Pistons Rumors

Central Notes: Cunningham, Pistons, Haliburton, Williams, Dosunmu

Pistons star Cade Cunningham is guiding the team to winning ways after a slow start to the season and a franchise-worst year in 2023/24. As Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports writes, Cunningham is embracing the challenge that comes with being the Pistons’ franchise centerpiece and has shown a willingness to take the blame when things aren’t going right for the team.

You don’t get that out of many old guys, right? Like, there’s not many people in this league that are willing to accept responsibility for the total right for the whole group,” head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “You know, you deal with a lot of people now, the easiest thing to do is either shy away from it or put it on somebody else. And I think that speaks to his courage.

In 34 games, Cunningham is averaging 24.3 points, 9.3 assists and 6.6 rebounds while shooting 45.7% from the field and 37.6% from beyond the arc, all of which are career bests. The Pistons are 19-19, having already won five more games than they did all of last season.

[It’s] something that comes with being, you know, ‘the guy,’” Cunningham said. “Everybody calls me ‘the guy.’ It’s a lot of responsibility. It’s a lot of … I mean, people would call it pressure, but, you know, I have to deliver, and I haven’t done that to the level that I wanted to.

We have more from the Central Division:

  • The Pistons‘ recent turnaround is helping remove some of the ‘dark clouds’ surrounding the franchise, Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press writes. “It’s huge, man,Jalen Duren said. “It’s huge. The vets that came in, I’m not gonna say they don’t understand it, but they weren’t here. Guys who’ve been here … the guys who have been through the ups and downs of our short career, and now getting here and being .500 is huge.
  • Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton started to let some of the outside noise regarding his play affect him, leading to early-season struggles for both the fifth-year point guard and the team, Jared Weiss and Sam Amick of The Athletic write. “It was the first time in my life that I had real self-doubt behind everything I was doing,” Haliburton said. “… I feel like my personal struggles were leading to the team’s struggles.” Returning from an injury too soon last season and re-aggravating it impacted his play. The Pacers’ floor general is starting to turn it around, averaging 20.4 points and 9.9 assists per game and shooting 41.3% from three as the team has won 11 of its past 14 games.
  • The Bulls are “still searching for answers” as to how to best utilize forward Patrick Williams, Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times writes. Williams, the fourth overall pick in 2020, is averaging 9.5 points and 4.1 rebounds per contest this season, in line with his career figures.
  • Chicago is optimistic that guard Ayo Dosunmu will be able to return from his Achilles injury at some point during the Bulls‘ five-game home stand, although it’s unlikely he’ll play on Sunday, according to K.C. Johnson of Chicago Sports Network (Twitter link). Dosunmu, who is averaging 12.6 PPG and 4.8 APG, has missed the last eight games with the injury.

Pistons Adjusting Thinking On How To Use Cap Space

Although they lost to Golden State on Thursday, the Pistons remain firmly in the play-in picture in the East, with a 19-19 record that puts them in a tie for eighth place in the conference. They’ve already exceeded their win total from both last season (14) and the 2022/23 campaign (17).

With that in mind, team sources tell Brian Windhorst of ESPN (Insider link) that the Pistons are “adjusting their thinking” as they consider how to use the $14MM in cap room they still have available.

As Windhorst explains, teams across the NBA had been viewing that cap space as “for rent” at the trade deadline, with Detroit believed to be planning on taking on unwanted salary in order to continue stockpiling draft assets. However, Windhorst suggests the club may be more “judicious” about how it uses that room.

Instead of simply serving as a dumping ground for bad contracts and draft assets, the Pistons figure to consider scenarios that would upgrade this season’s roster and/or leave them with flexibility for next season.

Besides their $14MM in remaining cap space, Detroit will also have the $8MM room exception available, which could be used to take on one or more smaller contracts in a trade after the club uses its room.

The cap space and room exception couldn’t be combined to take on a player earning more than $14MM, but that $8MM exception could put the club in position to make multiple deadline trades, perhaps upgrading this year’s roster in one deal while acting as a third-team facilitator for draft assets in another.

