The Pistons have a logjam and will need to make some moves to create roster space, according to Keith Langlois of Pistons.com. They’re already at the 15-player limit for standard contracts and a decision on restricted free agent Hamidou Diallo is still looming. They also have only one two-way contract slot available and have yet to sign second-round draft picks Luka Garza and Balsa Koprivica.
AUGUST 11: McGruder’s one-year deal is worth the veteran’s minimum and is fully guaranteed, tweets Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.
AUGUST 10: Free agent swingman Rodney McGruder has re-signed with the Pistons, according to NBA.com’s official transactions page. It’s a one-year deal, per RealGM’s transactions log.
McGruder came over to Detroit during the 2020 offseason in the trade that sent Luke Kennard to the Clippers. The 29-year-old only played 16 games for the rebuilding team, averaging 5.7 PPG, 1.4 RPG and 1.0 APG in 12.1 minutes a night. His inclusion on a rebuilding Pistons’ roster would likely be in large part to serve in a mentor role to the team’s many young players.
Financial details of McGruder’s deal aren’t yet known. However, the Pistons waived him on Friday to avoid having his $5MM salary for 2021/22 become guaranteed, so it’s a safe bet his new salary will come in below that number.
The Pistons are currently carrying 14 players on guaranteed contracts, not including McGruder, restricted free agent Hamidou Diallo, or the team’s unsigned second-round picks (Luka Garza and Balsa Koprivica). As such, McGruder’s new deal may not come with any assurances of a regular-season roster spot.
Like McGruder, Cory Joseph has also re-signed with the Pistons just days after being released by the team. His deal is official now too, per NBA.com.
- The Pistons completed the signing of Cory Joseph – which became official on Tuesday – using the room exception after using up their cap space, according to Marks (Instagram video). Joseph got $10MM over two years, with a second-year player option.
AUGUST 10: Jackson has officially re-signed with the Pistons, according to NBA.com’s transactions log. The two-year deal is worth $6.2MM with a second-year team option, per Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).
AUGUST 9: The Pistons will be bringing back restricted free agent point guard Frank Jackson, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (via Twitter). Jackson is set to return on a two-year contract, per Wojnarowski. The financial terms of the deal have yet to be reported.
Jackson carved out minutes on Detroit during last year’s lottery-bound season. The reserve point guard, 23, had a career-best NBA season during his first year with Detroit. In 40 games, he averaged 9.8 PPG, 2.2 RPG, and 0.9 APG across 18.5 MPG. Jackson sported a shooting line of .457/.407/.813.
Selected with the No. 31 pick in the 2017 draft out of Duke, Jackson missed the entire 2017/18 NBA season following two foot surgeries. He spent his first NBA two healthy seasons, 2018/19 and 2019/20, in New Orleans.
After the Pelicans opted not to issue Jackson a qualifying offer in 2020, Jackson became an unrestricted free agent. Following a dalliance with the Thunder, Jackson then joined the Pistons on a two-way contract for the 2020/21 season.
This year’s No. 1 overall pick, Cade Cunningham, has signed his rookie contract, the Pistons announced today (via Twitter).
[RELATED: 2021 NBA Draft Pick Signings]
Viewed for months as the overwhelming favorite to come off the board first on draft night, Cunningham played a single season at Oklahoma State, averaging 20.1 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 3.5 APG, and 1.6 SPG on .438/.400/.846 shooting in 27 games (35.4 MPG). He was a consensus All-American and was named the Big 12 Player of the Year as a freshman.
Cunningham, who is making his Summer League debut in Las Vegas on Sunday night, will be the highest-paid rookie in the 2021 class. As our breakdown shows, he’s in line for a rookie salary of $10MM+ and will make more than $45MM over the life of his four-year contract with Detroit.
The Pistons also formally confirmed the signing of second-rounder Isaiah Livers, which we previously relayed.
The Pistons‘ three-year deal with Kelly Olynyk has a partial guarantee in year three, with only $3MM of the big man’s $12.2MM salary assured in 2023/24, according to Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter link). Detroit also gave Trey Lyles a two-year, $5.125MM deal that includes a second-year team option, Smith adds (Twitter link).
While those contract details are similar to what was reported earlier in free agency, the specifics on the Pistons’ deals for Saben Lee and second-round pick Isaiah Livers didn’t surface until today.
According to Smith (Twitter link), the Pistons used cap space to give Lee a three-year, minimum-salary contract that includes two fully guaranteed years followed by a third-year team option. As for Livers, his new deal with Detroit is also for three years with a third-year team option, tweets Smith. The No. 42 pick got slightly more than the rookie minimum in his first year, followed by the veteran’s minimum in years two and three.
Here’s more from around the Central:
- T.J. McConnell‘s new four-year contract with the Pacers, originally said to be worth $35MM, actually has a base value of $33.6MM and includes some unlikely bonuses, according to Smith (Twitter link). The fourth-year salary of $9.3MM is partially guaranteed for $5MM.
- Contract negotiations between Jarrett Allen and the Cavaliers “never grew contentious,” writes Jason Lloyd of The Athletic. The team always wanted to lock up Allen, and the big man wanted a nine-figure deal, so the five-year, $100MM agreement made both sides happy.
- Eric Nehm of The Athletic explores what role newly-acquired wing Grayson Allen will play for the Bucks in 2021/22, noting that Allen would be in line for more minutes if Donte DiVincenzo, coming off ankle surgery, still has limitations to start the season.
