Detroit Pistons Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Pistons Hire J.B. Bickerstaff As Head Coach

July 3rd, 2024 at 10:38am CST by Arthur Hill

JULY 3: The Pistons have officially confirmed that Bickerstaff will be the team’s new head coach, announcing the hiring in a press release (Twitter link).

“I am pleased to have J.B. joining our franchise and commend our front office team on leading an extensive search,” team owner Tom Gores said in a statement. “This is a pivotal time, and we need a leader who can immediately instill a culture of growth, development, and inspiration. After spending time with J.B., it’s clear he is a passionate teacher with a competitive spirit who knows what it takes to win in today’s NBA. He’s also a strong communicator, which provides great synergy with Trajan and the front office team we have assembled. He will be an outstanding partner in helping our players maximize their potential and compete consistently.”

JUNE 30: J.B. Bickerstaff will be the Pistons‘ next head coach, agreeing to a five-year contract with the team, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link). The first four seasons of the deal will be guaranteed, tweets James L. Edwards of The Athletic.

The 45-year-old coach lands his next job just weeks after being fired in Cleveland. He inherits a talented young roster, much like the one he had when he took over the Cavaliers in 2020.

Bickerstaff was one of three candidates who reportedly interviewed for the position in Detroit, as our head coaching search tracker shows. The competition thinned out on Friday when Pelicans associate head coach James Borrego opted to pull his name out of the search and remain in New Orleans.

Mavericks assistant Sean Sweeney was the other finalist for the job, according to Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link).

The Pistons are looking for a new direction after a disastrous season under Monty Williams, who guided them to a franchise-worst 14-68 record before being dismissed earlier this month. New head of basketball operations Trajan Langdon made the decision to fire Williams, who still had five seasons remaining on his six-year, $78.5MM contract, along with general manager Troy Weaver.

The mission to turn the franchise around now belongs to Bickerstaff, who led the Cavs to playoff appearances in the past two seasons. He compiled a 170-159 record in four-plus years in Cleveland, but players reportedly expressed doubts behind the scenes about his “strategies, game management, practice habits and accountability measures.”

Bickerstaff, the son of longtime NBA coach Bernie Bickerstaff, broke into the league in 2004 as an assistant with Charlotte. He moved onto assistant jobs in Minnesota and Houston, then was promoted to head coach of the Rockets early in the 2015/16 season. He wasn’t brought back despite posting a 37-34 record and reaching the playoffs. He moved onto Memphis as an assistant and later became head coach, compiling a 48-97 record.

Bickerstaff will be expected to build a winning team around Cade Cunningham, something the franchise has been unable to do since he was the overall No. 1 pick in the 2021 draft. The new coach will have a roster filled with recent lottery picks, including Jaden Ivey, Jalen Duren, Ausar Thompson and this year’s first-round selection Ron Holland. The Pistons also have more than $58MM in cap room, allowing them to be aggressive when free agency gets underway this evening.

Tobias Harris Signs Two-Year Deal With Pistons

July 1st, 2024 at 9:21am CST by Arthur Hill

JULY 8: Harris has officially signed his contract with the Pistons, per the NBA’s transaction log.

JULY 1: The Pistons have reached a two-year, $52MM agreement with free agent forward Tobias Harris, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). There are no options on either side, according to James L. Edwards III of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Harris, 31, ranked 16th on our list of the top 50 free agents this summer. He can play either forward spot and will bring much-needed shooting to Detroit, along with a veteran presence for a young locker room.

Harris was a reliable scorer and valuable all-around player during his five-plus years in Philadelphia. He averaged 17.2 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.1 assists this season with a shooting line of .487/.353/.878.

The move marks a return to Detroit for Harris, who played for the Pistons from February of 2016 to January of 2018. He was well-traveled before landing with the Sixers, being drafted by the Charlotte Bobcats in 2011 and spending time with four other franchises in his first eight years in the league.

