Detroit Pistons Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Hamidou Diallo Fined $20K By NBA

February 27th, 2022 at 1:26pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The NBA has fined Pistons guard Hamidou Diallo $20K, the league’s PR team announced in a press release (Twitter link).

Diallo is being penalized for shoving a referee with 6:29 left in the first half of yesterday’s 113-104 defeat to the Celtics, per the NBA’s statement. With the loss, the Pistons’ record fell to 14-46 on the season.

The 23-year-old swingman, drafted with the No. 45 pick out of Kentucky in 2018, was assessed a technical foul and ejected at the time of the incident, ultimately appearing in just 10:41 of the contest. He has been having a solid season for a rebuilding Pistons team during his first full year in Detroit.

Diallo is averaging 11.2 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 1.2 APG and 1.2 SPG across 22.3 MPG. The 6’5″ wing is connecting on 49.8% of his field goal looks in 53 games, including 29 starts.

Central Notes: Bagley, Hield, Caruso, LeBron

February 26th, 2022 at 8:28pm CST by Arthur Hill

Marvin Bagley III is delivering exactly what the Pistons expected when they acquired him in a four-team trade, writes James L. Edwards III of The Athletic. Bagley has provided inside scoring for a Detroit team that ranks 29th in offense, serving as both a lob threat and a post-up option. His defense has been less effective, but Edwards states that he’s putting in the effort.

The Pistons opted to trade for Bagley rather than wait for free agency because they wanted to see how he would perform in their system. After three-and-a-half frustrating years in Sacramento, the former No. 2 overall pick is enjoying the opportunity.

“This whole thing has been a different experience for me,” Bagley said. “I’ve never been traded before. Coming from the West Coast to the East Coast, that in itself is a different thing for me. Learning new faces, new names and trying to build relationships with people. I’m continuing to learn the place, learn the city, get out in the city more. There are a lot of things I’m looking forward to doing while I’m here. I’m just going to embrace it and keep building off what we have here. We can take this thing to the next level. I’m excited about that.”

There’s more from the Central Division:

Buddy Hield, Bagley’s former teammate in Sacramento, is also starting a new chapter of his career after being traded to the Pacers, notes Berry Tramel of The Oklahoman. Tramel suggests that Hield is getting his first experience in a stable NBA environment after starting his career with the Pelicans and Kings. “I’m somebody that wants to win,” Hield said. “Somebody that’s been eager to win for a long time and hasn’t had a chance to. Come out here and do what I do best. Try to score the basketball and help the team out the way Coach (Rick Carlisle) wants me to. I’m very excited. Can’t tell you how much I’ve been waiting for this opportunity.”
Bulls guard Alex Caruso will resume basketball activities in a few days, per Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. Coach Billy Donovan confirmed today that Caruso has made progress in his conditioning and now needs to get a feel for the game again. “The biggest thing will be once he gets a ball in his hand, it’s finding his rhythm, shooting again,’’ Donovan said. “He hasn’t been able to do any of that stuff. We’re really hopeful that early next week he can get on the floor and start to do those types of things.’’ Whenever Caruso returns, the team plans to have him on a minutes restriction.
LeBron James hinted at a potential return to the Cavaliers last week, but Marc Stein of Substack is skeptical that owner Dan Gilbert and president of basketball operations Koby Altman want to go through that experience again. Stein states that James and Rich Paul of Klutch Sports virtually ran the team during the last four years that LeBron was in Cleveland, and the Cavs will be reluctant to break up the core of young talent that they’ve assembled.

Central Notes: Carter, Pistons Rookies, Thompson, DeRozan

February 24th, 2022 at 12:21pm CST by Rory Maher

Jevon Carter, who was recently released by the Nets in order to sign Goran Dragic, plans to sign with the Bucks after he clears waivers.

It’s the second time the Bucks will have scooped up an ex-Nets player who was cut in the past few weeks, as the same thing happened with DeAndre’ Bembry following the blockbuster James Harden/Ben Simmons trade (Brooklyn received three players but sent out two, necessitating an incumbent player’s release). Eric Nehm of The Athletic explores what Milwaukee will be getting with Carter’s expected addition.

Carter, the 32nd overall pick of the 2018 draft, was the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year in his senior season at West Virginia and his defensive ability is the primary reason he’s in the NBA. Carter is a tough defender with strong instincts who can be a pest to opposing point guards, Nehm writes.

Carter doesn’t provide much offensively, but he’s a career 36.9% three-point shooter (33.1% this season) and the majority of his shots come from beyond the arc. According to Nehm, Carter likely won’t be asked to do much beyond catch-and-shoot. Carter is unlikely to play a large role with Milwaukee, but he should provide capable regular season minutes while George Hill and Pat Connaughton recover from injuries, Nehm opines.

