Detroit Pistons Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Draft Notes: Garuba, Butler, Pacers, Pistons, Kispert

July 28th, 2021 at 11:17am CST by Luke Adams

Usman Garuba is generating buzz a potential mid first-round pick, but the terms of the Spaniard’s contract with Real Madrid represent an obstacle in getting him stateside for the 2021/22 season. According to Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.com, Garuba’s NBA buyout clause with the Spanish club is worth three million Euros.

An NBA team can contribute to a player’s buyout with his international team, but only up to $775K (about €655K). That means that if Garuba wants to make the leap to the NBA right away, most of the buyout would have to come out of his own pocket. To make matters worse for the 19-year-old, the amount of that buyout increases by one million Euros every year until 2024, per Urbonas. Garuba’s contract with Real Madrid runs through 2025.

As John Hollinger of The Athletic observes (via Twitter), Garuba’s buyout is “insanely large” relative to other international contracts, but it may well be negotiated down to something more reasonable when the time comes for the big man to make the move to the NBA — which could happen in the coming weeks.

Here are a few more draft-related updates:

Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report and Jeremy Woo of SI.com have released the final versions of their respective big boards for the 2021 draft. The two draft experts have also put out updated versions of their mock drafts at Bleacher Report and SI.com.
Among the noteworthy items in Woo’s mock draft: Some teams have concerns about the condition of Jared Butler‘s knees, and the Pacers have thus far rebuffed efforts from teams below them to move up to No. 13. If Indiana keeps that No. 13 pick, the team is likely to target a more experienced prospect such as Corey Kispert, Davion Mitchell, or Chris Duarte, says Woo.
Woo also reports that there has been some “real disagreement” within the Pistons‘ front office about what to do with the No. 1 pick. However, he expects Detroit to ultimately select Cade Cunningham. In his latest mock draft at ESPN.com (Insider link), Jonathan Givony cites sources who say a Pistons commitment to Cunningham could be “imminent.”
Gonzaga’s Corey Kispert told reporters this week that the Spurs (No. 12), Wizards (No. 15), and Pelicans (No. 17) were among the teams he worked out for during the pre-draft process, as Mike Vornukov of The Athletic tweets. Based on reports, it looks like Kispert has worked out for every team in the 7-15 range except for the Grizzlies, who recently agreed to acquire the No. 10 pick from New Orleans.

O’Connor’s Latest: Nuggets, Grizzlies, Warriors, Kings, Hornets

July 27th, 2021 at 4:30pm CST by Luke Adams

Within his latest mock draft, Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer confirms a few items we’ve heard elsewhere in recent days. According to O’Connor, Jalen Green‘s workout with the Pistons last week was “outstanding,” the Jazz are willing to attach the No. 30 pick to Derrick Favors in a potential trade, and league sources widely expect Scottie Barnes to be the Magic‘s pick at No. 5.

O’Connor also reiterates that the Rockets continue to explore moving up to No. 1 and says the Thunder have made efforts to trade up, with Green, Cade Cunningham, and Evan Mobley among their presumed targets.

Here are a few more notes of interest from O’Connor’s latest article:

League sources tell O’Connor that the Nuggets are trying to move up from No. 26 into the top 20, dangling young bench players or future draft assets in those talks.
Although O’Connor confirms that the Grizzlies are interested in Josh Giddey after trading up to No. 10, he says Memphis could try to move up even further, with an eye on Jonathan Kuminga or James Bouknight.
Giddey, Kuminga, and Bouknight could also be in the mix for the Warriors at No. 7, according to O’Connor, who says Giddey is thought to be one of Golden State’s “main targets.” O’Connor adds that Keon Johnson‘s ceiling may be the Warriors’ pick at No. 7.
The Kings continue to be active in shopping the No. 9 pick, Buddy Hield, and Marvin Bagley III in separate trade scenarios, per O’Connor.
League sources continue to connect the Hornets, who will be seeking a center this summer, to Myles Turner, Richaun Holmes, and Nerlens Noel, according to O’Connor.

Draft Rumors: Pistons, Cunningham, Green, Magic, Pelicans, More

July 27th, 2021 at 2:26pm CST by Luke Adams

Speaking today to reporters, including Rod Beard of The Detroit News (Twitter link), Pistons general manager Troy Weaver confirmed that the team hasn’t made a final decision on what it will do with the No. 1 overall pick.