This is the first signing for a Detroit team that headed into free agency with more than $58MM in cap room, and it’s the first major roster addition under new head of basketball operations Trajan Langdon.

The Pistons project to have roughly $26.5MM remaining, estimates Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype (via Twitter), factoring in a cap hold for Simone Fontecchio. They hold Early Bird rights on the 28-year-old small forward and can offer him a new deal worth up to $58MM over four years.

Langdon appeared on the verge of making another significant move on Sunday night, as the Pistons reportedly neared a max extension with Cade Cunningham, the top pick in the 2021 draft.

FA/Trade Rumors: Hartenstein, Ingram, Harris, A. Holiday

June 30th, 2024 at 6:45pm CST by Rory Maher

With free agency officially underway, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium that the Thunder are meeting with UFA center Isaiah Hartenstein in his hometown of Eugene, Oregon (Twitter link).

According to Charania, the Magic — who just agreed to a three-year, $66MM deal with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope — are prioritizing wings with their cap room, while the Knicks are trying to figure out how to avoid being hard-capped at the first apron as part of the Mikal Bridges trade, possibly opening the door for Oklahoma City. Charania also lists the Jazz as a team with interest in Hartenstein, but Utah is “focused on current roster decisions.”

Hartenstein, 26, is the top center on the open market after Nic Claxton agreed to a four-year, $100MM deal to return to Brooklyn.

Here are a few more trade and free agency rumors from around the NBA:

Sean Cunningham of Fox40 KTXL confirms the Kings have interest in trading for Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram (Twitter link). As Cunningham observes, Ingram previously played under Alvin Gentry, who is now in a front office role with Sacramento. A one-time All-Star, Ingram will earn $36MM in 2024/25, which is the final year of his contract. New Orleans is reportedly unwilling to give the 26-year-old a maximum-salary extension, making Ingram a prime trade candidate.
The Pistons, Jazz, Spurs and Mavericks are among the teams interested in free agent forward Tobias Harris, who is meeting with potential suitors in California, a source tells Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. All four clubs have previously been linked to Harris, who has spent the past five-plus seasons with the 76ers. With no cap room available, Dallas would only be able to acquire Harris in a sign-and-trade, Pompey notes.
While the Rockets have interest in a reunion with veteran guard Aaron Holiday, they also recognize that he might find an opportunity for more minutes elsewhere, according to Kelly Iko of The Athletic. The 27-year-old has multiple suitors in free agency, Iko adds. It’s worth noting that Houston drafted Kentucky guard Reed Sheppard with the No. 3 overall pick last week.

FA/Trade Rumors: Wings, Pistons, Pelicans, Valanciunas

June 30th, 2024 at 4:55pm CST by Rory Maher

The free agent wing market could be held up temporarily until Paul George, Klay Thompson and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope have agreed to new contracts, says Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports.

That outcome was always expected, with those three swingmen likely limiting other players’ options. Cap-room playoff teams like the Sixers and Magic reportedly have interest in both George and Caldwell-Pope, while the Mavericks, Lakers and Clippers are among Thompson’s suitors.

The Pistons are another team with significant cap room, but Fischer hears Detroit is more interested in taking on unwanted salaries in exchange for draft assets rather than pursuing marquee names like George.

Here are a couple more items of interest from Fischer:

The Pelicans are trading for former All-Star Dejounte Murray, who has a 15% trade kicker. However, sources tell Fischer there’s a chance that Murray may not receive that full 15% for salary-matching and cap reasons, describing the situation as “open-ended.” New Orleans is also on the hunt for a starting center with Jonas Valanciunas an unrestricted free agent — the team was recently linked to Magic big man Wendell Carter.
Speaking of Valanciunas, Fischer hears from sources who say the Lithuanian veteran is expected to draw interest from the Lakers and Wizards.

FA/Trade Rumors: Okoro, Pistons, Lakers, Lopez, Grant, Knicks

June 30th, 2024 at 3:41pm CST by Luke Adams

The Pistons are a rival suitor to keep an eye on for Cavaliers free agent forward Isaac Okoro, reports Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (subscriber link).

