Detroit Pistons Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Stan Van Gundy To Join ESPN As Analyst

September 28th, 2018 at 11:16am CST by Luke Adams

Less than five months after being let go by the Pistons, Stan Van Gundy has reportedly lined up a new gig. According to Andrew Marchand of The New York Post, Van Gundy has reached an agreement to become a studio analyst for ESPN’s NBA coverage.

As Marchand notes, Van Gundy nearly joined ESPN several years ago but had that deal fall apart at the 11th hour, so it’s worth mentioning that the former Pistons head coach has yet to officially sign his contract with the network. Still, it appears he’ll be joining his brother Jeff Van Gundy at the Worldwide Leader for the upcoming NBA season — while Stan will be a studio analyst, Jeff is on ESPN’s top broadcasting team alongside Mike Breen and Mark Jackson.

Van Gundy, who was also serving as the Pistons’ president of basketball operations before he was dismissed by the club, was disappointed by the decision and said in the wake of his firing that he wanted to coach again. Last month, after he failed to secure a coaching job for the 2018/19 season, Van Gundy admitted that he wasn’t sure about his future plans

“I want to do something, but if I’m not coaching, I don’t want to work too hard,” he said at the time.

Given the research and preparation required for a TV analyst role, presumably Van Gundy has changed course on that stance, but we’ll have to see what he sounds like on the air to be sure.

Dwane Casey Still Mulling Lineup Options

September 27th, 2018 at 3:07pm CST by Luke Adams

Assuming they’re all healthy to start the season, Andre Drummond, Blake Griffin, and Reggie Jackson are locked in as three of the five players in the Pistons‘ starting lineup. However, head coach Dwane Casey hasn’t tipped his hand on which two wings will be joining them, per Rod Beard of The Detroit News.

“Guys are competing and it’s not going to be a quarterback controversy at all. We’re going to put the right people in the right positions, whether it’s the starting group or the second group that fit,” the Pistons’ new coach said. “That’s something we’re going to be watching over the next couple weeks to see. We have a good idea but nothing is concrete right now. There are guys who are defensive-minded and great defensively and guys who can shoot the lights out. We just have to figure it out.”

Pistons Signed, Waived Scottie Lindsey

September 25th, 2018 at 1:34pm CST by Luke Adams

Former Northwestern standout Scottie Lindsey enjoyed a very brief stay on an NBA roster this weekend, as the Pistons signed him to a contract on Saturday before waiving him on Monday, per the RealGM.com and NBA.com transaction logs.

Given the abridged nature of Lindsey’s stint with the Pistons, the club was likely looking to secure his G League rights for the Grand Rapids Drive. Assuming his deal included an Exhibit 10 clause, the 6’5″ guard could be in line for a bonus worth up to $50K if he spends at least two months with Detroit’s NBAGL affiliate.

Lindsey, 22, averaged 15.2 PPG and 3.8 RPG in his senior year at Northwestern in 2017/18, recording a .399/.362/.829 shooting line in 32 games.

Lindsey was signed to the 20th and final spot on Detroit’s training camp roster, which the team subsequently used to add Chris McCullough after cutting Lindsey.

Pistons Sign Chris McCullough To Camp Deal

September 25th, 2018 at 9:33am CST by marksuleymanov

SEPTEMBER 25: The Pistons have officially signed McCullough, the team announced today in a press release.

SEPTEMBER 23: The Pistons are signing power forward Chris McCullough to a training camp deal, according to James Edwards III of The Athletic (Twitter link).

McCullough, 23, appeared in 19 games with the Wizards last season, averaging 2.4 PPG and 1.3 RPG. He entered unrestricted free agency this summer and played for the Sixers’ Summer League squad.

The Nets drafted McCullough in the first round (29th overall) of the 2015 NBA Draft. The Syracuse product appeared in 38 games over parts of two seasons with Brooklyn before he was traded to Washington — along with Bojan Bogdanovic — in February 2017.

Most of the Syracuse product’s professional time has been spent in the G League as he’s appeared in 55 games over the past two seasons.

Pistons Rumors: Drummond, Griffin, Jackson, Johnson

September 24th, 2018 at 10:55pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Pistons center Andre Drummond doesn’t plan to shoot a lot of threes but he’s thrilled that new coach Dwane Casey has given him the green light, as he told the Detroit Free Press. Casey believes if Drummond hits a couple of long range shots every game, it will create more space for everyone offensively. “The 3-point shot is something I’ve added six years ago,” he said. “I just never had a coach that allowed to me to shoot it. It’s something I’ve worked on consistently for a long time, so I guess now is my time to really showcase it.” Frontcourt partner Blake Griffin doesn’t want Drummond to stray from the basket too often. “We still want to use Dre to his strengths because he’s one of the most dominant centers, one of the best finishers, one of the best rebounders,” Griffin said. “So it would be doing him a disservice to keep him away from the rim and doing the things he does best.”