- K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago explains why the NBA is looking into the Bulls‘ sign-and-trade agreement with Lonzo Ball and what to expect from the investigation.
Cade Cunningham will have his first game as a pro when the Pistons begin Summer League play tonight, but James L. Edwards III of The Athletic cautions that fans shouldn’t expect too much right away. The No. 1 pick in this year’s draft went several months without playing five-on-five before Detroit’s team started practice this week. Edwards expects him to adjust to the situation gradually rather than try to dominate right away.
“I don’t want to come in and force anything,” Cunningham said. “I want to get a flow for the team. I want to get a feel for everyone on the team. I know what the No. 1 pick perception is coming in, so I think the biggest thing for me is coming and reassuring the team that I’m about playing winning basketball and not living up to the hype or whatever. I want to be able to blend in.”
Summer League may be crucial for Sekou Doumbouya after two up-and-down seasons, Edwards adds. The offseason additions of Kelly Olynyk and Trey Lyles will mean fewer minutes available in the front court, and Doumbouya may need a strong performance this week to show the Pistons that he should still be part of their future.
There’s more from the Central Division:
- Summer League veteran Keifer Sykes hopes to show the Pacers that he’s worthy of a spot on their roster, writes Jonathan X. Simmons of The Indianapolis Star. Sykes reached an agreement on an Exhibit 10 contract this week, shortly after hitting a game-winning shot to wrap up The Basketball Tournament. “This is my fourth time in summer league, so I’m really excited after last year with COVID and we didn’t have it,” Sykes said. “I’m just excited to continue to show people my game, and to continue to have endurance in my pro career while I’m getting into my prime.”
- The guarantee date has passed for Pacers small forward Kelan Martin, so unless the two sides quietly agreed to push that deadline, Indiana will owe him $1.7MM this season, tweets Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files. Martin played 35 games for the Pacers last season after starting his career with the Timberwolves in 2019/20.
- Due to NBA rules regarding Base Year Compensation, the Bulls‘ trade exception in the deal that sent Daniel Theis to Houston will be his 2020/21 salary of $5MM instead of his new outgoing salary of $8MM+, tweets Bobby Marks of ESPN. That means Chicago will have to sign Alex Caruso outright, rather than arranging a sign-and-trade with the Lakers. The Bulls will presumably use their mid-level exception for Caruso, adds K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago (Twitter link).
The Pistons have officially signed former Michigan forward Isaiah Livers, according to NBA.com’s transactions log.
While terms of the deal aren’t yet known, Detroit had been operating under the cap, giving the team the ability to offer Livers a three- or four-year deal that starts above the rookie minimum.
The 42nd overall pick in this year’s draft, Livers spent all four years of his college career with the Wolverines, putting up career-best marks in PPG (13.1), RPG (6.0), APG (2.0), and 3PT% (.431) as a senior.
Livers won’t be available for Summer League, as he continues to recover from the right foot surgery that ended his college career. However, as we relayed on Thursday, he’s hopeful that he’ll be fully cleared for basketball activities this fall, around the start of the 2021/22 season. Detroit figures to play it safe with the 6’7″ rookie and may have him spend time in the G League.
The Pistons selected four players in this year’s draft — Livers, Luka Garza, Balsa Koprivica and, of course, No. 1 overall pick Cade Cunningham.
The Pistons officially renounced their rights to Wayne Ellington, who has signed with the Lakers, and Dennis Smith Jr., according to the RealGM transactions log. The Hornets renounced four players, including Bismack Biyombo, while the Spurs renounced their rights to a whopping 13 players. San Antonio’s list includes Donatas Motiejunas and David Lee, who haven’t appeared in an NBA game for years. Renouncing those rights allows teams to maximize their cap room in free agency.
We have more from the basketball world:
- Donta Hall has signed with France’s Betclic Elite side AS Monaco, Sportando relays. Hall, who turns 24 on Saturday, played 13 games with the Magic this past season on two 10-day contracts and an end-of-the-season deal via the hardship exception. The power forward also played a total of nine games for the Pistons and Nets in 2019/20.
- Overtime Elite has added another top European prospect. Izan Almansa has signed with the league, Jonathan Givony of ESPN tweets. The 6’9” Almansa, a 16-year old Spanish power forward, is the second player OTE has signed from Real Madrid’s youth program and seventh international prospect.
- While free agency is winding down, the trade market could continue to percolate in the coming weeks, John Hollinger of The Athletic writes. Ben Simmons and Damian Lillard top the list of stars who could be on the move, while the Raptors and Magic are teams to watch, with the latter possibly taking on an onerous contract in order to acquire future assets.
- The ESPN duo of Tim Bontemps and Bobby Marks also take a look at unresolved storylines this month involving free agency, the trade market and potential extensions.
The Pistons have waived veteran wing Rodney McGruder, according to James Edwards III of The Athletic.
McGruder’s $5MM contract would have become guaranteed if he had remained on the roster through August 15 (Twitter links). By releasing him before then, Detroit won’t carry any dead money on its cap as a result of the transaction.
The move was expected, as the club needs to trim down its roster to officially add free agents and draft picks. McGruder was acquired in a three-team deal last November but played sparingly in his lone season in Detroit. He saw action in 16 games, including two starts, averaging 5.7 PPG in 12.1 MPG.
McGruder, 30, entered the league in 2016. He played three seasons with Miami and one for the Clippers before the trade last fall. He’ll look to latch on to another team as an unrestricted free agent.