Detroit Pistons Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Trade Rumors: KCP, J. Parker, O’Quinn, R. Lopez

February 5th, 2019 at 9:51am CST by Luke Adams

In addition to doing their best to pry Anthony Davis away from the Pelicans, the Lakers have reportedly explored a deal with the Bulls involving Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Jabari Parker. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reported as much on the Hoop Collective podcast this week, as Matthew Moreno of LakersNation.com relays.

There are a number of potential roadblocks to such a deal. For one, the Lakers would have to include at least one more piece in order to match salaries, since Parker is earning $20MM and Caldwell-Pope has a $12MM cap hit. Most of the Lakers’ other expiring contracts are tied up in their offer for Davis, though they’d be available to move if the Pelicans decide to hang onto AD through the deadline.

Additionally, Caldwell-Pope has the ability to veto a trade, which is why he hasn’t been included in any of the Lakers’ offers to the Pelicans for Davis. Windhorst suggests that the Bulls “really like” Caldwell-Pope, so if KCP reciprocates that interest, perhaps he’d sign off on a deal. But it’s unclear whether he’d agree on a move that would send him from a playoff contender to a lottery team. For what it’s worth, Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times hears that Caldwell-Pope doesn’t appear to be interested in the Bulls.

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

Pacers big man Kyle O’Quinn is worth keeping an eye on as the deadline approaches, tweets Keith Smith of Yahoo Sports. Indiana has been “quietly active” seeking wing help, and O’Quinn’s expiring contract could be used in a deal, Smith notes.
Trade talk about veteran center Robin Lopez has quieted recently, a league source tell Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. That doesn’t necessarily mean that Lopez won’t be moved by Thursday afternoon, but it sounds like the Bulls aren’t close to anything.
Mike Schmitz of ESPN.com (Insider-only link) identifies Frank Ntilikina (Knicks), Luke Kennard (Pistons), Justin Jackson (Kings), and Cheick Diallo (Pelicans) as potential targets for teams looking to buy low on young prospects.
Bryan Fonseca of NetsDaily explores some trade possibilities for the Nets, while Rod Beard of The Detroit News argues that if the Pistons make a deal, they should take a big swing.

Latest On Mike Conley

February 4th, 2019 at 11:16am CST by Luke Adams

With three days to go until the trade deadline, the Jazz and Pistons remain the teams most frequently named as potential suitors for Mike Conley. Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune reports that the Grizzlies are talking to both Utah and Detroit, adding that both clubs have made competitive offers for the veteran point guard (all Twitter links).

As previous reports have suggested, the Jazz’s offer for Conley centers around Ricky Rubio and a first-round draft pick, though at least one more player would need to be added for salary-matching purposes and Memphis may be seeking an additional pick.

According to Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press, who confirms that the Pistons have engaged in talks with the Grizzlies, it’s fair to surmise that Detroit has offered Reggie Jackson and a first-rounder for Conley. However, a source tells Ellis that the Grizzlies would “want more.” Ellis wonders if adding Luke Kennard would be enough — and whether it’d be worth it for the Pistons.

Like the Jazz, the Pistons would also have to add at least one more player to their offer in order to match Conley’s salary. Many of Detroit’s most expensive contracts – including Jackson’s – are multiyear deals, while Utah has sizable expiring contracts like Rubio’s and Derrick Favors‘ available. The Grizzlies’ willingness to take on multiyear money is unclear, but those expiring deals would allow for more flexibility.

For their part, Conley and longtime teammate Marc Gasol are eager for answers about which team(s) they’ll be playing for on Friday, as Brian Mahoney of The Associated Press writes.

“You look forward to that deadline passing,” Conley said. “Either way it goes, you just want to get clarity and understand your situation going forward, and you try to block it out but it’s hard. Everybody who texts you or talks to you in person mentions something about it, so it’s hard to run from it. But you just hope for the week to get through real quick and get back to business, whether it’s here or anywhere else.”

Lakers Called Pistons About Reggie Bullock

February 2nd, 2019 at 5:46pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Lakers are among several teams that have contacted the Pistons about swingman Reggie Bullock, tweets Tania Ganguli of The Los Angeles Times. Detroit is listening to offers for Bullock, but hasn’t been tempted by anything it has heard so far, according to Ganguli.

The 27-year-old has a $2.5MM expiring contract, so he wouldn’t impact the Lakers’ cap situation for free agency this summer. Ganguli doesn’t specify what L.A. was offering in return.

Bullock is averaging a career-best 11.8 points per night through 41 games and would give the Lakers some much-needed outside shooting help. He is hitting at a 37.1% clip from 3-point range this season, which is slightly below his career average of 39.2%.