We have more from the Pistons:

Both of Detroit’s top big men believe the team should set lofty goals. Griffin said homecourt advantage in the playoffs, at least for the opening round, should be the team’s regular-season aim. Drummond expects the Pistons to be serious contenders in the East. “The time is now,” he said. “We have everything we need to be great. There’s no reason why we can’t be a top team in the East or a top team in the NBA.”
Point guard Reggie Jackson (ankle), power forward Jon Leuer (knee) and shooting guard Luke Kennard (ankle) will be limited for the start of camp but all should be ready to play by opening night, according to senior advisor Ed Stefanski. “Those three are not in basketball shape,” Stefanski said.
Stefanski wouldn’t specifically address a question whether the team was interested in trading for Jimmy Butler but he noted the team has payroll limitations. However, he’s not averse to dealing for star players with expiring contracts. “That wouldn’t bother me,” he said. “It depends on what you have to give up.”
Small forward Stanley Johnson is eligible for an extension but the franchise is more focused on whether he’ll develop into a consistent performer. Johnson admits he still has a lot to prove. “(Owner) Tom (Gores) said, ‘I’m tired of hearing the word potential,'” Johnson said.

Jimmy Butler Rumors: Thibs, Kings, Nets, Pistons

September 24th, 2018 at 4:03pm CST by Luke Adams

Although Jimmy Butler didn’t participate in the Timberwolves‘ Media Day on Monday, he was in Minnesota and took his physical, tweets Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. As Reynolds relays, head coach Tom Thibodeau – who said that Butler could be about a week from being ready to play – also sounded like a man who was open to the idea of dealing his All-Star wing.

“We’re not going to make a bad deal,” Thibodeau said. “If it’s a good deal, we’re interested.”

According to Thibodeau, last week’s trade request from Butler was the first time the 29-year-old had taken such a stance, forcing the situation to come to “a head” (Twitter link via Chris Hine of The Star Tribune). Thibodeau also acknowledged that there was risk involved in acquiring Butler last year, but said he thought the Timberwolves would have a good chance to lock him up long-term. “It didn’t work out,” Thibodeau said today (Twitter link via Jerry Zgoda).

After making it clear that the Wolves will consider potential trades with teams besides the ones on Butler’s wish list, Thibodeau added that if Minnesota can’t make a deal in the next week and Butler is done with his conditioning and rehab work, the All-NBA swingman will be expected to rejoin the team (Twitter links via Michael Rand and Kent Youngblood of The Star Tribune).

Here’s more on Butler:

Thibodeau said today that he isn’t worried about his own authority – or job – as a result of the Butler situation. “Not at all. I never worry about that,” Thibodeau said (Twitter link via Michael Rand). “[The] important thing is to understand … what your job is. Your job is to acquire best talent to help your team win.”
Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News (Twitter link) believes a trade will happen “sooner rather than later,” though probably not today.
League sources maintain to David Aldridge of NBA.com that the Timberwolves will hold out for at least one first-round pick as part of a Butler trade, and will also want some “young vets” who can grow with the club’s remaining core.
The Kings are on the list of teams interested in discussing a possible Butler trade with the Timberwolves, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
As of late Sunday night, the Nets weren’t negotiating with the Timberwolves on a Butler deal, according to Newsday’s Greg Logan, who believes Brooklyn isn’t eager to sacrifice a ton of assets for the Timberwolves wing (Twitter links).
Don’t count on the Pistons swinging a blockbuster trade for Butler, writes Rod Beard of The Detroit News.

Stan Van Gundy Still Has Desire To Coach

September 23rd, 2018 at 11:52am CST by Arthur Hill

At age 59, Stan Van Gundy doesn’t feel ready to retire, but his wife doesn’t want him to coach anymore, relays Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press. Van Gundy is without a job as training camp opens after the Pistons fired him as head coach and president of basketball operations in May. “I don’t care who you are, what job you are in, when you’ve worked at something for a long time and tried to become good at it and everything else, it’s not easy to walk away — particularly when it’s not on your own terms,” Van Gundy said. “Kim’s major thing is that I’m not happy [during seasons]. You don’t need to do it, so why are you going to do something that doesn’t make you happy.”

Wolves Owner Wants Jimmy Butler Deal Done Soon

September 23rd, 2018 at 9:23am CST by Arthur Hill

Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor has taken control of the Jimmy Butler trade talks and wants to get a deal completed as soon as possible, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

Tom Thibodeau, who serves as president of basketball operations as well as coach, had been objecting to a deal, hoping to hold onto the veteran forward for another season. However, Taylor wants the process to end before training camp starts Tuesday and has mandated that a deal get done quickly.