While there are a number of other teams around the NBA who are well below the luxury tax line and are in position to help facilitate deals by taking on salary, the Pistons are the only one of 30 clubs still operating below the salary cap, giving them a leg up in terms of maneuverability.

Central Notes: Cunningham, LaVine, Vucevic, Bryant, Horton-Tucker, Middleton

The surprising Pistons have won five straight games heading into their matchup against Golden State on Thursday. After his team defeated the Nets on Wednesday, Cade Cunningham told Hunter Patterson of The Athletic that it’s just the start of the franchise’s turnaround.

“It feels good,” said Cunningham, who signed a maximum-salary rookie scale extension last summer. “We’re still hungry though, man. We’re not satisfied. It is a satisfying feeling, but we’re not satisfied at all.”

We have more from the Central Division:

  • The Bulls may be looking to deal Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic but their head coach believes both players should receive All-Star consideration despite the team’s mediocre record, Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times writes. “You get a chance to see those guys play every night and there’s no question in my mind, just based on what these guys have performed through – whatever it is 35 or 36 games – they have performed at an All-Star level,” Billy Donovan said. “Both of those two have. I think the stats will back that up.” LaVine and Vucevic are the team’s top scorers, averaging a combined 43.5 points per game.
  • With Myles Turner sidelined by an illness, Thomas Bryant pumped in a season-high 22 points with eight rebounds in the Pacers’ win over Chicago on Wednesday. “He was great,” coach Rick Carlisle told Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star. “He played efficient. He played smart. He seemed to always be in the right place at the right time. He had a couple of important putbacks in key moments of the game. He brings a real positive energy just as a person out there too along with being a heck of a player. … I don’t know that we win the game without him.” Bryant was traded by Miami to Indiana in mid-December.
  • Talen Horton-Tucker‘s veteran’s minimum contract with the Bulls becomes fully guaranteed on Friday. Horton-Tucker – who has received steady rotation minutes, appearing in 30 games off the bench and averaging 6.3 points – says he’s grateful that he’ll be sticking around. “It’s a blessing to be here the rest of the season,” he said, per K.C. Johnson of Chicago Sports Network (Twitter link). “I’m excited to get to work and hope to be here as long as possible.”
  • Bucks forward Khris Middleton believes that his reserve role is only temporary, he told Jim Owczarski of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “I mean, I know what type of player I am,” he said. “Just for the time being I need to come off the bench. It is what it is. But I’m confident in this team, I’m confident in myself and this is the role I have to play for the time being.” Coach Doc Rivers says it has more to do with Middleton’s health than anything else. “He’s not starting (Wednesday), but more just the minute thing,” Rivers said. “He keeps getting the tendinitis (in his ankle). It’s just not improving to the place he wants it or we want it. So we’re just going to monitor and cut his minutes back a little bit and try to makes sure he can get through this.”

Central Notes: Atkinson, Cavaliers, Ivey, Mathurin

After finishing 22nd in the NBA in pace last season, the Cavaliers are playing at the sixth-fastest pace so far this season, according to Tim Bontemps of ESPN, who notes that coaches and scouts around the league are praising new head coach Kenny Atkinson for embracing the strengths of his players while implementing his preferred style.

“It’s exactly the way Kenny wants to play,” one scout said. “The speed with which they play is so advantageous for (Evan) Mobley and (Darius) Garland, and it also helps cover up deficiencies for other players. … They’ve simplified things from last year.”

The 31-4 Cavaliers have the NBA’s best record and will carry a 10-game winning streak into a showdown with the West-leading Thunder (who have won 15 regular season games in a row) on Wednesday night.

Still, as impressive as Cleveland has been in the first half of this season, there are people across the league who remain somewhat skeptical about how the club’s style will translate to the postseason.

“I think they’re a really good regular-season team, but when the game slows down and is more targeted, I have some concerns,” said an assistant coach whose team recently faced the Cavs. “Can Donovan (Mitchell) and Darius make a bunch of shots when that happens? That’ll be the biggest question.”

