Mobile Menu
HEADLINES

Pistons Rumors

Central Notes: Bucks, Reinsdorf, Bulls, Holland

September 19th, 2024 at 9:00pm CST by Luke Adams

After shaking up their roster with the blockbuster Damian Lillard trade last fall and making two head coaching changes in less than a year, the Bucks are confident that a 2024 offseason defined by continuity will put them in a better position to contend for a championship in 2024/25, writes Jamal Collier of ESPN.

Zach Lowe of ESPN is unconvinced, however, stating on Thursday’s episode of NBA Today (YouTube link) that “the questions outweigh the answers” in Milwaukee.

As Lowe outlines, Lillard turned 34 this summer and “rarely looked comfortable” last season, Khris Middleton has dealt with injuries the last couple seasons and underwent multiple ankle surgeries over the offseason, and defensive anchor Brook Lopez will turn 37 in the spring.

“This team is getting older and less athletic around Giannis (Antetokounmpo),” Lowe said. “They don’t have a lot of young guys in the pipeline. This is a right-now team that went 17-19 under Doc Rivers before the Giannis injury took them out of the playoffs. They just never found their footing, and they’ve got to find it fast in an Eastern Conference that has gotten better top to bottom in the playoff race.”

Here’s more from around the Central:

  • Eric Nehm of The Athletic answers a series of Bucks-related questions in a mailbag, discussing the Antetokounmpo/Lillard pick-and-roll, expectations for the 2024/25 season, and the development (or lack thereof) of some of the team’s young players.
  • A feature on Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf from MLB writers Brittany Ghiroli and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic focuses primarily on the disastrous season that Reinsdorf’s other team – the Chicago White Sox – has endured in 2024. However, the story includes a couple notes on the Bulls, including the claim that Reinsdorf has told employees the White Sox winning is more important to him than the Bulls winning. According to Ghiroli and Rosenthal, the 88-year-old Reinsdorf has also said he’d advise his family to sell the White Sox but hang onto the Bulls after his death.
  • Can No. 5 overall pick Ron Holland earn a regular rotation spot for the Pistons as a rookie? Keith Langlois of Pistons.com explores that question, observing that it would help the 19-year-old’s case for minutes if he can develop a more reliable outside shot. As Langlois writes, Holland figures to work closely with new assistant coach Fred Vinson, who is considered one of the league’s best shooting instructors.
Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Pistons Sign Javante McCoy, Waive Two Players

September 18th, 2024 at 7:58pm CST by Arthur Hill

G League guard Javante McCoy has joined the Pistons on an Exhibit 10 contract, league sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). The team has waived Devon Higgs and Sam Peek, whose signings were reported earlier today, Scotto adds.

McCoy, 26, was acquired in August by the Motor City Cruise, Detroit’s G League affiliate, which is where he’ll likely play this season. The Exhibit 10 deal makes him eligible for a $77.5K bonus if he spends at least 60 days with the Cruise. Higgs and Peek are believed to have signed Exhibit 10 contracts as well, so they’ll be able to earn the same bonus.

McCoy has played in the G League since going undrafted out of Boston University in 2022. He originally signed with the Lakers and spent one year with their affiliate in South Bay, then joined the Spurs on an Exhibit 10 deal last September and played for Austin, where he averaged 8.1 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 27 regular season games.

The Pistons now have 18 players under contract, three short of the offseason limit. The team also has pending Exhibit 10 agreements with Dereon Seabron and Aaron Estrada.

Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Pistons Sign Three Players To Camp Contracts

September 18th, 2024 at 12:21pm CST by Luke Adams

The Pistons have signed free agents Devon Higgs, Sam Peek, and Tolu Smith to training camp contracts, tweets Keith Smith of Spotrac.

Higgs, who went undrafted in 2023, spent his first professional season in the G League, appearing in a total of 26 games for the College Park Skyhawks and Motor City Cruise, Detroit’s NBAGL affiliate. The 6’5″ guard averaged 6.1 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.0 assists in 20.2 minutes per game in the G League, with a shooting line of .451/.340/.517, then was on the Pistons’ Las Vegas Summer League roster in 2024.