Here’s more from the Central Division:

Pistons coach Dwane Casey says the team wants to get a good look at rookies Isaiah Livers and Chris Smith in the latter portion of the season (Twitter links via Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press). Livers has been slow to recover from right foot surgery, while Smith had a torn ACL last summer. Livers recently made his debut with Detroit’s G League affiliate, the Motor City Cruise. Smith is on a two-way contract, but Livers has a guaranteed standard contract for this season and next, with a club option in 2023/24.
Pistons rookie Cade Cunningham, who was recently named MVP of the Rising Stars event during All-Star weekend, said he was eager to prove himself on the big stage, as he told Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated. “All this talent, I wanted to stand out for sure. It’s the All-Star Game weekend. Everyone is going to go out there and try to have fun. But everybody deep down still wants to be that guy. I knew that. I wanted to compete. I wanted to win. More importantly, I was happy to come out with a trophy, some hardware,” Cunningham said.
New Bulls addition Tristan Thompson believes he’ll fit in well with Chicago, as Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic relays. “I think I’ll mesh pretty well with this group,” Thompson said. He also believes DeMar DeRozan should be the MVP front-runner. “Right now, he’s the league MVP in my eyes, flat-out,” Thompson said, as part of a larger quote.

And-Ones: LeBron, 2022 Cap Room, Maker, Rookies

February 21st, 2022 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Lakers superstar LeBron James has been the face of the NBA for the better part of the last two decades and is happy to continue in that unofficial role until he retires, as Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports writes.

“I’ve held that title of ambassador,” James said. “Nobody told me to do it, but I felt like if I wasn’t gonna do it, who was gonna do it? So I took that responsibility, and I’ll continue to do it till I’m done playing the game.”

NBA commissioner Adam Silver tells Goodwill that he’s “not prepared to talk about the post-LeBron era” yet, since James is still playing at an All-NBA level and presumably has multiple strong seasons left in him. However, he’s not worried about having to prepare for a leadership void among the game’s superstars.

“At some point, a new player or players will emerge, I think, [to] take that leadership mantle in the league. It seems they always do,” Silver said. “I’m just not prepared, even in the slightest, to start thinking about the league without LeBron, because he continues to be as committed as ever to the competition, to the league overall.”

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

Danny Leroux of The Athletic takes a look ahead at the 2022 offseason, identifying the teams that project to have the most cap flexibility. As Leroux outlines, the Pistons and Magic remain the best bets to create significant cap room, while teams like the Spurs, Trail Blazers, Pacers, and Grizzlies could potentially join them, but have more variance.
Veteran big man Thon Maker spoke to Alec Strum of NetsDaily about his role with the Long Island Nets – Brooklyn’s G League affiliate – and his efforts to make it back to the NBA. Maker has played a limited role in Long Island so far, averaging 5.8 PPG and 5.1 RPG in 15 games (17.4 MPG), with a dismal .360 FG% (.133 3PT%).
Mike Schmitz of ESPN (Insider link) updated his NBA rookie power rankings over the All-Star break, providing best-case comps for Evan Mobley (Anthony Davis), Cade Cunningham (Luka Doncic), Scottie Barnes (Scottie Pippen), and other standout rookies.

Cade Cunningham MVP Of Rising Stars

February 19th, 2022 at 8:08am CST by Rory Maher

Pistons rookie guard Cade Cunningham, the No. 1 overall pick of the 2021 draft, was named MVP of the Rising Stars event on Friday night, writes Rod Beard of The Detroit News.

The event had a unique format this year, with two semifinals featuring an “Elam Ending” with a target score of 50. Both contests were competitive, with Team Isiah defeating Team Worthy by a score of 50-49, followed by Team Barry’s 50-48 victory over Team Payton. The final was played to 25 in honor of the NBA’s 75th anniversary (50+25), with Team Barry emerging victorious over Team Isiah, 25-20.

Cunningham led Team Barry to consecutive victories, totaling 18 points, seven rebounds, nine assists, two steals and two blocks in the process. He was 7-for-13 from the floor across the two games, including 3-for-6 from deep.

“It means a lot. This is a game I was looking forward to, to being around so much big-time talent, and just have fun but try to compete and go get a win,” Cunningham said, per Beard. “To bring the trophy home in my first All-Star Weekend really means a lot.”

No. 3 overall pick Evan Mobley of the Cavaliers also had a couple nice games for Team Barry, totaling 18 points, 11 rebounds and two assists while shooting 8-16 from the field.