As Fedor explains, Okoro’s former coach J.B. Bickerstaff is being hired as the Pistons’ new head coach, and the rebuilding squad could afford to be more patient than Cleveland in developing the wing into more of a two-way threat. Additionally, Fedor cites Okoro’s “toughness, competitiveness, tenacity and defense-first credo” as important traits that would help Bickerstaff instill the kind of culture he wants in Detroit.

Okoro received a qualifying offer from the Cavaliers, making him a restricted free agent and giving Cleveland the ability to match any offer sheet he receives. Still, the Pistons will have a significant amount of cap room this summer and could make life hard on the capped-out Cavs with an aggressive offer sheet.

Here are a few more rumors from around the NBA:

The Lakers have been exploring potential trade scenarios involving D’Angelo Russell, Jarred Vanderbilt, Gabe Vincent, and Rui Hachimura, according to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, who hears from sources that Bucks center Brook Lopez is among L.A.’s potential targets. Meanwhile, Anthony F. Irwin of LakersDaily.com has heard the Lakers have had conversations with the Trail Blazers about forward Jerami Grant.
It was no coincidence that the Knicks signed Miles McBride to a contract extension on December 30, allowing him to become trade-eligible on June 30 following a six-month waiting period, writes Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. However, that move was more about giving them team flexibility and was made prior to McBride’ breakout. Although New York needs to add salary to its Mikal Bridges trade with Brooklyn to avoid a hard cap at the first tax apron, the club has “virtually no interest” in moving McBride as part of that deal, says Ian Begley of SNY.tv.
The Knicks have had some discussions about trades involving big man Jericho Sims, according to Begley. Sims’ minimum-salary team option was picked up before Saturday’s deadline, so he’s on an expiring deal entering 2024/25.

FA Rumors: KCP, Harden, Kennard, Hartenstein, Jones, Highsmith, More

June 30th, 2024 at 2:59pm CST by Luke Adams

After Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports reported earlier today that the Nuggets are preparing to lose Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype confirms there’s a growing belief around the league the veteran wing won’t remain in Denver.

The Magic have “significant” interest in Caldwell-Pope and there has been growing buzz about the possibility of Orlando aggressively pursuing him, Scotto says, adding that the Magic’s interest in Klay Thompson has cooled by comparison. Multiple executives who spoke to HoopsHype believe Caldwell-Pope will sign for $20-25MM per year.

The Sixers, who have also frequently been cited as a Caldwell-Pope suitor, have been exploring the feasibility of landing both KCP and Paul George using their cap room, tweets Marc Stein.

Here are several more rumors with the official start of free agency just a couple hours away:

While James Harden has been mentioned as a possible mid-level ($12.9MM) target for the Lakers, the expectation is that the Clippers will be willing to pay him approximately double that amount, Scotto writes, echoing a comment made by Adrian Wojnarowski on ESPN (YouTube link).
Rival executives aren’t expecting Luke Kennard to be truly available as an unrestricted free agent, according to Fischer, who says Kennard and the Grizzlies seem to be interested in continuing their relationship after the team turned down its option the sharpshooter on Saturday.
New Pistons head of basketball operations Trajan Langdon is known to be a fan of center Isaiah Hartenstein, so Detroit is considered a candidate to make a play for the Knicks big man, Fischer reports. A return to the Knicks still hasn’t been entirely ruled out for Hartenstein, though the Thunder continue to be viewed as a probable suitor as well, Fischer notes.
With point guard Tyus Jones seeking starter-level money as a free agent this offseason and the Wizards still in the early stages of their rebuilding project, there’s a growing sense that Washington will be open to moving Jones via sign-and-trade, per Scotto.
Free agent wing Haywood Highsmith is expected to draw interest from a mix of cap-room teams such as the Pistons, Hornets, Jazz, Spurs, and Sixers, as well as over-the-cap clubs like the Pacers, Kings, and Warriors, league sources tell Scotto, who suggests the 27-year-old could end up with a deal in the range of the full mid-level.
The Lakers are expected to have interest in re-signing both Taurean Prince and Spencer Dinwiddie, with Dinwiddie also likely to draw interest from the Mavericks, Scotto writes. NBA executives who spoke to HoopsHype projected Prince to potentially land a contract in the range of $5MM+ annually over two years.

