NBA
DR
#55

Duncan Robinson

Forward · Detroit Pistons · 6'7", 215 lb · Born Apr 22, 1994 · York, Maine · Drafted Undrafted, 2018
Detroit PistonsFastest to 500 threes2× NBA FinalistD-III to the NBA
NBADetroit PistonsForwards
Compare:vs Thompsonvs Cunninghamvs Jenkinsvs Joevs Durenvs Green
In short

Duncan Robinson is one of the NBA's elite movement shooters, now with the Detroit Pistons. An improbable Division III-to-NBA story — from Williams College to Michigan to going undrafted in 2018 — he became a two-time NBA Finalist with Miami and the fastest player ever to 500 made threes. He joined Detroit in a 2025 sign-and-trade and shot 41% from three in 2025-26 across 77 starts.

Matchup model · next gameMedium confidenceFri, Nov 13
@Dallas MavericksAggressive hedge & help
Proj. points
12.3
range 9.6–15
Line 12
54%
to go over
Team win
40%
111–113
Poi 12.3 Lean overReb 2.7 Lean overAss 2.1 Lean overPRA 17.1 Lean over
Likely on himCooper Flagg· 76 Perimeter DSolid defender
10+ pts78%15+ pts18%

Model lines Robinson at 12.3 pts (range 9.6–15) vs a 12 line — a lean to clear it (54%).

Model favors Dallas Mavericks (60%), projected 111–113, ~224 total at 97.4 pace.

Full matchup breakdown · all markets →
Balladex Matchup Model — modeled from real roster ratings, scoring baselines & defender-matchup history. Schedule, availability & head-to-head samples are illustrative in this prototype; production wires live schedule, injury & player-tracking feeds. Not betting advice.
✦ Ask anything about Robinson
The Robinson Story — narrated
Tap play to hear his story, told as a 90-second short.
🔊 Prototype uses your browser's built-in voice. Production would use a studio-grade AI narrator.

A Division III walk-on who became the fastest man to 500 NBA threes — and one of the game's best shooters.

From tiny Williams College to Michigan to undrafted in 2018, Robinson signed with Miami and rewrote the long-shot script.

🎓 Williams → MichiganUndrafted, 2018

He reached two NBA Finals with the Heat (2020, 2023), set the record as the fastest to 500 threes, and became the highest-paid undrafted player ever.

2× Finalist⚡ Fastest to 500 threes

A 2025 sign-and-trade brought him to Detroit for three years and $48M, adding elite spacing to a young core.

Sign-and-trade → DET3 yr / $48M

He shot 41% from three across 77 starts in Detroit's 60-win 2025-26 — the gravity that opens the floor for Cade Cunningham.

12.2 ppg · .410 3P77 starts
— end of story —
Want the full numbers? Open the breakdown →
PPG
12.2
2025-26
RPG
2.7
per game
APG
2.1
per game
FG%
.456
.410 from three
LIFE

Roots & the rise

The Division III walk-on who became the fastest man to 500 NBA threes — an elite movement shooter, now in Detroit.

Duncan McBryde Robinson was born in York, Maine and took the most improbable path to the NBA: a freshman star at Division III Williams College, he transferred to Michigan, reached the 2018 national title game, and went undrafted. Miami signed him, and he became a two-time NBA Finalist (2020, 2023), the fastest player ever to 500 made threes (152 games), and the highest-paid undrafted player in history at the time.

In July 2025 he joined Detroit via a sign-and-trade for Simone Fontecchio, on a three-year, $48 million deal. He gave the Pistons elite floor-spacing in 2025-26 — 12.2 points on 41% from three across 77 starts — as a key part of their 60-win breakthrough.

Sources: Wikipedia, NBA.com, Basketball-Reference.

BEYOND THE GAME

Beyond the game

Robinson's story is the ultimate long shot — the first Williams College player and the first Division III player since Devean George to reach the NBA. Fittingly, he named his podcast 'The Long Shot Pod.' He was WSJ's 'most improbable player in the NBA,' a walk-on-level prospect who willed himself into one of the best shooters on the planet through relentless work.

His life has also known real loss. His younger brother Eli died by suicide in 2025 following a schizophrenia diagnosis, and Robinson responded by establishing the Robinson Family Foundation to support mental health — turning private grief into public advocacy. It is the defining chapter of a player long defined by resilience.

PERSONALITY

The person

A relentless, cerebral movement shooter — the improbable D-III-to-NBA marksman.

Elite shooterFastest player ever to 500 (and 1,000) made threes; career ~40% from deep.
Movement gravityBends defenses running off screens without touching the ball.
ResilientA Division III walk-on who became the highest-paid undrafted player ever.
PLAYER DNA

Archetype & ratings

Archetype
Movement Shooter · Floor-Spacer
Temperament
Vet
Leadership
62/100
Scoring62
Playmaking40
Rebounding30
Perimeter D46
Rim protection15
Spacing92
Athleticism58
Clutch66
Elite shooterOff-ball movementGravity spacer
ANALYSIS

What the numbers say

Spacing as a system

Robinson doesn't just shoot — he warps defenses in motion, sprinting off staggered screens until a defender loses him. His 41% from three on high volume, from a player who has held nearly every 'fastest to X threes' record, is exactly the gravity a drive-and-kick offense craves. Next to Cade Cunningham's playmaking, every threatened Robinson three pries the paint open.

The role-player fit in Detroit

The three-year, $48 million deal is structured for flexibility (partial and non-guaranteed later years), and Robinson's value is clean and specific: elite spacing and durability (once an ironman with a 182-game streak). He won't create or defend at a high level, but on a young, athletic team that needed shooting after losing other marksmen, he's a plug-and-play floor-stretcher who elevates everyone's efficiency.

STATS

Season by season

Per game

SeasonGPMINPTSREBASTFG%3P%
2025-267727.412.22.72.1.456.410

Source: Basketball-Reference.

ADVANCED

Advanced & historical

Where he sits in history

RecordFastest player ever to 500 made threes (152 games); also fastest to 1,000
PathFirst Williams College and first Division III player since Devean George to reach the NBA
2025Joined Detroit via sign-and-trade after two NBA Finals runs with Miami

Hardware

2×
NBA Finalist (2020, 2023)
OUTLOOK

Where it's headed

AI-generated · updated July 12, 2026

Elite floor-spacing for a rising Detroit team — a plug-and-play marksman on a flexible deal.

On a three-year, $48 million contract, Robinson gives the young Pistons the reliable, high-volume three-point shooting that opens the floor for Cade Cunningham. His role is specific and valuable: space the floor, run off screens, and hit at a 40% clip.

Three-point shootingElite
Off-ball movementElite
DurabilityExcellent
Defense / creationLimited

Contract

Deal
3 yr / $48M signed 2025
Role
Floor-spacer movement
Age
32 veteran
Bottom line

The most improbable shooter in the NBA, doing exactly what Detroit needed: elite spacing around a young core. A clean, high-value fit next to Cade Cunningham.

FAQ

Quick answers

How did Duncan Robinson reach the NBA?

He played at Division III Williams College, transferred to Michigan, went undrafted in 2018, and signed with Miami — becoming the first D-III player since Devean George to reach the NBA.

What record does Duncan Robinson hold?

He is the fastest player in NBA history to make 500 three-pointers (in 152 games), among other 'fastest to' three-point marks.

How did Duncan Robinson join the Pistons?

Via a July 2025 sign-and-trade from Miami for Simone Fontecchio, on a three-year, $48 million deal.