Detroit Pistons Rumors | Hoops Rumors

And-Ones: Drummond, Gasol, Leonard

August 27th, 2019 at 10:06pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Andre Drummond recently spoke about how he was excited for free agency next summer, leading some to speculate that he would like to leave the Pistons. He took to Instagram to clarify his comments.

“My point was I’m excited to go through the process because I never been [through] it, doesn’t mean I’m trying to leave Detroit. I love it here,” the big man said on his social media page.

Drummond has a player option for the 2020/21 season, though he called this upcoming campaign his “contract year,” insinuating that he’s preparing to opt out.

Here’s more from around the league:

Marc Gasol doesn’t blame Kawhi Leonard for leaving the Raptors and joining the Clippers in a move that will put Leonard closer to his hometown. “I haven’t talked to him. Just a little through group text — that was it. You can’t blame the guy for wanting to go home. You can’t,” Gasol told Marc Stein of The New York Times in his latest newsletter. “If you tell me I can go back to Barcelona and make an absurd amount of money and play in the NBA — I understand completely the decision and respect it and wish him the best.”
In the same piece, Gasol spoke about how he didn’t know that winning a championship would mean as much to him until after the Raptors took home the Larry O’Brien trophy. “It fulfilled me in a way that I didn’t know it could,” Gasol said. “Instantly you gain so much respect for everyone who has done this. Golden State, going to five straight finals and the rings that they have, I just instantly got so much respect for them. And LeBron going to eight finals in a row. Just doing it once put me beyond the limits I thought I had — physically and mentally. It was great to see, for myself, pushing those limits and leaving everything out there. It was awesome.”
NBA agent James Dunleavy is joining Excel Sports Management, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Dunleavy’s clients include Chandler Parsons and Gerald Green, among others.

Andre Drummond “Excited” For Free Agency Next Summer

August 27th, 2019 at 5:41pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Andre Drummond has two years left on the five-year contract he signed with the Pistons back in 2016. However, his deal contains a player option on the final season—the 2020/21 campaign. Drummond hinted that he would be turning that option down, referring to this upcoming season as his “contract year” (h/t Aaron Ferguson of Piston Powered).

“I’m a free agent next summer,” the big man said while speaking with reporters, adding that he feels free agency should be “fun.”

“I’m excited. I think I’m the only one that has a big contract coming up for the year,” Drummond said.

The 2020 offseason won’t feature as many high-profile free agents as the past few summers. Anthony Davis could ostensibly opt to hit the market via his player option, but it’s likely he stays with the Lakers. Kyle Lowry, DeMar DeRozan, and Otto Porter Jr. are among the most notable players who will be unrestricted free agents.

Query only frontcourt players and the results appear desolate. Hassan Whiteside‘s contract ends after the 2019/20 campaign. The 34-year-old Marc Gasol will be available next summer and Montrezl Harrell and Paul Millsap will be among the other notable bigs on the market. Drummond, who would be turning down roughly $28.8MM to hit the open market, may be the most desirable frontcourt option.

Pistons Notes: Jackson, Rose, Frazier, Griffin

August 26th, 2019 at 8:59pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Pistons are suddenly very deep at point guard, as Keith Langlois of the team’s website notes. Their lack of depth at that spot was exposed in recent seasons by injuries to Reggie Jackson and Ish Smith.

Though Smith signed with the Wizards this offseason, the Pistons have plenty of options beyond Jackson during the upcoming season. They signed free agents Derrick Rose and Tim Frazier and drafted Jordan Bone, who was signed to a two-way contract, in the second round. Bruce Brown and Langston Galloway can also run the offense.

It’s the best combination of players they’ve had at that spot since Chauncey Billups was a perennial All-Star and Lindsey Hunter backed him up, Langlois opines.

We have more from the Central Division:

Jackson seriously considered retirement due to knee and ankle injuries prior to last season, when he played in every game, Rod Beard of the Detroit News reports. “I was just getting injured too much and I had hit basketball depression and it was a point in time that I really didn’t want to deal with the game anymore,” Jackson told Beard. “It was more the injuries that started to have that (retirement) thought creep in my head.” Arnie Kander, the team’s former strength and conditioning coach who was hired as a consultant prior to last season, devised a plan that helped Jackson overcome his issues.
Jackson has no doubt that he can mesh his skills with Rose when they play together, Beard writes in the same story. “I’ll have more of a chance to play with Derrick on the ball and off. I’m better at catch-and-shoot,” Jackson said. “The layout of the team is complementary to each other. All the pieces work really well and it’s ideal for my game, how we mesh.”
The additions of Frazier and power forward Markieff Morris give coach Dwane Casey a greater opportunity to rest Blake Griffin and Rose, Langlois writes in a separate story. Griffin only sat out three games for rest purposes last season as the Pistons relied heavily on the All-Star to make the playoffs. But with 13 back-to-backs this year, the Pistons will likely limit both Griffin and the oft-injured Rose to fewer than 70 games apiece, Langlois adds.

