Duncan Robinson came into Detroit under a cloud of skepticism. When the Pistons acquired him alongside the remaining $48 million on his contract in exchange for Simone Fontecchio last summer, the move drew plenty of side-eyes around the league. A year into that deal, those doubts have gone quiet.
Robinson has been a key piece of Detroit's playoff push, and his role in the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Cleveland Cavaliers has only reinforced that. His shooting and movement continue to make the Pistons' offense harder to guard, and the numbers back it up. He averaged 12.2 points and 2.9 three-pointers made on 45.6/41.0/75.5 shooting splits in his first full regular season with Detroit.
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Game 1 was another reminder of what he brings. Robinson finished with 19 points and five made threes in the Pistons' 111-101 win over Cleveland, helping Detroit put together another balanced offensive performance that the Cavaliers struggled to contain.
Just before Game 2 tipped off, the NBA announced Duncan Robinson as the recipient of the NBA Cares Bob Lanier Community Assist Award for April. The league and the NBPA recognized him for his advocacy around youth mental health and wellness, his work supporting stroke recovery programs, and his broader community outreach efforts across Detroit.
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As part of the honor, the NBA and NBPA Foundation will donate $20,000 to the Robinson Family Foundation, an organization he built around personal experience that focuses on heart health education, recovery support, mental health awareness, and suicide prevention.
Robinson's off-court work has been consistent and hands-on. Working alongside the Children's Foundation of Michigan and Henry Ford Health, he visited pediatric patients at Henry Ford St. John Hospital, spending time with children and families during the trip.
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He has also contributed directly to longer-term mental health programming in the city, per NBA. In partnership with the Detroit Pistons Foundation and the Children's Foundation of Michigan, Robinson put in $10,000 to help secure a $50,000 grant for SAY Detroit's LiveWELL Program.
It supports mental health awareness, emotional resilience and wellness initiatives for young people at the SAY Detroit Play Center at Lipke Park.
With Game 2 on the line and Robinson coming off one of his better postseason performances, Detroit will be counting on him to keep delivering on both ends of what has become a pretty compelling case for that contract.
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This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on May 7, 2026, where it first appeared in the NBA section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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