Pistons’ Langdon Suggested to Form Reunion With Timberwolves Vet

Should Trajan Langdon look into pursuing a Minnesota Timberwolves free agent?

Jan 4, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker (9) is defended by Detroit Pistons guard Marcus Sasser (25) in the first half at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

Going for a big fish in the free agency market doesn’t seem to be on the agenda for Trajan Langdon and the Detroit Pistons’ front office.

Not only did Langdon mention that a star acquisition would likely have to come through the trade market, but he made it pretty clear that the current core in place is good enough to earn another year to prove they are going to take another step in the right direction.

Will the Pistons simply run it back? They probably can’t keep everybody. And if losing someone like Malik Beasley or Tim Hardaway Jr. is in the cards for Detroit, one Pistons-centric writer suggests a move for Minnesota Timberwolves veteran Nickeil Alexander-Walker.

“He’s a big shooting guard with a long wingspan who can defend several positions on the perimeter and knock down 3-point shots,” writes PistonsPowered’s Aaron Kellerstrass. “He’s not the creator or scorer that [Derrick] White is, but NAW has shown scoring ability in the past, especially when he played for New Orleans when he was considered more of an offensive prospect.”

Apr 11, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves forward Nickeil Alexander-Walker (9) goes to the basket past Brooklyn Nets guard Reece Beekman (4) in the fourth quarter at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images | Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images

As everybody spent the 2024-2025 NBA season linking Trajan Langdon to other Pelicans prospects such as Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson, this is an angle that goes in a direction off the radar.

Alexander-Walker is one of the better two-way reserve guards in the NBA. Since spending two full seasons with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Alexander-Walker has had perfect attendance. Averaging 24 minutes off the bench, he’s played in all 82 games over the past two seasons.

Availability was key for the Pistons, who are coming off a relatively healthy year.

One has to assume that the Pistons are going to do what they can to keep Malik Beasley in the mix. After signing the veteran guard to a one-year deal, Beasley played in every matchup as well. Seeing the court for 28 minutes per game, Beasley scored 16 points per game, while knocking down 42 percent of his threes. He was the league’s runner-up for the Sixth Man of the Year award.

Beasley made it clear he would like to return to the Motor City for at least another year. The Pistons would be wise to consider it. However, the case for Alexander-Walker is a strong one.

“This is a guy who could potentially score 15 points per game with a few more shots, and he’s already a very good defender who would fit right into the culture the Pistons are building,” Kellerstrass added.

What Langdon saw out of Alexander-Walker in New Orleans was slightly different than what the Timberwolves see. As he improved a lot defensively, Alexander-Walker has been more embraced on that end of the floor.

Offensively, he’s seeing fewer attempts compared to earlier in his career. While the three-point volume doesn’t match Beasley’s, the efficiency is in the same ballpark. Over the past two seasons, Alexander-Walker averaged 38 percent from deep.

Even a return for Beasley shouldn’t cross out Alexander-Walker entirely. With Tim Hardaway Jr. potentially parting ways with the Pistons in free agency, Alexander-Walker could be viewed as a potential replacement for the small forward. Two years ago, Alexander-Walker spent most of his minutes as the two-guard. This year, 48 percent of his minutes came at forward, where his efficiency differential was nearly doubled, according to Cleaning the Glass.