Poll: Will Pistons Make Playoffs In 2019/20?

August 26th, 2019 at 12:12pm CST by Luke Adams

No NBA playoff team from the 2018/19 season came closer to missing the postseason than the 41-41 Pistons, who finished just two games ahead of the Hornets and Heat (39-41).

Now, with the 2019/20 NBA season fast approaching, no team has closer to even odds to make the playoffs next spring than the Pistons, according to BetOnline.ag. The betting site gives Detroit -155 odds to miss the postseason and +135 odds to make it. That means that if you bet $100 on the Pistons to be a playoff team and they come through, you’d win $135 — if you think they’re a lottery team, you’d have to risk $155 to win $100.

Based on the rest of the Eastern teams’ playoff odds at BetOnline.ag, it’s easy to understand the bookmakers’ logic. The Bucks, Raptors, Sixers, Celtics, Pacers, Nets, and Magic – all of whom made the postseason a year ago – are viewed as favorites to finish ahead of the Pistons again in 2019/20. Meanwhile, the Heat are considered the most likely club to join that group of seven, leapfrogging the Pistons in the projected standings after adding star swingman Jimmy Butler.

Unlike Miami, the Pistons didn’t make any splashy free agent or trade acquisitions this summer. Sure, they signed a former MVP, but at this point Derrick Rose is a solid role player, not a difference-making star. Detroit’s list of modest additions also included forwards Markieff Morris, Tony Snell, and rookie Sekou Doumbouya, along with veteran point guard Tim Frazier.

Now that Andre Drummond, Blake Griffin, and Reggie Jackson have a full year together under their belts, perhaps they’ll reach new heights in 2019/20, but it might be too optimistic to count on all three players to suit up for 75+ games again, especially given Griffin’s and Jackson’s injury histories.

Still, there are reasons to be bullish on the Pistons. Head coach Dwane Casey is a proven winner – at least in the regular season – and rotation players like Luke Kennard, Bruce Brown, and Thon Maker are still young enough to take major steps forward. Drummond will be motivated to have a huge contract year, and Jackson finally looks fully healthy. With some good injury luck, the Pistons should have no problem staying in the playoff hunt.

What do you think? Are the Pistons a playoff team in 2019/20? Will last year’s seven postseason representatives and the Heat make the playoffs in the East, or is there another dark horse contender you like ahead of Detroit?

Vote in our poll, then head to the comment section below to share your two cents!

Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.

Central Notes: Markkanen, LaVine, Brogdon

August 25th, 2019 at 2:34pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Bulls hope that Lauri Markkanen can be the face of the franchise and Mark Strotman of NBC Sports Chicago believes the big man has the potential to be just that. Strotman chronicles Markkanen’s first two seasons in the league and examines the moves Chicago has made to build a team around its power forward.

Here’s more from the Central Division:

Zach LaVine should benefit from a new and healthy Bulls rotation, Strotman writes (in a separate piece). LaVine carried the team for parts of last season, as only James Harden had a higher usage rate in October and November. Starting the season with Markkanen healthy and new talent on board should help ease LaVine’s burden and allow him to be more efficient in his game.
Malcolm Brogdon is the Pacers‘ X-Factor, Chad Smith of Basketball Insiders contends. Indiana should be a solid playoff team next season, though the club’s ceiling may be determined by what they get out of Brogdon.
Keith Langlois of NBA.com examines what goals Svi Mykhailiuk should strive for this upcoming season. Decision-making was among the areas Langlois pinpoints for the Pistons‘ wing.

Central Notes: Oladipo, Lopez, R. Jackson, Gilbert

August 25th, 2019 at 11:40am CST by Arthur Hill

Nearly eight months after having surgery on a ruptured quad tendon, Victor Oladipo doesn’t want to talk about the rehab process, writes Scott Agness of The Athletic. Oladipo began on-court workouts in June, but he hasn’t practiced against anyone. He said he’s working on “a little bit of everything,” but doesn’t want to give away any secrets.

“Ah, I’m getting there,” Oladipo said. “I’m working my way there. You can’t rush these things, you just got to take your time. At the end of the day, Rome wasn’t built in one day.”

People close to Oladipo have talked about his work ethic and dedication. He has adapted his shooting method and now has a smoother shot with a quicker release. The Pacers are monitoring his progress, but haven’t set any sort of timetable for his return.