Latest On Mike Conley, Marc Gasol Suitors

February 2nd, 2019 at 1:31pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Jazz and Grizzlies have explored a trade involving Mike Conley and Ricky Rubio, and Zach Lowe of ESPN.com hears that Utah’s interest in the former No. 4 overall pick is “very real.” The organization could feasibly build a package around Rubio and Derrick Favors, who are both on expiring deals, while peppering in a draft pick or two.

Utah is reportedly unimpressed with the 2019 draft class and their first-round pick is on the table in trade talks. It’s unclear if the Jazz would toss in a second first-round pick for Conley, though it would be a surprising development. Lowe speculates that Dante Exum could be in the mix as part of a package, adding that the Jazz could move on to more affordable targets, such as Nikola Mirotic, if the price for Conley remains too high.

The Conley sweepstakes are expected to heat up as we get closer to the deadline and surprise suitors could emerge. Lowe passes along more from Memphis regarding their two biggest stars:

Marc Gasol is hoping for a trade and teams are waiting to see if the Grizzlies lower the asking price for their long-time center, Lowe reports. As for a potential Pistons-Grizzlies deal, Memphis has not shown any interest in acquiring Andre Drummond yet and Lowe hears that Detroit may be saving its trade chips for someone else.
The Pistons and Grizzlies have talked about a Conley deal, though discussions did not get very far. Detroit would likely have to ship out Reggie Jackson is a trade for Conley.
While Conley would be a nice on-court fit for the Pacers, Indiana has stepped away from Conley talks, sources tell Lowe. Lowe speculates that the Grizzlies would likely ask for Domantas Sabonis is a Conley deal, something that wouldn’t appeal to the Pacers.
The Jazz would have interest in signing Tobias Harris this summer should they not trade for Conley or make a major move at the deadline that utilizes their future cap space. The Clippers have received calls for Harris, per Lowe, though rival teams get the sense that they have no interest in trading him. Lowe adds that Los Angeles would be happy to re-sign Harris in the offseason.
The Kings are not as interested in Gasol as reports and speculation might suggest. Sacramento doesn’t appear to be willing to hand over a future first-rounder in exchange for the big man, as the club owes its 2019 pick to Boston (Philadelphia gets the selection if it’s the No. 1 pick).

Free Agent Stock Watch 2019: Central Division

February 1st, 2019 at 9:56pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Every week, Hoops Rumors takes a closer look at players who will be free agents or could become free agents next offseason. We examine if their stock is rising or falling due to performance and other factors. This week, we turn our attention to the Central Division:

Bobby Portis, Bulls, 23, PF (Up) – Signed to a four-year, $6.85MM deal in 2015
Portis turned down a contract extension to give himself a chance to shop his services this summer. Portis has battled a variety of injuries but has finally settled in since the New Year. He erupted for 26 points in 24 minutes in a victory over Miami on Wednesday. Portis is foul prone but can gather rebounds in bunches and is shooting 42.5% from long range since returning to the rotation. He’ll be a restricted free agent if Chicago extends a qualifying offer but Portis’ youth and production could land him an offer sheet once the bigger names are off the board.

Alec Burks, Cavaliers, 27, SG (Up) – Signed to a four-year, $42MM deal in 2015
Burks was acquired from Utah in December because of his $11.5MM expiring contract, but he’s playing regularly and showing off his versatility. Cleveland is using him in more of a playmaking role than he had with the Jazz and he recorded nine assists in a win over Washington on Tuesday. He’s also been shooting it well (45.8% from long range) and contributing on the boards (5.5 RPG) since the New Year began. Burks could be traded again before the February 7th deadline.

Stanley Johnson, Pistons, 22, SF (Down) – Signed to a four-year, $12.8MM deal in 2015
Johnson got a fresh start after two disappointing seasons due to a coaching change. However, Johnson hasn’t been any better under Dwane Casey than he was with Stan Van Gundy. He’s shooting 26.8% from the 3-point line and doesn’t finish his drives with any consistency. Johnson can be a hard-nose defender but much more was expected from a lottery pick who departed Arizona after one season. Johnson could be a restricted free agent if the Pistons extend a $5.3MM qualifying offer, but there’s an increasing possibility the franchise will let him walk.

Brook Lopez, Bucks, 30, C (Up) — Signed to a one-year, $3.38MM deal in 2018
Lopez’s game has changed dramatically since he entered the league. He does two things very well — stretch defenses with his 3-point prowess and block shots. He delivered both at high levels in January. Lopez shot 48.1% from long range and averaged 2.6 BPG, including a trio of contests in which he swatted five or more shots. Lopez fits well into Milwaukee’s scheme, providing solid production at a bargain basement rate. He should be able to land a bigger contract this summer.

