- James L. Edwards III of The Athletic explores whether Christian Wood‘s breakout season with the Pistons is a result of genuine improvement or simply getting a real opportunity. Edwards believes that both are factors, arguing that Wood – a free agent this summer – deserves to be in the Most Improved Player conversation.
- Asked today if Derrick Rose will return this season, Pistons head coach Dwane Casey was noncommittal, tweets Rod Beard of The Detroit News. “We’ll just see how he feels. I wouldn’t put that in concrete,” Casey said. “… I don’t know what he would gain from it by coming back (for the final weeks). We haven’t made that decision yet.” Rose, who is recovering from a sprained ankle, will be re-evaluated in two weeks.
11:59am: The Pistons have issued a press release confirming that Rose has been diagnosed with a grade two right ankle sprain. He’ll be re-evaluated in two weeks, according to the team.
11:07am: An MRI on Derrick Rose‘s sprained right ankle came back negative, according to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports. However, sources tell Haynes that the Pistons will be cautious with Rose’s injury and that he’ll be reassessed in “a few weeks.”
Rose, who received interest from contenders at the trade deadline, has a second year on his contract with Detroit, so the Pistons will want to make sure he’s as healthy as possible heading into the offseason — the former MVP will either play a key role on next year’s team or be a valuable trade chip this summer. Rose is expected to make a full recovery from his ankle injury, Haynes notes.
As the Pistons consider handing the reins to their young players for the rest of the season, they’re also keeping an eye on Jordan McRae, according to Haynes. Released by the Nuggets on Sunday night, McRae is expected to be claimed off waivers by the Suns on Wednesday.
However, based on Haynes’ report, it sounds like Detroit is mulling a waiver claim of its own. Because they trail Phoenix in the NBA standings, the Pistons would have the higher priority and would be awarded McRae if both teams submit a claim.
If the Pistons were to place a claim on McRae, no corresponding roster move would be necessary, since they have room on their 15-man roster.
The Pistons have signed big man Donta Hall to a second 10-day contract, the team announced today in a press release. Hall’s first 10-day deal with Detroit expired last night, so the club didn’t waste any time in locking him right back up.
[RELATED: Hoops Rumors’ 10-Day Contract Tracker]
An undrafted rookie out of Alabama, Hall spent most of his rookie season with the Grand Rapids Drive, Detroit’s G League affiliate. He has averaged 15.5 PPG, 10.6 RPG, and 1.5 BPG in 36 G League games (28.6 MPG).
Since being promoted to the NBA last month, Hall has appeared in three games for the Pistons, recording 1.7 PPG and 3.7 RPG in 13.7 minutes per contest. His new 10-day contract, which will pay him $50,752, will run through March 12, covering Detroit’s next four games.
The Pistons had been one of a small handful of NBA teams with two roster openings, so no corresponding move is necessary to make room for Hall. The team still has its 15th roster spot open in case it wants to place a waiver claim for Jordan McRae, as was rumored earlier today.
Once Hall’s second 10-day contract expires, Detroit will have to either let him go or sign him for the remainder of the season.
The NBA requires its teams to carry a minimum of 14 players, not including players on two-way contracts. Teams are permitted to dip below that number for up to two weeks at a time, but must return to at least 14 once those two weeks are up.
Entering today, four NBA teams had fewer than 14 players on standard or 10-day contracts. One of those teams, the Hornets, signed Joe Chealey this morning to get back to 14, so no further roster moves are required for Charlotte at this time.
[RELATED: 2019/20 NBA Roster Counts]
That leaves three clubs that must make at least one addition to their respective rosters sometime soon. Here are those teams:
Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cavaliers last filled the final two openings on their 15-man roster by signing J.P. Macura and Malik Newman to 10-day contracts on February 9. Because 10-day deals are required to cover at least three games, those contracts actually ran through the All-Star break and didn’t expire until February 21.
Since then, however, Cleveland has only had 13 players under contract. The Cavs will have to add at least one player by this weekend.
Denver Nuggets
The Nuggets had been carrying an open roster spot for a while. They created a second opening on Sunday when they bought out Jordan McRae. It has been less than 48 hours since McRae was released, so Denver won’t be required to add a 14th man until mid-March.