Wojnarowski cautions that no team has entered serious discussion with the Wolves yet, but he identifies the Nets, Pistons, Rockets, Clippers, Heat, Sixers and Trail Blazers as franchises that have shown interest.

Taylor plans to review the offers over the next two days, then present the best ones to Butler and his agent, Bernie Lee, to see which teams Butler would be willing to sign a five-year extension with. That information will be used to help finalize a deal, although Wojnarowski adds that some teams would be willing to trade for Butler with no guarantee of an extension .

GM Scott Layden may have jeopardized his job by refusing to talk to other teams about a Butler deal, according to Wojnarowski. Taylor has demanded that Layden start aggressively pursuing a trade, even to the point of contacting rival GMs. Taylor has been considering changes in the front office for months and may re-evaluate Layden’s role once the Butler deal is done.

2018 Offseason In Review: Detroit Pistons

September 21st, 2018 at 6:00pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Hoops Rumors is breaking down the 2018 offseason for all 30 NBA teams, revisiting the summer’s free agent signings, trades, draft picks, departures, and more. We’ll evaluate each team’s moves from the last several months and look ahead to what the 2018/19 season holds for all 30 franchises. Today, we’re focusing on the Detroit Pistons.

Signings:

Standard contracts:
- Glenn Robinson III: Two years, $8.35MM. Second-year team option. Signed using mid-level exception.
- Jose Calderon: One year, minimum salary. Signed using minimum salary exception.
- Zaza Pachulia: One year, minimum salary. Signed using minimum salary exception.
Two-way contracts:
- Keenan Evans
Non-guaranteed camp contracts:
- Johnny Hamilton: One year, minimum salary.
- Zach Lofton: One year, minimum salary.

Trades:

Acquired the draft rights to Khyri Thomas (No. 38 pick) from the Sixers in exchange for the Pistons’ 2021 second-round pick and the Pistons’ 2023 second-round pick.

Draft picks:

2-38: Khyri Thomas — Signed to three-year, minimum salary contract. First two years guaranteed. Signed using mid-level exception.
2-42: Bruce Brown — Signed to three-year, minimum salary contract. First two years guaranteed. Signed using mid-level exception.

Departing players:

Other offseason news:

Hired Dwane Casey as head coach to replace Stan Van Gundy; hired Sidney Lowe as lead assistant.
Hired Ed Stefanski as senior advisor (and de facto head of basketball operations) to replace Van Gundy.
Parted ways with GM Jeff Bower.
Hired Malik Rose and Sachin Gupta as assistant GMs.

Salary cap situation:

Remained over the cap.
Carrying approximately $123.3MM in guaranteed salaries, slightly below $123.7MM tax line.
Hard-capped at $129.82MM.
$2.89MM of mid-level exception still available ($5.75MM used on Glenn Robinson III, Khyri Thomas, and Bruce Brown).

Check out the Detroit Pistons’ full roster and depth chart at RosterResource.com.

Story of the summer:

The decision got dragged out but eventually owner Tom Gores decided to relieve Stan Van Gundy of his duties as both head coach and president of basketball operations after the season. Van Gundy’s heart-on-his-sleeve approach gave the franchise an initial jolt and the team made the playoffs during his second season in charge. He couldn’t build upon that improvement, as injuries and bad personnel decisions found the Pistons sitting out the postseason the past two years.

Fortunately for Gores, the league’s Coach of the Year became available at just the right time. Toronto fired Dwane Casey after its playoff flop against Cleveland and the Pistons gladly scooped him up. Casey’s reputation as a players’ coach adept at developing young players and winning regular-season games fits what the team needs. They desperately want to get back to the playoffs and start drawing more fans at Little Caesars Arena, which opened last season in downtown Detroit.

The front office underwent a makeover with well-traveled Ed Stefanski sitting atop the organization’s ladder despite the title of senior adviser. The former Grizzlies, 76ers, Raptors and Nets executive hired Sachin Gupta and Malik Rose as assistant GMs but Stefanski is in charge of personnel moves. With the team’s cap issues, Stefanski couldn’t make much of an imprint on the roster this summer anyway.

Key offseason losses:

All of the Pistons’ core players were locked into deals through this season, for better or worse, so they didn’t suffer any significant losses in free agency. The biggest contributor from last season who didn’t return was backup power forward Anthony Tolliver, who averaged 8.9 PPG and shot a healthy 43.6% from long range. He also added a veteran presence to a mostly youthful locker room. Tolliver signed with the Timberwolves but the Pistons plan to replace his minutes with a combination of 2016 first-rounder Henry Ellenson and Jon Leuer, who missed most of last season with an ankle injury.

Eric Moreland received rotation minutes at times at center with the versatile Leuer sidelined but his offensive limitations led the new regime to waive him. Moreland remained a free agent until he signed a camp deal with the Raptors this week.