Here’s more from around the Central:

  • The Cavaliers‘ front office is hesitant to risk messing with the chemistry in the team’s locker room in order to make a marginal deal ahead of the February 6 trade deadline, sources tell ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. That doesn’t necessarily mean Cleveland will stand pat, but it probably means that in order to make any deal of significance, the club would have to be pretty confident it would be a meaningful on-court upgrade.
  • Dr. Clint Soppe, a sports medicine doctor based in Los Angeles, tells Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press that a fibula fracture like the one Pistons guard Jaden Ivey suffered generally takes four-to-six months to fully recover. The Pistons haven’t ruled out Ivey for the season after he broke his leg last week, but that timeline suggests the odds are against him returning this spring. Still, it’s worth noting that Soppe hasn’t examined Ivey himself and can’t speak to his specific case.
  • Bennedict Mathurin‘s willingness to buy into his role has been an important factor in the cohesion of the Pacers‘ starting five, which has helped fuel the team’s run of nine wins in 12 games, writes Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star. “This is a winning brand of basketball that he’s playing now,” head coach Rick Carlisle said. “He’s learned some things. He’s realized some things. He and I have spent a lot of time talking about it and watching things. If he’s willing to run and take open shots, avoid the temptation to drive into crowds and try to draw fouls and play tough, hard-nosed defense, that’s a winning formula for a young player.” Mathurin will be eligible for a rookie scale extension during the 2025 offseason.

Central Notes: Mobley, Cavs, Bulls, Giannis, Pistons

Fourth-year big man Evan Mobley is having the best season of his career for the 31-4 Cavaliers and making a strong case for All-Star consideration, as Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com writes in a subscriber-only article. The Cavs have an eye-popping +16.0 net rating when Mobley is on the court, compared to a team-worst +4.4 mark when he sits.

“He has taken that step,” Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell said of his teammate. “Everyone has been asking and he has taken that step. It’s beautiful to see. This is the worst that Evan is going to be and it’s not too shabby. He’s an All-Star. He will be in San Francisco in February.”

Speaking to Grant Afseth of RG.org, Cavaliers forward Georges Niang agreed with Mitchell’s assessment, comparing Mobley’s skill set to that of Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett. While Niang raved about Mobley’s evolution, he argued that there are actually four Cavaliers – Mitchell, Mobley, Darius Garland, and Jarrett Allen – who deserve to be at All-Star weekend in San Francisco.

“When are we going to celebrate winning? These guys sacrifice stats to help us win,” Niang told Afseth. “This isn’t an individual sport, but All-Star is an individual accolade. Donovan, Evan, Darius, and J.A. are All-Stars. Sharing the wealth and being team players doesn’t diminish what they’re capable of.”

In an interesting and wide-ranging conversation with Afseth, Niang also spoke about Mitchell’s commitment to Cleveland, making it clear that the five-time All-Star was exhibiting that commitment to the franchise well before he signed a multiyear extension during the 2024 offseason.

“Donovan is making this his home,” Niang said. “He even called Max (Strus) and me during (2023) free agency to bring us here. When your star player wants to be here and recruit others, it creates something special.”

Here’s more from around the Central:

  • Addressing the Bulls‘ potential trade deadline plans, head coach Billy Donovan reiterated on Monday that the front office is considering everything and that nothing appears imminent, per Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. Donovan also shared one tenet of his current roster-building philosophy. “If we want to continue playing (a fast-paced style), you can’t have eight guys,” Donovan said. “There’s no way you can sustain playing that way, that fast. So instead of (focusing on adding) one guy or two guys, how do we build out where there’s 10 or 12 guys? (Then) if you lose a guy, you’re not taking this huge hit. That’s what I’ve shared with them in terms of what I’ve thought.”
  • Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo suffered a laceration on his right pinky finger during Monday’s game, writes Jim Owczarski of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Head coach Doc Rivers told reporters after the game that the issue “definitely” seemed to be affecting Antetokounmpo’s ball-handling, but the two-time MVP stayed in the game and downplayed the issue after getting stitched up. “I’m fine,” he said. “My finger’s kind of numb but I’m fine. I played the second half but I’m fine. Just stitches. I’m not going to overthink about it.”
  • The two-way contracts that Ron Harper Jr. and Tolu Smith signed with the Pistons are both for two years, tweets Keith Smith of Spotrac. If they’re not waived or promoted before the end of their respective deals, Harper and Smith would be eligible for restricted free agency in 2026.

