Pair of Veteran Guards Named as Possible Upgrades for Pistons

Would either of these players be a good fit for the Detroit Pistons?

Feb 25, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards guard Tyus Jones (5) dribbles as Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland (10) defends during the second half at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports / Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

After making multiple complementary additions this summer, the Detroit Pistons are in a position to drastically improve from last season. However, there still is one key area of the rotation that needs to be filled.

Trajan Langdon upgraded the outing shooting on Detroit's roster by adding Tim Hardaway Jr, Malik Beasley, and Tobias Harris. He also added another promising young talent by drafting Ron Holland fifth overall. However, there's still no clear choice for who will fill the minutes behind Cade Cunningham at point guard.

Marcus Sasser took on this role at the end of last season, and performed well doing so. Following some nice flashes in Summer League, J.B. Bickerstaff could call on the second-year guard to assume this role.

During his recent mailbag for The Athletic, James Edwards III tossed out some other names Detroit could target to be Cunningham's backup. They were former No. 1 pick Markelle Fultz and Tyus Jones.

There are some good players available in the open market whom I could see Detroit targeting if it’s happy with its base and wants to improve its second unit. Names like Markelle Fultz, Tyus Jones and Reggie Bullock could be helpful.

Of the two guards, Jones would certainly be the best option. Dating back to his time with the Memphis Grizzlies, he's shown to be one of the top reserve guards in the league. Upon getting the chance to be a full-time started for the Washington Wizards last year, the 28-year-old saw a sizable uptick in production. Jones finished last season with averages of 12.0 PPG and 7.3 APG while shooting 41.4% from beyond the arc.

As for Fultz, he would give Detroit even more athleticism and length off the bench. However, staying on the court has been a struggle for him. In 43 games with the Orlando Magic last season, Fultz averaged 7.8 PPG, 3.2 RPG, and 2.8 APG.

In terms of fit, Jones is by far the best option. He's a strong playmaker who takes great care of the ball, and is capable of spacing floor. That said, convincing him to go back to a reserve role might be a tall task for Langdon and the Pistons front office.