Detroit Pistons
After buying out Reggie Jackson and Markieff Morris, the Pistons filled their two open roster spots by signing Derrick Walton and Donta Hall to 10-day contracts. Both of those deals expired within the last two days. Like Denver, Detroit has only just dipped down to 13 players, so they’ll still have nearly two full weeks to get back to 14.
[UPDATE: The Pistons have re-signed Hall to get back up to 14 players.]
- Pistons guard Bruce Brown has established himself as a defensive stopper and increased his rebounding totals since Andre Drummond was traded but there’s still one glaring area of improvement, Keith Langlois of Pistons.com notes. Brown is shooting 44.3% overall and 33.7% on 3-point tries, which is an upgrade from his rookie year but is still a work in progress. “Bruce has improved in a lot of areas,” coach Dwane Casey said. “Shooting has been the last one to come around and I do know that will come around.”
Some members of the Magic and Pistons had interest in exploring a trade for Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie prior to this month’s trade deadline, sources tell Ian Begley of SNY.tv. Begley describes that interest as “internal,” so it’s not clear if either team actually reached out to Brooklyn to inquire on Dinwiddie.
Although there was no indication that the Nets seriously considered moving Dinwiddie in a deadline deal, his name did pop up in a few rumors earlier this month. He was reportedly discussed in talks between the Nets and Hawks, with the Lakers inquiring on him as well.
One post-deadline report suggested that there’s “buzz around the league” about Dinwiddie potentially being part of a package for Magic forward Aaron Gordon. Begley picks up on that thread, noting that some executives believe a player like Gordon would help Brooklyn going forward, though it’s not clear if GM Sean Marks shares that view. Begley also hears that the Pacers had some pre-deadline interest in pursuing Gordon, a potential summer trade candidate.
The Nets, who will have a crowded backcourt of Dinwiddie, Kyrie Irving, and Caris LeVert once everyone is healthy next season, could eventually decide to deal from a position of strength, though Irving’s injury history – he’s out for the rest of the season – may give the team pause.
If Brooklyn does make Dinwiddie available in the offseason, the Magic make more sense as a suitor than the Pistons, who are heading toward a full-fledged rebuild. Orlando has lacked play-making and scoring in recent years. Dinwiddie, who is averaging 20.8 PPG and 6.6 APG in 57 games (31.4 MPG) this season, could help in both areas. He’s under contract for $11.45MM next season, with a $12.3MM player option for 2021/22.
With the playoffs out of reach, the Pistons will give plenty of opportunities to young players for the rest of the season, according to Keith Langlois of NBA.com. That includes Derrick Walton Jr. and Donta Hall, who are both on 10-day contracts, as well as Khyri Thomas, who returned to Detroit’s lineup last night for the first time since breaking his foot in November. Langlois notes that coach Dwane Casey used all 12 available players in the first 18 minutes of a loss in Denver.
“I know we’ve got a lot of youth,” Casey said. “I thought we were in (G League) Grand Rapids a couple of times, but that’s part of the deal.”
The Pistons’ direction for the second half of the season was set when Blake Griffin underwent an arthroscopic procedure on his left knee in early January. The organization committed to building for the future, sending Andre Drummond to Cleveland at the trade deadline and reaching a buyout with Reggie Jackson last week. Derrick Rose is the only player left on the roster who is older than 30, Langlois notes.
There’s more from Detroit:
- Hall played 15 minutes Tuesday and showed why the Pistons gave him an opportunity as an undrafted free agent last summer, Langlois adds in the same piece. Hall could have a steady role next season as a rim protector who brings energy off the bench. “Really was impressed with Donta,” Casey said after the game. “Came over a couple of times in the first half, great verticality.”
- John Henson, who was acquired from the Cavaliers in the Drummond trade, may have a future in Detroit beyond this season if he’s willing to accept a veteran’s minimum deal, suggests Rod Beard of The Detroit News. Henson is shooting 68% from the field since coming to Detroit and provides an experienced presence in the locker room. Christian Wood will be an unrestricted free agent this summer and Beard notes that Thon Maker may be unrestricted as well if the Pistons elect not to make a qualifying offer.
- Detroit turned away a trade inquiry from the Lakers about Rose and intends to bring him back next season, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said on a recent Hoop Collective Podcast (hat tip to Real GM). He added that there’s “no chance” the Pistons will seek a buyout on the second season of Rose’s two-year, $15MM contract.