Pistons Sign Ron Harper Jr., Tolu Smith To Two-Way Deals

JANUARY 6, 4:03pm: The Pistons have officially signed Smith and Harper and placed Williams and Swider on waivers, the team confirmed in a press release (Twitter link).


JANUARY 5, 8:30pm: The Pistons are also signing Tolu Smith to a two-way deal, according to Jake Fischer (Twitter link).

Smith, a 6’11” rookie  forward, was waived by Detroit in training camp and has been playing for the G League’s Motor City Cruise. He’s averaging 20.2 points and 14.8 rebounds in four regular season NBAGL games and also made five appearances with the Cruise in the G League Showcase Cup.

Smith spent his freshman season at Western Kentucky before transferring and playing the final four years of his collegiate career at Mississippi State. He went undrafted in 2024 and made three preseason appearances with Detroit.

To make room for Harper and Smith, the Pistons are waiving Alondes Williams and Cole Swider, according to Fischer.

Detroit signed Williams to a two-way deal just before the start of the season after he was cut loose by the Clippers. Similarly, the Pistons signed Swider after he was waived during the latter stages of training camp by the Pacers.


JANUARY 5, 7:17pm: The Pistons have agreed to a two-way deal with Ron Harper Jr., ESPN’s Tim Bontemps tweets.

Harper was waived in training camp by the Celtics and has been playing for the Maine Celtics in the G League. He has averaged 22.8 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists in four regular season G League games and also played 11 games in the NBAGL’s Tip-Off Tournament.

Harper went undrafted out of Rutgers in 2022 and signed to a two-way deal shortly after the draft by the Raptors. He only appeared in six games in the G League last season. He suffered a season-ending shoulder injury after playing in just one NBA game in ’23/24 and was waived by the Raptors in December of last year.

Detroit has all of its two-way spots filled, so it will have to make a corresponding move to bring in Harper.

With Jaden Ivey sidelined indefinitely with a fractured fibula, Harper will give Detroit more depth at the guard spots.

Jimmy Butler Rumors: Grizzlies, Bucks, Suns, Beal, Pistons

The Grizzlies and Bucks are among the teams having ongoing discussions about the possibility of a Jimmy Butler trade, according to John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 (Twitter link).

Gambadoro notes that the Heat are exploring their options and weighing whether it makes more sense to trade Butler now or in the offseason via sign-and-trade (or possibly opt-in and trade).

Memphis has been a popular subject of speculation as a Butler destination in recent days, since the Grizzlies have a deep roster, all of their own draft picks, and multiple sizable contracts that are relatively team-friendly. They’re also known to be in the market for a defensive-minded wing, having been linked to Dorian Finney-Smith (before he was traded to the Lakers) and Cameron Johnson.

In a subscriber-only article, Chris Herrington of The Daily Memphian explores what a Grizzlies trade for Butler might look like, though he cautions that he’s skeptical about the idea and refers to it as unlikely.

It would be more difficult for Milwaukee to make a move for Butler, since the Bucks are operating about $6.5MM over the second apron and don’t have a single player whose salary matches or exceeds Butler’s $48.8MM cap hit. The Bucks would only be permitted to aggregate salaries in a trade if they move below the second apron upon the conclusion of the transaction and leave themselves with enough room below the second apron to eventually get back to the required minimum of 14 players.