Pistons sophomores Saddiq Bey and Isaiah Stewart both had strong performances for Team Isiah, Beard notes.

And-Ones: Mock Draft, Ownership, Offseason Outlook, Upgrades

February 17th, 2022 at 10:56pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Pistons could wind up with the No. 1 overall pick for the second straight year. In Chad Ford’s Mock Draft 2.0, they’ll take Auburn freshman forward Jabari Smith with the first pick. According to Ford’s sources, Detroit GM Troy Weaver would love to pair up Cade Cunningham with Smith. Ford throws a curveball with the second pick, with the Magic selecting Purdue wing Jaden Ivey. That leaves Gonzaga big man Chet Holmgren for the taking at No. 3, where the Rockets snap him up.

We have more from around the basketball world:

Private equity firms have increasingly become a force in NBA ownership, Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic notes. Private equity firms have purchased stakes in five teams, and their influence will continue to increase as the value of franchises continues to climb.
ESPN’s Bobby Marks not only takes a look at potential buyout candidates this month, he also turns his attention to the offseason, breaking down the free agent class, teams with significant cap space and significant players eligible for extensions. Regarding cap space, he notes that the Pacers and Trail Blazers have moved onto the list due to their trades. The Pistons, Magic and Spurs were already projected to have cap space.
The Nets, Sixers and Celtics did the most to upgrade their 2021/22 rosters before the trade deadline, according to The Athletic’s Seth Partnow. The Bucks, Jazz and Suns made slight alterations that could help them in the postseason, in Partnow’s evaluation.

Jabari Smith Best Draft Choice For Pistons?; Casey Believes All-Star Break Will Help Olynyk

February 16th, 2022 at 7:30pm CST by Arthur Hill

James L. Edwards III of The Athletic sees Auburn’s Jabari Smith as the best choice for the Pistons if they land the top pick in the draft. Smith gets the edge because of his polished offensive game, and Edwards sees him as a perfect complement to Cade Cunningham, last year’s No. 1 pick. Edwards also suggests that Detroit’s front office views Smith in the same tier with Gonzaga’s Chet Holmgren and Duke’s Paolo Banchero.
Pistons coach Dwane Casey believes Kelly Olynyk will benefit from the All-Star break as he tries to bounce back from COVID-19, Edwards tweets. The virus and a sprained knee early in the season have limited Olynyk to 20 games. “COVID is real,” Casey said. “I see a difference in his approach coming back vs. the first time. He’s a half-step slower right now.”

Central Notes: Ibaka, Bucks, LaVine, Pacers, Bagley

February 15th, 2022 at 3:06pm CST by Luke Adams

Discussing the decision to acquire Serge Ibaka at the trade deadline, Bucks general manager Jon Horst referred to the big man as “one of our top targets,” explaining that Ibaka will help the team become more versatile defensively, per Eric Nehm of The Athletic.

“I think our rebounding and our toughness and our presence at the rim is a little bit of our identity and our calling card, so adding players to that – kind of independent of how big they are – is always going to be something we’re going to try to do,” Horst said. “Last year, we did it in a 6’6″, 6’7” P.J. Tucker package. Now this year we did it in a 6’10” Serge Ibaka package.

“I see this as a similar move to P.J., having a chance to have a similar impact. I don’t know that Serge will guard the ones and the twos the way that P.J. Tucker did, but I think Serge can guard the fours and the fives in a different way than what P.J. Tucker did. So, it’s just versatility. We want to find the best seven, eight, nine guys who can play meaningful playoff minutes and our roster is so versatile, I think we can kind of do it in different ways.”

The Bucks, who came out of the deadline with three open spots on their 15-man roster, found themselves a little shorthanded on the wing and will reportedly bring in DeAndre’ Bembry as its 13th man. However, as Nehm relays, Horst said the club isn’t focused on specific positions to fill its 14th and 15th spots, and will target players who are the best fit from a talent and culture perspective.

“It could be guard help. It could be big help,” Horst said. “You know we’re always looking for shooting, we’re always looking for experience and toughness, defensive versatility, a lot of the things that Serge gave us in this move, I think we’ll look for more of that, but positionally, I’m really less worried about what that means positionally. I just think we’re really balanced and really deep.”