The Pistons have long been expected to select Cade Cunningham with that top pick, and the Oklahoma State guard remains the overwhelming favorite to be the choice. However, John Hollinger of The Athletic has heard whispers that Detroit wasn’t blown away by Cunningham’s private workout, while Marc Stein says Jalen Green‘s workout for the team “made the strongest of impressions.”

Even if those reports are accurate, it’s hard to imagine the Pistons selecting Green over Cunningham with the No. 1 pick. A trade down to No. 2 is a possibility if Detroit really likes Green. But for what it’s worth, Weaver provided a reminder today that not everything you hear leading up to the draft will be accurate.

“I don’t comment on rumors, but don’t believe everything that you read,” the Pistons’ GM said (Twitter link via James Edwards III of The Athletic). “… The rumor mill does nothing for us right now.”

Here’s more on the 2021 NBA draft:

The Magic brought Stanford’s Ziaire Williams back for a second workout during the pre-draft process and some rival teams think Orlando may be eyeing him at No. 8, says Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report. Two league sources who spoke to Sam Vecenie of The Athletic also believe the Magic have Williams “very high” on their board.
According to Vecenie, sources around the league view some of the draft’s top “older” shooters – such as Corey Kispert, Trey Murphy, and Chris Duarte – as likely targets for the Pelicans at No. 17. However, there’s no guarantee New Orleans keeps that pick after acquiring it from Memphis. Andrew Lopez of ESPN (Twitter link) says the Pelicans could look to move down again or may shop that selection for veteran help.
There’s a belief that the Raptors are high on Evan Mobley, but they’d almost certainly have to trade up from No. 4 to get him and it seems unlikely they’ll be willing to pay that price, says Vecenie.
Vecenie is the latest to report that the Thunder are fans of James Bouknight, who could be the team’s pick at No. 6. However, Hollinger is unconvinced that the chatter surrounding Bouknight and the Thunder isn’t a smokescreen — he has Jonathan Kuminga going to the OKC at No. 6 in his mock draft.

Thunder Rumors: Gilgeous-Alexander, Draft, Butler, Arena

July 27th, 2021 at 7:33am CST by Luke Adams

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will be eligible for a rookie scale extension this offseason, presenting the Thunder with their first major decision on the point guard since acquiring him in the Paul George trade in 2019. Oklahoma City seems likely to enter into extension discussions with Gilgeous-Alexander if he’s still on the roster later this offseason, but that’s not necessarily a given, according to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report.

“It’s going to take a f–king lot to get him (in a trade), but he’s no longer impossible to get,” one team executive told Fischer.

As Fischer notes, if the Thunder are open to discussing Gilgeous-Alexander in trade scenarios, that represents a change from the team’s philosophy during the 2020 offseason. At that point, all four teams with top-four picks contacted OKC about SGA and were “quickly rebuffed,” sources tell Bleacher Report.

This offseason, on the other hand, it sounds like the Thunder are even willing to bring up Gilgeous-Alexander in trade discussions themselves. According to both Fischer and Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report, Oklahoma City offered Gilgeous-Alexander and the No. 6 pick in this year’s draft to the Pistons in exchange for the No. 1 overall pick. That was apparently the “legitimate” offer Wasserman alluded to on Monday, which Detroit turned down.

Here’s more on the Thunder:

There’s a “strong expectation” the the Thunder will continue to search for ways to move up in the first round, according to Fischer, who says that one possible deal to monitor is a swap that would send the 16th and 18th overall picks to the Hornets for No. 11.
There’s a “sense among team officials” that the Thunder and Raptors have also discussed a possible trade involving the No. 4 and No. 6 overall picks, Fischer writes.
If the Thunder keep their No. 18 overall pick, Baylor’s Jared Butler could be a target there, according to Wasserman, who suggests that the team may like the idea of adding a “veteran” prospect to its young core.
The Thunder’s arena has a new name: Paycom Center. The club issued a press release today announcing a 15-year arena naming rights agreement with Paycom, one of Oklahoma’s largest companies.