Based on my back-of-the-napkin math, that would likely mean starting with a package of Khris Middleton and MarJon Beauchamp and adding either Brook Lopez or – more likely – both Bobby Portis and Pat Connaughton. A third-team facilitator would also be necessary, since the Heat can’t take back more salary than they send out. And all three teams would have to agree on draft-pick compensation.

Even if the Bucks could figure it out, it would mean giving up multiple key rotation players in exchange for one, further depleting their depth.

Here’s more on Butler:

  • Bradley Beal‘s no-trade clause “looms large” in the Suns‘ pursuit of Butler, according to Gambadoro (Twitter link), who says he’s heard the veteran guard would approve a deal to the Heat, Nuggets, or Los Angeles (presumably either the Lakers or Clippers). Beal may also ultimately decide there are a few other destinations that would work for him, Gambadoro adds. Given his massive contract and declining production, any club Beal approves would seek significant sweeteners and would probably want him to remove his no-trade clause going forward. Miami has zero interest in him, per multiple reports.
  • There has been some chatter about the idea of the Pistons taking on Beal in a trade that sends Butler to the Suns (and Tobias Harris and Tim Hardaway Jr. to Miami), given Jaden Ivey‘s leg injury, Detroit’s cap room, and various connections – familial and otherwise – between the Pistons’ and Suns’ front offices. Gambadoro tweets that it doesn’t make much sense to him that the Pistons would want Beal unless they were heavily incentivized to take him, but says he needs to do more digging on that subject.
  • Even if Beal were to waive his no-trade clause for Detroit (hardly a lock), I share Gambadoro’s skepticism about the appeal for the Pistons. While it’s true Detroit could use a short-term Ivey replacement, Beal’s maximum-salary contract is worth nearly $111MM across two more seasons beyond this one, and Phoenix probably doesn’t have enough tradable draft assets to sufficiently sweeten the pot for both the Heat and Pistons.
  • In a SiriusXM NBA Radio appearance (Streamable audio link), Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel confirms that there are three- and four-team scenarios involving Butler and Beal being explored. Winderman also wonders if the Suns’ decision to remove Beal from their starting lineup is at least in part about nudging him to be more open about waiving his no-trade clause.

Pistons Notes: Cunningham, Ivey, Holland, Beal

Cade Cunningham has accomplished a lot in his brief NBA career, but he’s never had the experience of playing for a winning team, writes Marc J. Spears of Andscape. The Pistons are moving in that direction and can reach the .500 mark with a victory over Portland on Monday. After overcoming a 1-5 start, Detroit is only one game out of the fifth spot in the East and may finally be a legitimate playoff contender.

​“We are really trying to get through that breakthrough where now we are trying to be a real competitive team that is winning games more consistently,” Cunningham said. “[Recently], we had our first three-game win streak in years. We’ve been doing better this [season], but we still haven’t been able to put together wins. We’re still working to get that breakthrough.”

Cunningham admits he often blamed himself during a miserable 2023/24 season, which included a franchise record 28-game losing streak. He understood it would take a while to rebuild after being selected with the No. 1 pick in the 2021 draft, but he expected to be farther along by his third year in the NBA. Even with that frustration, Cunningham never hesitated to make a long-term commitment to the franchise, agreeing to a five-year, maximum-salary extension over the summer.

​“I was committed the day I got here,” he said. “The losing streak made me commit even more. I was embraced so well by the city. The way they embraced me and my family was huge for me. Being part of Detroit sports and the culture and understanding everything that comes with Detroit, I do really feel like it is really Detroit versus everybody, and I’ve embraced that. I just want to be a part of Detroit winning. I want to have my own chapter in history.”

