midst of all the offseason chaos, the Pistons signing former Los Angeles Clippers forward John Collins will be a move that flies under the radar until the regular season begins.

Apr 12, 2026; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Clippers forward John Collins (20) scores a basket against the Golden State Warriors during the second half at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Detroit Pistons front office have addressed their biggest needs the offseason, positioning themselves for another run at the Eastern Conference title.

Detroit is coming off of 60 regular season wins and a trip to the second round of the playoffs. The season prior, they lost to the New York Knicks in the first round of the playoffs. The past two seasons have been about patience for Pistons President Trajan Langdon. Their young core has developed and the time to cash in on success is this summer.

Along with trading up in the NBA Draft to select Stanford guard Ebuka Okorie, trading for former Oklahoma City Thunder guard Isaiah Joe, and re-signing Kevin Huerter, the Pistons front office signed former Atlanta Hawks and Los Angeles Clippers big man John Collins. It's a move that will fade into obscurity across mainstream media because of moves like Kawhi Leonard to the Raptors, Jaylen Brown to the 76ers, and LaMelo Ball to the Timberwolves, but Collins' arrival to the Motor City could end up being one of the most valuable acquisitions this summer.

Nov 14, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; LA Clippers forward John Collins (20) shoots the ball during an NBA Cup game between the Mavericks and the Clippers at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Spacing and efficient jump shooting

Isaiah Joe is going to be worth so much more than just the two second round picks Detroit traded for him. He's an elite marksman from three-point range and doesn't fade away when the postseason arrives. However, Joe is a smaller guard who has to work a bit harder to get his shots over the large wings of today's NBA.

What John Collins will do for the Pistons offense this season will be something Cade Cunningham hasn't experienced during his time in Detroit. Collins is an efficient jump shooter in his own right. The 6-foot-9 forward out of Wake Forest shot above 40% from three-point range last season and shot 39.9% from three-point range the previous season. Just two seasons ago, Collins averaged 19 points and 8.2 rebounds along with one steal and one block for the Utah Jazz. At his peak powers, he averaged 21.6 points and 10.2 rebounds on 40.1% shooting from deep for a full season in Atlanta.

Collins also routinely shoots at least three three-point shots per game for a season. He's coming to a team that finished 29th in three-point attempts during the regular season while also finishing 17th in three-point percentage. Collins, Joe, and an uptick in minutes for Kevin Huerter should remedy those flaws immediately. After rumors of potentially moving on from him, the Pistons should welcome Duncan Robinson back into their building with open arms as well

Free agent John Collins has agreed to a three-year, $51 million deal to sign with the Detroit Pistons, sources tell ESPN. Frontcourt addition and a new lob threat for Cade Cunningham in Detroit. pic.twitter.com/kYZlpHVcDz

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2026

Having players like Joe, Kevin Huerter, and John Collins create spacing inside the paint. Unlike Jalen Duren, Collins doesn't need to hover inside and around the paint to be effective on offense. When the primary big man can hover around the three-point line like the other four players on the court, it gives isolation demons like Cade Cunningham, Ebuka Okorie, and Daniss Jenkins more space to operate. Since Duren has been the main center in Detroit, this is a style of offense Detroit has yet to experience and maximize. It's a style of offense they can get used to without sacrificing their tough and physical way of scoring.

Another lob threat

While Collins should fit just fine playing next to Jalen Duren as a power forward, expect head coach JB Bickerstaff to maximize his usage as a small ball center. Collins will revert back to a role he was very familiar with in Atlanta with current Washington Wizards point guard Tare Young. Collins is very comfortable operating in the pick-and-roll as a quick-twitch jump shooter and as an aggressive roller.

Collins has never been afraid to reach for the stars and he welcomes the opportunity to soar the sky for an alley oop attempt. What Cade Cunningham will enjoy most about Collins is his offensive versatility. When Collins sets a pick for Cunningham, there's exponentially more options for Collins after the pick than there is for Duren. Collins can shoot a three-pointer immediately after catching the ball, he can size up his defender for a midrange jumper, he can sprint toward the basket or pop out further to the corner for a catch-and-shoot three-point shot.

They simply provide two different skillsets. Luckily for Collins, his versatility could also land him in the starting lineup alongside Duren. Collins has experience being aggressive as a power forward after playing alongside Clint Capela and Ivica Zubac during his NBA career.