Pistons Still Mulling Options With No. 1 Pick

July 26th, 2021 at 4:45pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

After posting a 20-52 regular season record in the 2020/21 season, the worst in the East (and the second-worst in the league), the Pistons were rewarded with the No. 1 pick in what looks to be a loaded upcoming draft. There are several promising prospects from which Detroit may choose.

According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link), the Pistons haven’t yet made a final decision on what they’ll do with the No. 1 pick, but internal front office conversations have boiled down to the three players widely thought to be the cream of the crop: 6’8″ Oklahoma State guard Cade Cunningham, 6’6″ NBAGL Ignite shooting guard Jalen Green, and 7’0″ USC center Evan Mobley.

The Pistons’ interest in Green and Mobley has been repeatedly reported since they landed the top overall pick in the lottery last month. However, Woj noted on Sunday that Cunningham, widely viewed as the “safe” selection, remains the most likely candidate to be chosen by Detroit in the draft on Thursday.

This lack of certainty surrounding the pick has apparently prompted other teams to attempt to pry away the selection from the Pistons. Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report tweets that the Thunder, who have six selections in this year’s draft (including three within the top 20), made a serious trade proposal for the top pick that was summarily rejected.

The Thunder have several intriguing young players on their current roster, including guards Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Luguentz Dort, and would no doubt love to add a marquee young player with an All-NBA ceiling along the lines of Cunningham, Green or Mobley.

Pistons Issue QOs To Hamidou Diallo, Frank Jackson

July 26th, 2021 at 11:43am CST by Luke Adams

The Pistons have extended qualifying offers to Hamidou Diallo and Frank Jackson, ensuring that both players will be restricted free agents this summer, reports James Edwards III of The Athletic (via Twitter).

Acquired from the Thunder in March in a deal that sent Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk and a second-round pick to Oklahoma City, Diallo averaged 11.2 PPG and 5.4 RPG on .468/.390/.662 shooting in 20 games (23.3 MPG) for Detroit.

The expectation when Diallo was acquired was that the Pistons would make a strong effort to lock him up to a new deal as a restricted free agent. His qualifying offer will be worth about $2.08MM and will give Detroit the right of first refusal in the event that he signs an offer sheet with another team.

As for Jackson, the former 31st overall pick spent the 2020/21 season on a two-way contract with the Pistons, averaging 9.8 PPG and 2.2 RPG on .457/.407/.813 shooting in 40 games (18.5 MPG).

Because he has four years of NBA service under his belt, Jackson is ineligible to sign another two-way contract, so his qualifying offer will be worth the minimum salary. However, it only needs to be partially guaranteed for the equivalent of a two-way salary (likely around $463K).

The Pistons have two more players eligible for restricted free agency this offseason. I’d expect one of those players – Saben Lee – to get a qualifying offer before this weekend’s deadline, but the other – Dennis Smith Jr. – will likely become an unrestricted free agent.

Draft Rumors: Thunder, Pistons, Rockets, Pelicans, Raptors, More

July 26th, 2021 at 9:52am CST by Luke Adams

Armed with the Nos. 6, 16, and 18 picks in the first round of this year’s draft and a huge stash of future first-rounders, the Thunder are expected to start “knocking on the door” to try to move into the top three of the 2021 draft, Adrian Wojnarowski said on Sunday’s Woj & Lowe special on ESPN (video link).

In his latest mock draft, ESPN’s Jonathan Givony (Insider link) confirms that the Thunder have been actively exploring the idea of trading up, with Cade Cunningham and Evan Mobley among the prospects they’re said to be high on.

It would take a substantial package for the Thunder to move up into the top three from No. 6, and it remains to be seen whether they’re be willing to eat into their stockpile of draft assets to make such a move, especially if there’s a player they like outside of the top five. James Bouknight could be that player, according to Givony, who says Oklahoma City has “long been high” on the UConn guard, having inquired last year about the possibility of him entering the 2020 draft.