Peek, a 6’7″ forward, also finished last season with the Cruise and then was part of the Pistons’ Summer League team. He averaged 6.2 PPG, 3.1 RPG, and 1.2 APG in 14 games (19.9 MPG) for Motor City in 2023/24 after starting the season with the Wisconsin Herd.

Smith, meanwhile, went undrafted this June after wrapping up his college career at Mississippi State. The 6’10” forward averaged 14.4 points and 8.0 rebounds in 28.8 minutes per game across 108 games in four years with the Bulldogs. Before that, he spent his freshman season with Western Kentucky.

Like Higgs and Peek, Smith played for the Pistons in Las Vegas in July. He had a significant Summer League role, putting up 11.0 PPG and 9.0 RPG in five starts (22.1 MPG).

In all likelihood, the three newest Pistons received Exhibit 10 contracts and will be waived well before the regular season begins, lining them up to join the Cruise this fall. They’d be eligible to earn bonuses worth up to $77.5K if they spend at least 60 days with Detroit’s G League team.

The Pistons now have 19 players under contract and have also reportedly reached Exhibit 10 agreements with Dereon Seabron and Aaron Estrada.

Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Pistons Notes: Duren, Ivey, Harris

September 17th, 2024 at 8:35pm CST by Dana Gauruder

It’s a pivotal season for Pistons center Jalen Duren, who will be extension-eligible next offseason. Duren’s development is one of the major questions for the franchise as training camp approaches, Keith Langlois of Pistons.com writes.

Duren has not established himself as a defensive anchor despite the fact that he’s as athletic as any NBA center, Langlois notes, considering his 250-pound frame and 7-foot-5 wingspan. His end-to-end speed also stands out.

Duren is already an elite rebounder, as his pair of 20-20 games last season would suggest. If he can become a defensive force, the 20-year-old has All-Star potential, Langlois concludes.

We have more on the Pistons:

  • Like Duren, Jaden Ivey is also looking his make his mark during his third Pistons season, Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press notes in a subscriber-only story. Ivey, who will likely have the ball in his hands during times when Cade Cunningham isn’t on the court, has displayed breathtaking speed and the ability to generate open shots but has been among the league’s most turnover-prone players, Sankofa points out. Whether Ivey starts or runs the second unit, he’ll need to improve as a play-maker and show more discipline on defense.
  • Melanie Harris has been named the Pistons’ president of business operations, according to a team press release. Harris, who previously worked for Nike,  will be responsible for leading the organization’s business lines, expanding revenue opportunities and driving engagement with partners, sponsors, ticketholders and fans.
  • Our readers believe the Pistons will exceed their projected win total this season. Check out the results of that vote here.
Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Pistons Sign Dereon Seabron To Exhibit 10 Contract

September 17th, 2024 at 6:50pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Pistons have agreed to an Exhibit 10 contract with guard Dereon Seabron, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype tweets. The deal is official, per RealGM’s transaction log.

Seabron has played on two-way deals with the Pelicans over the past two seasons. He has appeared in a total of 11 NBA games, averaging 1.6 points in 6.1 minutes per contest.

Seabron has spent the bulk of his two pro seasons in the G League. He appeared in 28 games with the Birmingham Squadron last season, including 26 starts, and averaged 18.4 points, 6.2 rebounds and 6.0 assists in 33.3 minutes per game.

This summer, Seabron played in three Las Vegas Summer League games for the Bulls, averaging 8.7 PPG, 4.3 RPG and 2.7 APG in 21.4 MPG.

Seabron, 24, went undrafted out of North Carolina State.

An Exhibit 10 contract would allow Seabron to receive a bonus worth up to $77.5K (on top of his standard G League salary) if he’s waived by the Pistons and then spends at least 60 days with the Motor City Cruise.

Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

And-Ones: Fitts, Gilyard, NBA Schedule, Flagg, Swarm Staff

September 16th, 2024 at 8:18pm CST by Dana Gauruder

In an NBA G League swap, the Memphis Hustle acquired a 2025 first-round pick and the returning player rights to forward Malik Fitts from the Cleveland Charge, the Grizzlies’ G League team tweets.  The Charge, the Cavaliers’ affiliate, received the returning player rights to guard Jacob Gilyard.

Fitts has appeared in 18 NBA games, most recently in eight contests with Boston during the 2021/22 campaign when he was signed to two 10-day contracts. Gilyard appeared in a combined 41 NBA games with the Grizzlies and Nets last season. He was on a two-way deal with Brooklyn after Memphis waived him.

We have more from around the basketball world:

  • It’s impossible to keep all the NBA teams happy and give them their desired dates on an 82-game schedule. Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic spoke to an unnamed source who detailed the issues confronting the schedule makers. “You’ve got 30 different teams each with their own perspective on what they would like to see and within each of the 30 teams, you’ve got multiple perspectives from what makes the most sense,” the source said. “The league is then responsible for taking all of the different perspectives and try to make something that’s going to please everyone, which inherently is an impossible task.”
  • How would projected 2025 top pick Cooper Flagg impact a team in rebuild mode? Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report dives into that topic, exploring how the Duke freshman big man would fit in with the Nets, Hornets, Pistons, Trail Blazers, Spurs, Raptors, Jazz and Wizards.
  • Nathan Peavy, David Noel III and Alex Ruoff have been announced as assistant coaches on DJ Bakker‘s staff with the Greensboro Swarm, the Hornets‘ affiliate, the G League team announced in a press release. Peavy joins the Swarm after serving last season as the head coach of the Cangrejeros de Santurce in the Baloncesto Superior Nacional league, Puerto Rico’s top professional division. Noel spent the last two seasons as an assistant coach for the Motor City Cruise, the Pistons’ affiliate. Ruoff was on West Virginia’s coaching staff the last two seasons.
Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

2024/25 NBA Over/Unders: Central Division

September 13th, 2024 at 7:46am CST by Luke Adams

With the 2024/25 NBA regular season set to tip off next month, we’re getting serious about predictions for the upcoming campaign and continuing an annual Hoops Rumors tradition.

With the help of the lines from a series of sports betting sites – including Bovada and BetOnline – we’re running through the predicted win totals for each of the NBA’s 30 teams, by division. In a series of team-by-team polls, you’ll get the chance to weigh in on whether you think those forecasts are too optimistic or too pessimistic.

In 2023/24, our voters went 16-14 on their over/under picks. Can you top that in ’24/25?

We’ll continue our series today with the Central Division…

Milwaukee Bucks

Cleveland Cavaliers

Indiana Pacers

Chicago Bulls

Detroit Pistons

Previous voting results:

Atlantic

  • Boston Celtics (58.5 wins): Over (69.7%)
  • New York Knicks (53.5 wins): Over (58.8%)
  • Philadelphia 76ers (52.5 wins): Under (51.7%)
  • Toronto Raptors (30.5 wins): Under (58.7%)
  • Brooklyn Nets (19.5 wins): Over (54.3%)

Southwest

  • Dallas Mavericks (49.5 wins): Over (78.0%)
  • Memphis Grizzlies (47.5 wins): Under (65.6%)
  • New Orleans Pelicans (46.5 wins): Under (60.6%)
  • Houston Rockets (43.5 wins): Under (51.4%)
  • San Antonio Spurs (36.5 wins): Under (52.9%)

Southeast

  • Orlando Magic (47.5 wins): Over (57.1%)
  • Miami Heat (44.5 wins): Under (63.1%)
  • Atlanta Hawks (35.5 wins): Under (66.4%)
  • Charlotte Hornets (29.5 wins): Under (63.1%)
  • Washington Wizards (20.5 wins): Under (56.6%)

Northwest

  • Oklahoma City Thunder (56.5 wins): Over (68.1%)
  • Minnesota Timberwolves (52.5 wins): Over (65.2%)
  • Denver Nuggets (51.5 wins): Over (54.3%)
  • Utah Jazz (29.5 wins): Under (60.1%)
  • Portland Trail Blazers (22.5 wins): Under (54.7%)
Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Central Notes: Thompson, Pistons, Bulls, Bucks

September 11th, 2024 at 10:54pm CST by Luke Adams

Tristan Thompson‘s new one-year, minimum-salary contract with the Cavaliers is non-guaranteed, tweets Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. That will give Cleveland some flexibility with Thompson’s roster spot — while the veteran center seems likely to open the regular season with the team, he could be waived on or before January 7 if the team wants to avoid locking in his full-season salary.