Bojan Bogdanovic, Pacers, 29 (Up)– Signed to a two-year, $21MM deal in 2017
Bogdanovic has steadily increased his production during his five NBA seasons and he’s picking a good time to have a career year. Bogdanovic is averaging career highs in points, rebounds, assists, field goal percentage, 3-point percentage and steals. The Pacers will rely on his marksmanship even more with Victor Oladipo out for the season. A wing player that can knock down 40% of his threes is bound to grab plenty of attention this summer.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 2/1/19

February 1st, 2019 at 8:41pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Here are Friday’s assignments and recalls from around the NBA G League:

The Pistons assigned power forward Henry Ellenson to the Grand Rapids Drive, according to a team press release. In six games with the Drive, Ellenson is averaging 19.7 PPG, 11.8 RPG, 3.0 APG and 1.2 BPG. The 2016 first-round pick has only appeared in two games with Detroit this season.
The Spurs assigned rookie forward Chimezie Metu and rookie guard Lonnie Walker IV to the Austin Spurs, according to a team press release. They’ll play against the Long Island Nets on Friday. In 17 games with Austin, Metu is averaging 14.2 PPG and 7.6 RPG. He’s appeared in 21 San Antonio games. Walker IV has seen action in 19 games with Austin, averaging 15.9 PPG, 3.1 RPG and 1.6 APG. He’s seen action in four Spurs games.
The Cavaliers assigned guard Kobi Simmons to the Canton Charge, the team announced in a press release. Simmons has seen action in 31 games with the Charge this season, posting averages of 16.7 PPG and 4.0 RPG. He signed a 10-day contract with Cleveland on January 27.

NBA Announces All-Star Reserves

January 31st, 2019 at 6:12pm CST by JD Shaw

The NBA announced today the reserves for the 2019 All-Star Game, releasing the pool of players eligible to be drafted by captains LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo for the contest.

For the Eastern Conference, Washington’s Bradley Beal, Detroit’s Blake Griffin, Toronto’s Kyle Lowry, Philadelphia’s Ben Simmons, Milwaukee’s Khris Middleton and Orlando’s Nikola Vucevic were all selected.

Indiana guard Victor Oladipo was also chosen, but he’ll miss the game due to injury. The NBA could name a replacement for Oladipo, with Eric Bledsoe or D’Angelo Russell among the most likely candidates.

New Orleans’ Anthony Davis, Oklahoma City’s Russell Westbrook, Denver’s Nikola Jokic, Golden State’s Klay Thompson, Portland’s Damian Lillard, San Antonio’s LaMarcus Aldridge and Minnesota’s Karl-Anthony Towns were chosen to represent the Western Conference.

James and Antetokounmpo will draft their respective teams next Thursday, Feb. 7 at 7:00pm ET. The draft will air on TNT and commence just hours after the NBA’s trade deadline. Each captain must first finish selecting from the pool of starters — announced last week — before choosing from this list of reserves.

The All-Star Game is set to take place on Sunday, Feb. 17 at Spectrum Center in Charlotte. The starters for the game were chosen by votes from fans, players and media, while the reserves were selected by the 30 NBA head coaches.

Pistons Notes: Trade Deadline, Brown, Bullock

January 30th, 2019 at 4:07pm CST by Austin Kent

If the asset-strapped Pistons are going to make a splash at the NBA trade deadline they’ll have to get creative. As The Athletic’s James L. Edwards III writes, Detroit would presumably need to unload some sizable contracts if they brought back a significant package and the players currently making big money on their roster – outside of Blake Griffin – aren’t particularly desirable.

Edwards writes that Pistons senior adviser Ed Stefanski isn’t eager to give up a future first-round pick simply to alleviate the cap burden of its weighty contracts (Reggie Jackson‘s $17MM, Jon Leuer‘s $10MM, for example) but those picks could be in play if a solid star comes along. Edwards includes Bradley Beal as a hypothetical possibility that might warrant such a return.

The Pistons have some players that could be considered modest assets ahead of the deadline, including sophomore Luke Kennard and fourth-year forward Stanley Johnson. Ish Smith and Reggie Bullock, similarly, could draw interest from contending teams looking to shore up their rotations with veteran depth.