“I’m just excited to play basketball again, honestly,” Oladipo said. “Just go out there and compete at the highest level possible. I got a lot to let go, so I’m looking forward to letting it go.”

There’s more from the Central Division:

Bucks center Brook Lopez tells Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype that he enjoyed July’s free agent frenzy just like any other fan. “Man, it was so entertaining – first and foremost,” Lopez said. “Just as a fan of the game – waiting for all of those Woj Bombs and news updates – it really was exciting! As a player, it’s exciting too. I mean, everyone has said it, but I think the level of parity is really exciting because there are a number of teams that, I think, are contenders now. It’s just great for basketball because it’s going to be such a competitive league this year.”
Getting past the effects of two serious injuries helped Pistons guard Reggie Jackson enjoy a revival last season, observes Keith Langlois of NBA.com. Jackson was slowed by left knee tendinosis during the 2016/17 season and a grade-3 right ankle sprain in 2017/18. Jackson started to feel fully healthy around mid-season and averaged 16.9 PPG after February 1.
Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert was released from a Chicago rehabilitation facility this week after spending two months there following a stroke, relays Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com.

Carmelo Makes No Sense For Pistons

August 19th, 2019 at 8:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Adding free agent Carmelo Anthony to the mix never made any sense for the Pistons, as Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press explains in his latest mailbag. Anthony’s game is predicated on isolation plays and that doesn’t fit the Pistons’ system. He’s also spent most of his time at power forward in recent seasons and the Pistons already signed Markieff Morris, a better defender, to back up Blake Griffin. They also added another veteran forward, Michael Beasley, to compete for a roster spot, Ellis adds.

Community Shootaround: Andre Drummond

August 16th, 2019 at 6:21pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Unlike the free agent frenzy this summer, next year’s open market will produce precious little drama.

Unless Anthony Davis is serious about testing the waters after the Lakers expended many assets to acquire him, there will be no marquee names on the unrestricted free agent list.

Pistons center Andre Drummond might be the most intriguing and polarizing player on the market.

He can become an unrestricted free agent if he declines his player option of $28.75MM. It might be the ideal time for Drummond to test the waters, considering the lack of star power in next year’s free agent class.

He’s the league premier rebounder, particularly at the offensive end. Despite not developing a 3-point shot — though coach Dwane Casey is willing to give him some chances in the future — Drummond averaged a career-best 17.3 PPG last season.

His free throw shooting is still poor but he’s improved enough to stay on the court in crunch time, going from below 40 percent to around 60 the past two seasons.

He’s adept in pick-and-roll situations and led his team in blocks and steals last season. However, his overall defense often leaves something to be desired.

The Pistons have a dilemma on their hands. They could try to work out an extension with Drummond, who is still only 26 and in the prime of his career.

They could also opt to play things out and perhaps trade him before the deadline if their season goes sour. However, if Drummond has a big year and they hold onto him, they could lose him for nothing next summer and face another long rebuild.

Since Drummond didn’t make an All-NBA team last season, he’s not eligible for the super max. If he wanted a maximum extension, he’d have to decline his player option, then receive a 20 percent raise on his $27MM salary for the upcoming season.

With 8% raises during the ensuing three seasons, Drummond could receive a four-year, $145.65MM extension beginning in 2020/21.

The Pistons have been handcuffed by a bad salary cap situation but beyond Blake Griffin‘s contract, they have few salary commitments after this season and will be in pretty good position to make moves next summer.

That leads us to our question of the day: Should the Pistons offer Andre Drummond an extension? If so, would it be in Drummond’s best interests to accept the offer or should he shop his services in a weak free agent market next summer?

Please take to the comments section to weigh in on this topic. We look forward to your input.

Michael Beasley Turned Down Guaranteed Offer In China For Pistons

August 11th, 2019 at 7:00pm CST by JD Shaw

Veteran forward Michael Beasley turned down a guaranteed $2.5MM contract in China to sign a non-guaranteed training camp deal with the Pistons, according to James Edwards and Shams Charania of The Athletic. Beasley is set to enter his 12th NBA season, with the 30-year-old appearing in 26 games on the Lakers last year.

Michael Beasley Will Battle Christian Wood For The Final Roster Spot

August 11th, 2019 at 10:30am CST by Arthur Hill

Michael Beasley‘s agreement with the Pistons is expected to be non-guaranteed, according to Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press. Beasley will battle Christian Wood, who was claimed off waivers last month, for the final roster spot. With the signing of Derrick Rose, Detroit has added the top two picks in the 2008 draft this summer.