Pistons second-round pick Deividas Sirvydis is set to continue his playing career in Europe for at least one more season, he confirmed to LKL.lt this week (hat tip to Sportando).
The Pistons paid a high price to acquire Sirvydis, the 37th overall pick in the 2019 draft. Detroit sent this year’s No. 45 pick (Isaiah Roby) and two more future second-round selections to Dallas in exchange for Sirvydis’ draft rights.
However, a report last month indicated that the Lithuanian swingman would likely remain overseas for 2019/20 unless he forced Detroit’s hand with an outstanding Summer League performance. Sirvydis ended up logging just 34 total minutes in five games with the Pistons in Las Vegas, and his 1.8 points per game probably didn’t qualify as “outstanding.”
In his conversation with LKL.lt, the 19-year-old said he’ll be returning to Lithuanian club Rytas Vilnius for the ’19/20 campaign.
Barring a last-minute change of direction for Sirvydis and the Pistons, the move may open the door for a player on a non-guaranteed contract to make the club’s regular season roster. Currently, Detroit has 14 players on guaranteed salaries and a pair of players on two-way deals. Christian Wood is among the non-guaranteed players who figures to vie for the Pistons’ 15th roster spot.
What terrible draft day decision, had to give up two future picks for a guy they most likely could have had at their pick. Even if someone did take him before their pick, it probably would have been better
Just because he’s spending his age 19 season back overseas, doesn’t make the pick a mistake at all. Detroit really doesn’t have much of a direction. They r kinda stuck in the middle. So leaving a kid overseas to actually get on the court and hopefully he benefits from actually playing in games is more beneficial then him coming to the team and sitting at the end of the bench. Detroit is already wasting young guys at the end of there bench currently