There’s more from Detroit:

While there are plenty of scenarios that could hypothetically jump-start a Pistons rebuild, Keith Langlois of the team’s official website writes in a weekly mailbag that he’d wager the team stands pat at the deadline. The club may look to shore up its second-unit but lack draft assets to offer in trades.
Scrappy first-year guard Bruce Brown has struggled to showcase his elite defensive skills lately, something head coach Dwane Casey‘s believes could be attributable to a famous foe in the basketball world. “I don’t know if it’s a rookie wall or whatever, but just the concentration, the attention to detail,” Casey told Keith Langlois of Pistons.com. “Those are mental things that young fellows usually make when they’re mentally fatigued a little bit.“
In the same blog post, Langlois writes that Reggie Bullock practiced on Wednesday. The 27-year-old sharpshooter and potential trade chip missed Tuesday’s game with a sprained ankle that has plagued him and and off throughout the season. His status is uncertain for Thursday.

Pistons Notes: Griffin, Trade Exception, Stefanski, Casey

January 29th, 2019 at 11:25am CST by Arthur Hill

The Anthony Davis situation in New Orleans is a reminder to the Pistons that they need to maximize Blake Griffin‘s time in Detroit, writes Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press. Today marks the one-year anniversary of the trade that brought Griffin from the Clippers and set a new direction for the franchise. However, the results haven’t changed much as the Pistons are 21-27 and fighting for the final playoff spot in the East.

Griffin referred to Detroit as “home” when he spoke to reporters after Monday’s practice, but there’s no guarantee his sentiments won’t change. He also talked about the increased power of players to determine their own destiny.

“You can talk about back in the day all you want, but back in the day is not today,” Griffin said. “The NBA isn’t structured the same way, contracts aren’t structured the same way, teams aren’t structured the same way, so you can’t expect players to keep doing the same thing. It’s such an outdated view on life. I get the whole loyalty thing, but at the same time, you have to do what’s best for your family, best for you, and a lot of the times, sometimes, those things don’t align.”

There’s more today out of Detroit:

A $7MM trade exception created by sending Boban Marjanovic to the Clippers as part of the Griffin deal figures to expire today without being used, tweets Rod Beard of The Free Press. The Pistons are right on the edge of tax territory and adding another player would likely push them over.
Don’t expect a major deal from the Pistons before next week’s trade deadline, Beard relays in a full story. Although fans are clamoring for a move to increase the team’s playoff chances, senior adviser Ed Stefanski recently explained that the team is more likely to take a long-term approach to improving. “I will tell the fans I’m not going to make a deal that could hurt us going forward that could be instant relief but could be only for this season and then we could have issues going forward,” Stefanski said on the Wired Pistons podcast. “That makes no sense to me. The word people don’t want to hear is patience. Where we have (cap) restrictions, there’s nothing else but to be patient.”
Whatever the Pistons do for the rest of the season, it won’t involve tanking, Beard adds in a separate piece. The organization is committed to trying to reach the playoffs, and even if that doesn’t happen, new coach Dwane Casey will use that time to decide which players will make up the long-term core of the team.

Kings, Pistons Show Interest In Marc Gasol

January 28th, 2019 at 9:38pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Kings and Pistons have expressed interest in Grizzlies center Marc Gasol, according to The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor, citing multiple sources.

The Grizzlies are trying to dump Chandler Parsons‘ contract in the deal. That complicates any potential transaction involving Gasol, since he has a player option for next season worth $25.6MM, O’Connor notes.

Gasol and Parsons are making a combined $48.2MM this season, so packaging them together and making the salaries match up with a trade partner would obviously be a challenging task. Parsons has another guaranteed $25MM remaining in the final year of his contract next season.

Memphis’ willingness to deal its two big-name veterans, Gasol and point guard Mike Conley, became public last week. The Grizzlies have fallen out of the playoff picture, putting them in a seller’s mode.

The motivation for the two suitors mentioned is unclear.

The Kings have been linked to Dallas forward Harrison Barnes as well as Atlanta guard Jeremy Lin in recent weeks. They also showed interest in Knicks center Enes Kanter before talks broke down. So the Kings are seemingly itching to make a move before the February 7th deadline.

How Gasol would fit into their immediate plans is a question mark, since Sacramento has a number of young bigs. It began Monday three games out of the final Western Conference playoff spot. Sacramento’s highest-paid players, Zach Randolph ($11.1MM) and Iman Shumpert ($11.0MM) have expiring contracts, as does Kosta Koufos ($8.74MM).

The Pistons’ interest in Gasol would be centered around dumping salary, so they’d probably have to sweeten the pot with a future first-rounder and a young player. Reggie Jackson, Jon Leuer and Langston Galloway fit the category of bad contracts that run through next season. Detroit is two games out of the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference despite a prolonged slide.

Alternatively, Detroit could go into full rebuild mode and put Andre Drummond in a deal involving Gasol in order to free up much-needed cap space. If the Pistons were to acquire Gasol without including Drummond in the trade, Gasol would have to come off the bench behind Drummond and Blake Griffin.