Here are several more draft-related rumors from ESPN’s reporters:

It’d be extremely surprising if the Pistons do anything with the No. 1 pick other than select Cade Cunningham, says Givony. Wojnarowski says that decision isn’t finalized yet, but the Pistons are “getting there” on Cunningham, and Woj expects the Oklahoma State guard to be the pick.
Jalen Green is increasingly likely to be the No. 2 pick, according to Givony, who writes that the Rockets have been “stonewalled” in their attempts to host Evan Mobley and Jalen Suggs for workouts.
The Kings‘ (No. 9) and Pelicans‘ (No. 10) picks continue to be among the most available lottery selections, per Givony. New Orleans is attaching Eric Bledsoe to the No. 10 pick in most trade discussions involving that selection, says Wojnarowski (video link). Givony adds that Franz Wagner has gained traction as a possible target for Sacramento if the club stays in the lottery, despite his “mysterious” pre-draft process — Wagner skipped the combine and hasn’t worked out for many teams.
While the Raptors are still widely expected to draft Jalen Suggs, they’ve taken long looks at other top-10 prospects, including Jonathan Kuminga, Scottie Barnes, James Bouknight, and Franz Wagner, says Givony. Wojnarowski and ESPN’s Zach Lowe (video link) expect Toronto to have several more conversations about either moving up or down from No. 4, but also view Suggs as the club’s likeliest choice.
The Cavaliers continue to be active in trade talks and are rumored to be discussing the possibility of acquiring a second top-10 pick, according to Givony. Wojnarowski (video link) is skeptical that Cleveland is looking to add more draft assets though, suggesting he doesn’t “see a scenario” in which the club trades Collin Sexton or Darius Garland to get even younger.
People around the league have “locked into the idea” that Scottie Barnes is the favorite to be picked at No. 5 by the Magic, reports Givony.

Pistons To Hire Jim Moran; Latest Edwards Mock Draft

July 25th, 2021 at 1:40pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Pistons intend to hire former Trail Blazers assistant Jim Moran to Dwane Casey‘s coaching staff for the 2021/22 season, tweets James L. Edwards III of The Athletic. Moran served under former Portland head coach Terry Stotts from 2015/16 through this past season.
Beyond the top selection in the 2021 NBA Draft, the Pistons also have three second-round picks. In a recent column, James L. Edwards III of The Athletic examines some options for Detroit while conducting a mock draft.

Cade Cunningham Impressed With Pistons, Detroit

July 23rd, 2021 at 9:54pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Likely No. 1 pick Cade Cunningham praised the Pistons organization and the city of Detroit in his only scheduled pre-draft visit, Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press writes.

Cunningham worked out with the Pistons on Tuesday.

“The organization has a lot of great people within it,” Cunningham said. “I mean, starting from the owners, Troy Weaver is a great GM, and then, you know, all the way down. They got just great people throughout. So I learned a lot on my visit. If they take me, I’ll definitely be excited to be there.”

Cunningham, who excelled in his lone college season at Oklahoma State, explained his decision to work out for one team.

“I wanted to meet with the team with the No. 1 pick and I feel like I’m the No. 1 pick,” he said. “I met with Detroit, they’re the ones that had the pick.”

However, Cunningham might visit with another team if Detroit opts to trade the top selection, according to James Edwards III of The Athletic.

“If the Rockets get the No. 1 pick, I’d meet with them if there is enough time,” he said when asked about the possibility of Houston trading up.

Houston holds the No. 2 pick and is expected to have more discussions with Detroit as the draft nears, according to The Athletic’s Kelly Iko. The Rockets had some talks with the Pistons during the draft combine last month in Chicago and are prepared to make an offer to move up a spot.

Cunningham is content with the Pistons holding onto the pick and sees himself as fitting in not only with the team but the city.

“Detroit fits me, that’s the main thing I’m going to try to do is step in and embody the swag that people from Detroit walk with, the people from Michigan in general,” he said. “They have an underdog, go-get-what-you-want feel to them and I like that about the city.”

Pistons Unlikely To Use All Three Second-Rounders; Andrew Jones III Added To Staff

July 22nd, 2021 at 7:22pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Pistons not only have the top pick in next week’s draft, they possess three second-rounders. It’s a virtual lock they won’t draft three players with those picks and keep them on the roster next season, Keith Langlois of Pistons.com notes. The Pistons have plenty of young players throughout their roster and simply don’t have enough openings to retain that many rookies. It’s very likely they’ll flip one or more of those picks for a couple of future second-rounders, Langlois adds.

The Pistons have hired away Andrew Jones III from the Sixers as an assistant coach who will focus on player development, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. Jones was a player development coach in Philadelphia the past two seasons after a five-year stint with the Thunder.