Marvin Bagley III is headed to free agency this summer but Pistons coach Dwane Casey hopes the front office re-signs the young power forward, James Edwards III of The Athletic tweets. Detroit can make him a restricted free agent by extending a $7.3MM qualifying offer. Bagley has played well since being traded by Sacramento, averaging 14.6 PPG and 6.8 RPG in 27.2 MPG while appearing in 18 games for the Pistons.
We have more Central Division news:
- Cavaliers rookie Evan Mobley is questionable to play against Brooklyn on Friday, Kelsey Russo of The Athletic tweets. Mobley hasn’t played since March 28 due to an ankle injury but he was able to do “everything” at practice in Orlando on Thursday, coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. Jarrett Allen is listed as out, although he went through an individual workout.
- Guard Luca Vildoza signed a two-year, $1.8MM contract with the Bucks, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype tweets. His contract for next season is non-guaranteed and includes a $500K trigger date if he’s not waived before Milwaukee’s first regular season game. Vildoza was signed on Wednesday.
- T.J. McConnell surprised a lot of people by returning to action this week, even though the Pacers are out of the playoff picture. McConnell played 15 minutes on Tuesday after missing 55 games due to a hand injury. McConnell told Joel Lorenzi of the Indianapolis Star he just “wanted to feel like a basketball player again.” “They’ve been talking about coming out here and creating that chemistry, and what better way to get that chemistry started than to come back now?” he said. “You know, I just wanted to feel like a basketball player again. It was hard sitting there.”
- Cavaliers CEO Len Komoroski is stepping down from his post at the end of the season, according to a team press release. Komoroski’s career with the Cavaliers began in 2003 as a team president. He took on the CEO title in 2013. He will remain affiliated with Rock Entertainment Group.
I would love to see Rockets in on Bagley if Wood is traded away and drafting a Center or forward. There’s some options in this draft that make interesting options for C. Bagley could do both as well. Bagley at PF Sengun at SF and 2022 draft pick of F/C to go with KPJ and Green, would be exciting to see and watch. Bagley would be a veteran for the club and get them over the hump. If Wood stays in Houston, it would definitely create depth at Forward and center position. Then I’d be ok with Tate Jr being dealt with a Wall deal.
You can love it all you like but the Pistons traded assets to get him, he’s reborn here in Detroit, he loves playing with Cade Cunningham. He will get the QO offer to make him a RFA and Detroit is going to sign him-Guaranteed.
Rockets are better off drafting Jabari Smith and playing him full time at the PF spot he will be a great fit with what they have going on.
It’s probably an unpopular opinion but I would be a big bruising defensive veteran centre and have Sengun off the bench playing at either PF or C.
Which means your then able to trade away Christian Wood, I’d probably just target getting back picks or using him to offload John Wall and then continuing the rebuild.
To be honest, “to offload Wall” will require a young player like Tate Jr. That will be a stalemate unless Rockets can shift players around with flexibility. Rockets lack big men and this draft they should address that more. If wood stays and a guy like Bagley with the 2022 pick, I think it would open the window for Tate Jr to be included in the Wall trade. Rockets haven’t had that much depth at those positions in years. They have plenty of guards and a guy like Tate Jr would become expendable if a veteran like Bagley is signed. I just pray they don’t draft another guard this year. If they do, I’ll lose complete faith in the Rockets front office and ownership.
You guys will draft Chet “unicorn” Holmgren & leave the ballers to Detroit. I want Jaden Ivy or Paolo Banchero.
McConnell “wanted to feel a basketball player again”.
Weeelll….