Thompson also waived his right to veto a trade as part of his deal with the Cavs, Hoops Rumors has learned. Players who re-sign with their previous teams on one-year contracts are typically awarded veto rights for the season, but the player can forfeit that right as part of his agreement with his club. Thompson is the 12th player this season to do so, as our tracker shows.

Here’s more from around the Central:

Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Thompson, Fontecchio In Starting Five?

September 9th, 2024 at 6:00pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Could Ausar Thompson and Simone Fontecchio be part of the Pistons’ starting lineup? James Edwards III of The Athletic speculates that could be the case, noting that Thompson’s defense and Fontecchio’s shooting would mesh well with Cade Cunningham‘s skills and responsibilities. That would leave summer acquisitions Malik Beasley and Tim Hardaway Jr. on a much improved second unit. Edwards takes an educated guess on how the team’s depth chart will shake under a new coaching staff.

Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Community Shootaround: Eastern Conference Play-In Tournament

September 8th, 2024 at 7:30pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The play-in tournament ensures that at least 10 teams in each conference will get a taste of the postseason.

Unless something unforseen happens, eight teams in the Eastern Conference can already plan on playing beyond their regular season finales. It’s safe to assume the Celtics, Bucks, Sixers, Magic, Knicks, Cavaliers, Pacers and Heat will occupy eight of the postseason slots. The only mystery regarding those clubs is which two teams will have to come out of the play-in tournament.

Predicting which two Eastern teams among the remaining seven will participate in the play-in is a much tougher call. The Bulls and Hawks snared the last two spots last season, but there’s reason to believe they’ll wind up in the lottery.

The Bulls dealt away leading scorer DeMar DeRozan and top defender Alex Caruso this offseason and would like to make more moves. Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic have been on the trading block for quite a while and they could be wearing different uniforms at some point during the season. The addition of Josh Giddey, joining Coby White in the backcourt, could be enough to get them back to the play-in but that’s certainly no lock.

The Hawks, of course, broke up their high-scoring backcourt by dealing Dejounte Murray to the Pelicans. Atlanta did wind up with the top pick in the draft, but Zaccharie Risacher isn’t your typical top overall selection. No one quite knows what the Hawks have in Risacher, who is unlikely to have the sort of first-year impact that Victor Wembanyama or Brandon Miller did a year ago.

The Raptors have a much different roster than in recent years but they should improve on their 25-win total. They have built around Scottie Barnes with a backcourt of former Knicks Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett.

The Hornets could be on the upswing if LaMelo Ball can finally stay healthy for a whole season. They have two high-scoring wings in Miller and Miles Bridges.

The Wizards signed Jonas Valanciunas and have two promising forwards Bilal Coulibaly and No. 2 overall pick Alex Sarr. They still seem to be a couple of years away from entering the postseason picture.

The Nets, of course, traded away their top player in Mikal Bridges with their sights set on next offseason, when they’ll have extra first-round picks and plenty of cap space.

Last, but maybe not least anymore, are the Pistons. Coming off the worst season in franchise history, the Pistons used their ample cap room to get Cade Cunningham more help. The additions of Tobias Harris, Malik Beasley and Tim Hardaway Jr. should make them more competitive.

That leads us to our topic of the day: Among the Bulls, Hawks, Raptors, Hornets, Wizards, Nets and Pistons, which of those Eastern Conference teams will make the play-in tournament this upcoming season? 

Please take to the comments section to address this topic. We look forward to your input.

Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0
Load More Posts