The Pistons' offseason rumor mill has been focused on Jalen Duren , but there's also chatter that Chaz Lanier is in a tough spot. It's not hard to see why.
Going into his second season in Detroit, the young star has somewhat managed to distinguish himself as a reliable three-point option. But after a busy offseason, the Pistons are loaded with more capable, experienced, and versatile distance shooters. If he can't find his spot in the rotation quickly, Lanier might find himself looking for a new team in the next few weeks.
Detroit took Lanier 37th overall in the 2025 draft. They signed him to a four-year contract worth over $8.6 million, with a team option for the fourth year. Lanier spent a chunk of his rookie season in the G League, playing 18 games with the Motor City Cruise. The problem for him is that he played only 34 games on the main roster and didn't exactly blow anyone's mind.
Lanier played roughly 7.7 minutes per game with the Pistons, averaging 2.4 points, 0.7 rebounds, 0.5 assists, and 0.2 steals in each appearance. Those aren't the kind of numbers that make a big impression on coaches and the front office. Again, it was his rookie season, so the team has to give him a bit of leeway. Now, Lanier is going into his second season and needs to start making waves if he wants to hang around on this roster. The Pistons are in the process of making some big decisions after all.
The biggest storm Detroit is dealing with is the Duren situation . There is a real possibility that it doesn't get sorted out before the season starts, destroying his relationship with the franchise and turning him into an unrestricted free agent in 2027. Going into training camp for 2026-2027, that means the Pistons are throwing every player under the microscope to see how they fit, including Lanier.
Detroit Pistons guard Chaz Lanier (20) celebrates on the bench after forward Duncan Robinson (not pictured) hit a three-point basket to help the Pistons pull away from the Portland Trail Blazers late in the fourth quarter at Little Caesars Arena. Photo Credit: Lon Horwedel, Imagn Images via Reuters Connect
Over the course of the 2026 offseason, Detroit gained the services of Isaiah Joe , Taurean Prince , and Gary Harris , all of whom are lethal from distance. The front office also re-signed Kevin Huerter , which was a bit of a surprise . That doesn't mean he isn't also dangerous shooting from three. On top of that, the Pistons still have Duncan Robinson , one of the best in the business, as well as Cade Cunningham , who is a threat from anywhere on the court every time the ball is in his hands.
The reality is that the Pistons have a roster loaded with absolute sharpshooters. Detroit's current projected depth chart lists Robinson as its starting shooting guard, with Joe as his backup. Heurter, Harris, and Daniss Jenkins are listed as the Pistons' reserves. Lanier, who is a shooting guard, doesn't appear in that projection at any position, let alone shooting guard.
Detroit's depth at the two is quite impressive and could improve. The Pistons have made it clear they are focused on developing Jenkins, which could leave someone like Lanier out in the cold. Anyone the coaches or front office think isn't pulling their weight will find themselves on the trading block rather quickly. That's assuming they make it through training camp, which could be a legitimate concern for Lanier.
Detroit Pistons guard Chaz Lanier (20) controls the ball as Houston Rockets guard Reed Sheppard (15) defends during the first quarter at Toyota Center. Photo Credit: Troy Taormina, Imagn Images via Reuters Connect
As it stands, Lanier's contract has guaranteed money through the end of the 2026-2027 season. The last two years of that contract are not guaranteed. If the Pistons aren't impressed by what they see from Lanier in training camp, they could waive him and only have to pay out this season's salary of $2.15 million. That's not exactly a huge amount of money in NBA terms.
This wouldn't free up cap space for the Pistons right now, but it would help in the future. Keep in mind that Detroit is currently over the cap but well under the luxury tax going into this season. As such, they're not likely to replace him. Even stretching his guaranteed salary across a couple of seasons won't do much for them. Adding players isn't the goal here. The Pistons' roster is fine for the offseason, but they have too many players for the regular season. Cuts will need to be made during training camp, and Lanier is a likely target.
For him, it's a bad combination of not having a unique skill set on this roster and a contract that's easy to waive, stretch, or absorb. Unless Lanier shows up in a big way during training camp and proves himself to be a building block for the future, it would not be a surprise to see his name in a press release from the Pistons about his departure before the season starts.
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Photo Credit: Lon Horwedel, Imagn Images via Reuters Connect
