It only took 12 years.
This week, a social media post from NBA wing Kevin Huerter in 2014 went viral in 2026, after news broke that the 27-year-old had been traded to the Detroit Pistons.
Huerter reposted a statement from the “Legion Hoops” account on what’s now X that expressed admiration for the ‘Goin To Work’ era.
“This was my team!” Huerter, who was born and raised in upstate New York, replied.
And now, the Pistons are, indeed, his team. He was the franchise’s main acquisition at the NBA trade deadline this week, arriving in a deal that also brought in Dario Saric and sent Jaden Ivey to the Chicago Bulls.
Huerter made a brief debut during the Pistons’ 126-117 loss to the Washington Wizards hours after the deadline passed on Thursday, Feb. 5. He recorded zero points on 0-for-2 shooting in six minutes in the second quarter.
Afterward, he addressed Detroit media for the first time, expressing excitement about his new team and role within it.
“My first reaction, I was excited,” Huerter said. “Got a call from Billy Donovan, the [Bulls] coach. Was about to take my pregame nap. We had shootaround, I got back to the hotel. My agent hadn’t heard anything leading up to that day so I wasn’t exactly expecting it in that moment. Thought coach was calling me to see if I was playing that night because I hadn’t played the game before, and he let me know that I had been traded.
“Back when you’re growing up as a kid, whatever team is on TV are the ones you gravitate towards,” he continued. “One of the first basketballs that I had was a Detroit Pistons basketball. Chauncey Billups, Richard Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince, Ben Wallace, Rasheed Wallace, that whole team was one of my favorite teams. … I always liked the Pistons.”
Huerter, a career 37.1% shooter from beyond the arc, may be exactly what the Pistons need. He’s in the midst of a down season, hitting just 31.4% of his 3-pointers, but he was an elite shooter over the first six years of his career playing off Trae Young with the Atlanta Hawks and De’Aaron Fox with the Sacramento Kings.
The Pistons believe that Huerter can rediscover his shooting touch in Detroit, with Cade Cunningham creating open shots for him. But his impact goes beyond shooting. Coach J.B. Bickerstaff referred to him as a “complete player” during his pregame press conference on Thursday – one who can also handle the ball and finish at the rim at a high rate.
“He’s versatile in the things that he can do,” Bickerstaff said. “Obviously his ability to make shots, but he has the ability to make plays, he can play the pick-and-roll, he’s an elite cutter understanding spacing. Just his ability to process the game as a whole.
“As a person he’s going to fit right in. He’s a great dude that understands the situation that he’s coming into, and what these guys have already accomplished. He’s not here to rock the boat by any means but he’s here to help and contribute and we feel like his skillset can do that.”
He’s averaging 10.9 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game this season. Despite being in a slump from 3, Huerter is shooting 45.5% overall, thanks to his efficiency on 2-pointers. He has hit 63% of his 2s and has made at least 71% of his shots at the rim for four seasons in a row.
Among NBA wings, he’s one of the best finishers in the league and will fit into a Pistons team that dominates the paint. With Cunningham, he’ll provide spacing and function as an off-ball cutter.
“Super excited,” Huerter said of his opportunity to play with Cunningham. “Those guys get a lot of attention for all the right reasons. Just finding your spots to play around in and in a lot of ways try to make their life easier the best you can, make shots when it comes to you, get out of their way in a lot of different ways. It’s for me to figure out where he likes to operate, how I can supplement him.
“I built that chemistry with Trae in a couple years and Fox in Sacramento, Domas [Sabonis] in Sacramento a little bit. It’ll take some time.”
Huerter acknowledged he’ll have to step up on defense, which has been the main driver of the Pistons’ success this season. He recalled the Bulls’ three games against the Pistons so far this season, of which Detroit won the last two.
The Pistons own the league’s second-best defense and 10th-best offense. They believe Huerter can provide a significant lift in the latter category, while holding his own in the former.
“Just from playing against them earlier this year, one of the most physical games we’d had all year,” Huerter recalled. “No. 1 in the East for a reason and they really play the defensive side of the ball. That was, like I said, it wasn’t a joy to play against them. I remembered that carrying into this. I told them, ‘You don’t gotta pump me up.’ From playing against this team I know what it’s about. It’s my job to fit into that.”
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Contact Omari Sankofa II at osankofa@freepress.com. Follow him on Bluesky and/or X @omarisankofa.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Kevin Huerter understands Detroit Pistons role: ‘I was excited’
Reporting by Omari Sankofa II, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