Northwest Notes: Topic, Jones, Mitchell, Nori, Nuggets

June 30th, 2024 at 2:52pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Newly-drafted Thunder rookie Nikola Topic has confirmed that he will have surgery to repair a partially torn ACL, per Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman (Twitter link). This approach had been expected prior to the draft, but that didn’t stop Oklahoma City from selecting the 6’6″ point guard with its No. 12 selection late in the lottery.

Last year with Mega MIS in ABA league play, Topic posted averages of 14.5 points on a .523/.259/.855 shooting line, along with 7.1 assists, 3.6 rebounds and 1.0 steals per game.

Whenever he does return – likely at the start of the 2024/25 season – he’ll join a loaded Thunder roster fresh off securing the Western Conference’s No. 1 seed and a 57-25 record in 2023/24. This year, Oklahoma City is no doubt hoping to build on that success. To wit, the team has already flipped underperforming young guard Josh Giddey for a two-time All-Defensive vet in his absolute prime, 30-year-old former Bulls guard Alex Caruso, as it looks to shore up its perimeter coverage.

There’s more out of the Northwest Division:

During their introductory presser, Thunder rookies Topic, Dillon Jones, and Ajay Mitchell seemed excited about joining such an impressive Oklahoma City squad, writes Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman. Jones, a Weber State alum, is going to be a versatile fit on an exciting young Thunder team, per Lorenzi. Topic was impressed with the team’s professionalism. “As I said before, I’m really grateful for the time here, and it’s really probably the best organization I’ve been to,” Topic said. Mitchell, drafted out of Santa Barbara, is open to whatever roster role the team decides is best.
The Pistons‘ decision to hire J.B. Bickerstaff as their next coach has guaranteed that top Timberwolves assistant Micah Nori will stay with Minnesota next season, reports The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski (Twitter link). Nori has been with Minnesota under head coach Chris Finch since 2021. Nori stepped in to act as Finch’s legs after an injury forced Finch to stay static on the team’s bench during most of its run to the Western Conference Finals this spring. Not only will Nori stick around in Minnesota, he’ll likely earn a raise after going above and beyond the line of duty this postseason, reports Darren Wolfson of KSTP Sports (Twitter link).
As they approach the start of free agency this afternoon, a lot of the Nuggets‘ roster needs hinge on whether or not they’ll be able to re-sign unrestricted shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, writes Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. The team’s other free agent rotation wing, journeyman vet Justin Holiday, is not expected to return to Denver, reports Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports. Wind notes that, after trading Reggie Jackson, the Nuggets will be in the market for a backup point guard as well as a veteran reserve center. Although the team has just re-signed backup big man DeAndre Jordan, it doesn’t appear to view him as an actual rotation piece, but more as a locker room leader.

Pistons Waive Troy Brown Jr., Buddy Boeheim

June 29th, 2024 at 6:01pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

6:01pm: The Pistons have officially waived Brown, according to the NBA’s official transaction log.

Detroit also cut wing Buddy Boeheim, whose two-way contract with the team ran through the 2024/25 season. Boeheim appeared in 10 games for the Pistons last season, averaging 3.4 points per contest on .310/.320/.800 shooting.

1:53pm: The Pistons have decided to not guarantee swingman Troy Brown Jr.‘s $4MM contract for the 2024/25 season and instead will waive him, report James L. Edwards III and Shams Charania of The Athletic (via Twitter).

Brown inked a two-year, $8MM deal with the Timberwolves during the 2023 offseason. He earned $4MM in the first year, with a non-guaranteed $4MM for year two. That salary would have become guaranteed if he had remained under contract through Sunday.