There’s more on the Pistons:

  • The team hasn’t given up hope that Jaden Ivey can return from his broken left fibula before the end of the season, per Keith Langlois of Pistons.com. Ivey just underwent surgery on Thursday so no timetable has been set for his recovery process, but Langlois notes that the fibula tends to heal more quickly than other leg bones. “His spirit has been good. He’s been positive about the outcome and how he’s going to use this to become even better, even stronger,” coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “It’s tough. It’s not going to be an easy road. Just as a human, as a teammate, the things you feel you miss out on. But his guys love him a lot and will help him along the way. Knowing J.I., no one’s going to work harder to get back and be better.”
  • Rookie forward Ron Holland is working closely with shooting coach Fred Vinson to improve his jumper, tweets Hunter Patterson of The Athletic. Holland is shooting 48.1% from the field, but he’s gone just 14-of-63 (22.2%) from three-point range. “It’s amazing. I’ve never really had a shooting coach before,” Holland said. “… He sees the potential of where I can be as a shooter. Just going day by day with it. I’m really trusting him.”
  • The Pistons might be willing to facilitate a Jimmy Butler trade to Phoenix by taking back Bradley Beal from the Suns, suggests Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). His hypothetical deal would have Tobias Harris and Tim Hardaway Jr. headed to the Heat, with Phoenix possibly sending some of its remaining draft assets to both Detroit and Miami. O’Connor’s trade idea was inspired by a Substack article from Tom Haberstroh, who suggested the Pistons as a third-team facilitator due to their cap room, as well as the various connections between the franchises in Detroit and Phoenix. Suns CEO Josh Bartelstein used to work for the Pistons, while the Suns recently hired Matt Tellem, the son of Pistons vice chairman Arn Tellem.

Pistons Notes: Cunningham, Bickerstaff, Thompson, Billups

Pistons star guard Cade Cunningham scored a season-high 40 points against the Timberwolves in the second game of a back-to-back on Saturday. His aggressive approach is a good sign for a franchise on the upswing, Hunter Patterson of The Athletic writes. Detroit has won six of its last seven games.

“I’m trying to make the best basketball play available for the team at all times,” said Cunningham, who also had nine assists. “Sometimes confidence can get in the way of that, feeling like I’m in a groove or my shot is the best. But I’m just trying to make sure everybody is in a rhythm and everybody knows what’s going on. Getting everybody involved early. My teammates trust me so much with making plays that it’s a two-way street.”

We have more on the Pistons:

  • J.B. Bickerstaff has shown a willingness to challenge officiating calls and the players appreciate having their first-year coach back them up, Omari Sankofa of the Detroit Free Press writes. “You can see his passion on the floor,” big man Isaiah Stewart said. “When you have a coach that’s showing that kind of passion, standing the whole game, encouraging you mid-game, talking to you during the game, that just gives you a different kind of energy. It’s like, ‘OK, I got you coach. I’m going to play hard for you.’” Bickerstaff has used his coaches challenge regularly in recent weeks, including a successful one in the final minute of a close win over the Lakers.
  • In the first two games since Jaden Ivey suffered a fractured fibula, Bickerstaff has changed his starting lineup both times. He went with Wendell Moore against Charlotte, then switched to Ausar Thompson against Minnesota. Thompson may have earned a long look as a starter after posting 10 points, 10 rebounds, and a career-best six steals. “He had five steals in the first half. He got deflections, did a good job defensively, helps us play faster,” Bickerstaff said. “That was one of the things versus this team we wanted to do. We knew we needed to play faster and let out athletes kind of run and A.T. did that for us.”
  • Detroit can reach the .500 mark with a win over Portland on Monday. The Pistons also have something special planned for Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups, who was the 2004 Finals Most Valuable Player when the Pistons won their last championship. He was inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame during the offseason and the Pistons will celebrate his Detroit career with a video montage and other events. “I know the atmosphere will be a lot of fun,” Billups said. “They’ve got some things planned for me since I’m going back there for the first time since the Hall of Fame (induction).”
  • The Pistons are making several moves regarding their two-way contracts. Get the details here.

Cade Cunningham Dealing With Knee Soreness

  • Pistons guard Cade Cunningham has been experiencing knee soreness this week, per Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press (Twitter link). “He’s run a ton for us and is carrying a heavy burden for us,” said coach J.B. Bickerstaff, who added that he’s working with the medical staff to alleviate the condition.