Here’s more from around the Central:

Bulls head coach Billy Donovan confirmed on Monday that Zach LaVine will be out at least through the All-Star break, noting the guard’s his visit to a knee specialist in Los Angeles will take place on Tuesday, per Rob Schaefer of NBC Sports Chicago (Twitter link). Donovan suggested that the Bulls will have a better idea of the plan for LaVine after today’s evaluation.
Praising Kevin Pritchard for his impressive trade history, Gregg Doyel of The Indianapolis Star argues that the Pacers ought to give their president of basketball operations a contract extension. Doyel thinks Pritchard may be in the final year of his current deal, though he acknowledges he’s not sure about that.
Pacers forward Oshae Brissett began the season on a non-guaranteed contract without a regular rotation role, but he has made impressive strides and shouldn’t be overlooked in conversations about the team’s young talent, writes James Boyd of The Indianapolis Star. Brissett, whose contract includes a minimum-salary team option for 2022/23, established new season highs with 22 points and 13 rebounds against Minnesota on Sunday.
Marvin Bagley III made a strong impression in his Pistons debut on Monday, putting up 10 points and eight rebounds in just over 20 minutes in his first game since January 29, says Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press. “His timing’s off a little bit, understandably, but he has an advantage in the post with his length and his ability to score around the basket. I really like that,” head coach Dwane Casey said. “And first play down the floor, he took a charge. I love that. He’s a little rusty, but I like the way he plays.”

Weaver Admits He Made Mistake Building Roster

February 14th, 2022 at 10:02pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The addition of Marvin Bagley III was coupled with an admission from Pistons GM Troy Weaver that he made a mistake while building the roster, The Athletic’s James Edwards III notes. Detroit has been sorely lacking in an athletic big to give the rotation a different look than Isaiah Stewart and Kelly Olynyk while providing a lob threat for guards Cade Cunningham and Killian Hayes. In Edwards’ estimation, it was worth a roll of the dice to bring in Bagley this season, even at the expense of two second-round picks, because he’s the best player in the Kings-Pistons portion of the four-team trade and Detroit got even younger.
The Bulls were among the teams interested in trading for Knicks big man Mitchell Robinson prior to the deadline, Marc Berman of the New York Post reports. The Bulls viewed Robinson as a defensive center to back up offensively-skilled Nikola Vucevic for an extended playoff run, Berman adds. The Pistons were also among the teams who inquired about Robinson.

NBA Teams With Open Roster Spots

February 14th, 2022 at 1:49pm CST by Luke Adams

Several NBA teams typically end up with newly-opened roster spots following the trade deadline. This happens for a variety of reasons. Some teams make two-for-one or three-for-one trades; some acquire players in cap-related deals and immediately cut them; others buy out or release players they weren’t able to move at the deadline.

Whatever the reason may be, there are plenty of available roster spots around the NBA, and it’s a good bet that most of them will be filled before the end of the regular season. Contending teams will want to fortify their depth for the playoffs, while lottery-bound clubs will take fliers on prospects willing to accept multiyear deals that aren’t fully guaranteed beyond this season.

Here, with the help of our roster counts page, is a look at the teams that have open roster spots as of February 14:

Teams with open 15-man roster spots:

Atlanta Hawks
Boston Celtics (3)
Charlotte Hornets
Denver Nuggets *
Detroit Pistons
Houston Rockets
Miami Heat (2)
Milwaukee Bucks (3) *
Minnesota Timberwolves
New Orleans Pelicans
Orlando Magic
Philadelphia 76ers
Toronto Raptors
Utah Jazz
Washington Wizards

* The Nuggets (DeMarcus Cousins) and Bucks (Greg Monroe) each have a player on a 10-day contract. We’re counting those roster spots as “open” because Cousins’ and Monroe’s deals will expire this week.

If we count the Nuggets, exactly half of the NBA’s 30 teams have at least one 15-man roster spot available. Twelve of those clubs have a single open roster spot, while the Celtics, Heat, and Bucks have multiple openings.

Since teams are only permitted to dip below 14 players on standard contracts for up to two weeks at a time, Boston, Miami, and Milwaukee will all have to get back to that league-mandated minimum before the end of the month.

The other teams on this list aren’t under immediate pressure to add a 15th man, and some may hold off for a little while for financial reasons — or just to wait to see who else becomes available on the buyout market in the next couple weeks.

Some of these clubs – including the Heat with Caleb Martin, the Pelicans with Jose Alvarado, and the Raptors with Justin Champagnie – might use their open roster spot to promote a player on a two-way contract who has earned regular minutes.

Teams with open two-way spots:

Boston Celtics
Dallas Mavericks
Oklahoma City Thunder
Phoenix Suns
Utah Jazz

The Celtics (Sam Hauser) and Thunder (Aaron Wiggins) have each promoted a two-way player to the 15-man roster since the trade deadline. The other three teams on this list released a two-way player in January, creating an opening.

In the past, teams haven’t been able to sign players to two-way contracts after January 15, but that restriction doesn’t exist this season, so I expect we’ll see some – if not all – of these teams fill their open two-way slots sooner or later.