The 6’6″ small forward was flipped from Minnesota to Detroit midway through the 2023/24 season as part of a trade package for Monte Morris. For the year, he posted cumulative averages of 4.2 PPG, 2.4 RPG, and 1.0 APG in 14.0 MPG for the two clubs, while suiting up for 59 total contests (15 starts). Brown also logged a middling shooting line of .372/.333/.865.

A journeyman 3-and-D bench wing, Brown played for the Wizards, Bulls, and Lakers from 2018-23 before splitting last season between the Timberwolves and Pistons. Now, it appears he’ll be on the move again.

Though he doesn’t possess much of a handle, he was — prior to this season, anyway — a capable jump shooter and a solid man-to-man perimeter defender. That skill set still should have value on the open market, though at what cost remains to be seen.

Pistons Turn Down Options On Chimezie Metu, Stanley Umude

June 29th, 2024 at 5:22pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Pistons have declined team options valued at $2.65MM for Chimezie Metu and $2.12MM for Stanley Umude, league sources tell Michael Scotto of Hoops Hype (Twitter link). Both players will be unrestricted when free agency begins Sunday afternoon.

The moves will give Detroit a little more cap room to utilize in free agency. With more than $58MM to spend, the Pistons are expected to be among the most active teams on the market.

Metu, a 27-year-old center/power forward, came to Detroit on a 10-day contract in March and later signed for the rest of the season. He appeared in 14 games, starting seven, and averaged 10.5 points and 6.0 rebounds in 29.4 minutes per night.

Umude, a 25-year-old shooting guard, played on a two-way contract before having it converted to a standard deal in February. He saw action in 24 games, averaging 5.3 points and 2.1 rebounds in 12.8 minutes per night.

QO Updates: Cavaliers, Pistons, Christie, Watford

June 29th, 2024 at 11:36am CST by Rory Maher

The Cavaliers have issued qualifying offers to young wings Isaac Okoro and Emoni Bates, which means they’re both heading for restricted free agency, sources tell Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (Twitter link).

The fifth overall pick of the 2020 draft, Okoro’s QO — essentially just a one-year contract offer that gives the team the right of first refusal — is worth approximately $11.83MM. Bates’ QO, meanwhile, is for another two-way contract; he spent his 2023/24 rookie campaign on a two-way deal with Cleveland.

The Pistons announced in a press release (via Twitter) that they have extended a qualifying offer to forward Simone Fontecchio, making him a restricted free agent as well. Detroit is considered likely to retain the Italian sharpshooter, whose QO is worth about $5.2MM after he met the “starter criteria” in March.

However, the Pistons have decided not to tender QOs to former first-round picks James Wiseman and Malachi Flynn, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter links). Both Wiseman and Flynn will be heading for unrestricted free agency.

The second pick of the 2020 draft, Wiseman did not meet the starter criteria, so his QO would have been worth $7.7MM. Flynn’s QO was valued at $5.8MM.

The moves were expected, as clearing the cap holds for Wiseman and Flynn will allow Detroit to create a significant amount of cap room heading into the new league season. Teams can officially begin negotiating with external free agents on Sunday evening.

Here are a couple more players who are heading for restricted free agency:

Lakers guard Max Christie was given a $2.3MM qualifying offer, Scotto reports (via Twitter). The 21-year-old has averaged 3.8 points and 2.0 rebounds while shooting 37.8% from deep over his first two NBA seasons (108 games, 13.5 minutes per contest). Scotto hears Christie is expected to receive interest from rival suitors as a RFA.
Sources tell Brian Lewis of The New York Post that the Nets plan to give Trendon Watford a QO before Saturday’s deadline (Twitter link). A former undrafted free agent who played college ball at LSU, Watford’s one-year QO is worth just over $2.7MM. He averaged 6.9 points and 3.1 rebounds on .527/.397/.794 shooting in 63 games last season for Brooklyn (13.6 minutes).