The Eastern Conference playoff picture hasn’t been entirely set yet, but at this point, it seems unlikely that a team outside of the top eight will crash the party. The 25-32 Magic, who currently hold the No. 8 seed, are far from untouchable, but they still hold a 4.5-game lead on any of the conference’s also-rans.
That means the Wizards, Bulls, Hornets, Pistons, Knicks, Hawks, and Cavaliers will likely finish the year in the lottery. Our Community Shootaround discussion today centers on which of these clubs is best positioned going forward.
Of those teams, only the Pistons weren’t also in the lottery a year ago. But much has changed since then. Longtime cornerstones Reggie Jackson and Andre Drummond are gone, and Detroit only has a 2023 second-round pick to show for it. Blake Griffin, who had one of the best years of his career in 2018/19, has barely played this season due to health issues. The Pistons are headed for a full-fledged rebuild, and while there are some promising young players in the mix, including Luke Kennard, Sekou Doumbouya, and Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk, it will likely be a long process.
The Wizards, like the Pistons, still have an injured veteran star (John Wall) occupying a major chunk of their cap. Unlike Detroit though, Washington is potentially in position to get back into the playoff mix when that star returns next season. Bradley Beal has taken his game to another level in recent years, and the Wizards have unearthed some productive role players like Thomas Bryant and Moritz Wagner to go along with prospects such as Rui Hachimura and Troy Brown. The team also wants to re-sign Davis Bertans this summer.
The Bulls and Hawks entered the season as popular sleeper picks to challenge for the postseason in the East. That hasn’t happened though. While Zach LaVine has looked better than ever in Chicago, the Bulls haven’t gotten the production they expected out of recent lottery picks like Lauri Markkanen and Wendell Carter Jr., who has once again dealt with injuries.
Atlanta, meanwhile, saw its season derailed early by John Collins‘ 25-game PED suspension. Trae Young has become one of the league’s best offensive players, but the young supporting cast still isn’t ready to contend. Both the Bulls and Hawks have some cap flexibility going forward, but they’ll need more from their young building blocks in order to take a real step forward.
The Knicks and Hornets have been plagued by cap mismanagement in recent years and have lacked a true superstar. Both teams should have some flexibility this summer and beyond, and young players like Devonte’ Graham, PJ Washington, RJ Barrett, and Mitchell Robinson have promise. But it would definitely be premature to pencil in any of those players as perennial All-Stars — the management groups in New York and Charlotte will need to keep looking for potential high-end talent.
As for the Cavaliers, you could make the case that their 2019/20 season has been the worst of any of these teams. Newly-hired head coach John Beilein lasted just 54 games, veteran players like Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson have been disgruntled, and neither Collin Sexton nor Darius Garland looks like a lock for stardom. Kevin Porter Jr. has exceeded expectations and the Cavs will have some contracts coming off the books this offseason, but Love’s massive deal and the decision to acquire Drummond complicates their cap outlook going forward.
What do you think? Which combination of core players, front office personnel, and future cap flexibility would give you the most confidence if you had to pick one of these seven Eastern Conference teams? Which one do you think has the brightest outlook beyond this season?
Vote below in our poll, then head to the comment section to share your thoughts!
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Here are Monday’s assignments and recalls from around the NBA G League:
- The Pistons recalled guard Khyri Thomas from the Grand Rapids Drive, according to a team press release. In two games with the Drive, Thomas averaged 17.0 PPG, 4.0 RPG and 1.5 APG in 22.0 MPG. Thomas, a second-round pick in 2018, played two early-season games with the Pistons before undergoing foot surgery.
- The Warriors assigned big man Alen Smailagic to their Santa Cruz affiliate, the team’s PR department tweets. He has averaged 15.8 PPG and 6.2 RPG in 18 games with the G League club. The rookie has also seen action in 14 Golden State games.
- The Timberwolves recalled swingman Jacob Evans III and forward Jarred Vanderbilt from their Iowa affiliate, according to a team press release. Evans was acquired from Golden State and Vanderbilt was acquired from Denver earlier this month.
- The Pacers assigned forward Alize Johnson to the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, the team’s PR department tweets. The 2018 second-round pick has appeared in 12 games with the NBA club this season.
- The Spurs assigned Keldon Johnson and Chimezie Metu to their Austin affiliate, according to the G League transactions log. Johnson, the team’s first-round pick last June, has played five NBA games. Metu, a second-year forward, has appeared in 16 games for San Antonio this season.