Early February acquisitions James Ennis and Jameer Nelson didn’t make much of an impact and Dwight Buycks was only used at the point out of desperation. Detroit had no interest in retaining any of those players.

Key offseason additions:

The Pistons went bargain shopping in July to fill out their bench. Casey called Glenn Robinson III one minute into the free agency period and Robinson agreed to a two-year deal before the sun came up the next morning. The low-cost flier on Robinson could pay dividends if he’s fully recovered from the ankle injury that wrecked his final season with the Pacers. Robinson, the former University of Michigan standout, is the type of 3-and-D wing that teams increasingly covet and he should jump right into the shooting guard/small forward rotation that includes Reggie Bullock, Stanley Johnson and Luke Kennard.

Jose Calderon and Zaza Pachulia could contribute more in the locker room than on the court. Casey wanted a couple more veteran voices in the locker room with a track record of success in the league, especially with the loss of Tolliver. Calderon, who played for Casey in Toronto, projects as the team’s No. 3 point guard behind Reggie Jackson and Ish Smith, though Kennard could also see minutes at that spot. Calderon provides some protection if Jackson’s injury woes continue.

Pachulia won rings with the Warriors the past two seasons. The 34-year-old could see some backup duty behind Andre Drummond, though Blake Griffin and Leuer will also soak up some minutes there.

Detroit didn’t have a first-round pick, courtesy of the Griffin trade with the Clippers in late January, but it added two shooting guards in the second round. The brass thought enough of Khyri Thomas to swing a trade with the Sixers to move up and nab him. Thomas and Bruce Brown will probably spend most of the season in the G League, though one of them could get rotation minutes if an injury strikes.

Outlook for 2018/19:

Casey did a splendid job of utilizing his roster and building a quality second unit in Toronto and it’s expected he’ll do the same in Detroit. What he needs most this season is to avoid making changes to that unit due to injuries in the starting lineup.

Griffin and Jackson simply haven’t been able to stay on the court in recent seasons. Griffin has played anywhere from 35 to 67 games over the past four seasons; Jackson has missed a combined 67 games over the last two seasons.

If Griffin, Jackson and Drummond can stay reasonably healthy, the Pistons have no excuse to miss the postseason again. Griffin may not be as explosive as he was before left knee injuries set in but he’s still an all-around force with an improving 3-point shot. Drummond is the league’s best rebounder and even became a passable free throw shooter last season. Jackson can be a dynamo in pick-and-rolls with both big men and he’s developed a reputation as being a clutch performer.

While small lineups are all the rage, having two All-Star level talents in the frontcourt for a full season should be enough for the Pistons to snare a playoff berth in the watered down Eastern Conference. But a significant injury to any of the Big Three would spell doom, since there’s no other impact players on the roster.

Salary information from Basketball Insiders was used in the creation of this post. Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images. Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Pistons Notes: Jackson, Casey, Griffin, Wallace

September 19th, 2018 at 8:48pm CST by Arthur Hill

Some time off has done a lot of good for Pistons guard Reggie Jackson, writes Keith Langlois of NBA.com. After missing 37 games with a severely sprained right ankle last season, Jackson mostly stayed away from basketball this summer. He talked with new coach Dwane Casey, watched the new assistant coaches conduct drills and spent time with teammates, but he didn’t subject the ankle to the stress of competitive basketball.

“Probably didn’t heal the way everybody thought it might once we had time off,” Jackson said. “Just haven’t been able to get on the court, but been doing everything I can to get healthy.”

Jackson didn’t need surgery, but he did undergo a process that he described as similar to the platelet-rich plasma injection he had on his knee two years ago. He said the rest has been good for the ankle, and there’s now a “night and day” difference compared to last year.

There’s more tonight out of Detroit:

Jackson is also touting the new system that Casey brought to Detroit, relays Nolan Bianchi of The Detroit News. During a public appearance today, Jackson said the abundance of wings on the Pistons’ roster will help with the transition to the new approach, which is based on quick ball movement and 3-point shooting. “Playing in this system, this new type of flow is going to take us some time to adjust,” Jackson said. “But I think it’s something that, as it shows promise for fans that the pieces can work well within what coach does, it’s going to be about getting acclimated, getting trust.”
Casey is impressed by the thorough nature that Blake Griffin takes to offseason workouts, Langlois adds in a separate story. Casey called Griffin a “leader by nature” and will be counting on him to assume a larger role in his first full season in Detroit. “Like [former coach/executive] Stan [Van Gundy] said last year, him coming in mid-season like that is almost impossible to come in and establish himself as a physical leader or leader by example or by your words,” Casey said. “He’s done a lot of things as far as this summer organizing workouts in L.A. and doing different things to show his leadership.”
Former Pistons star Ben Wallace has taken on a front office role as a part owner of the G League Grand Rapids Drive, writes Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press. Wallace is returning to the game after several years away and hopes to eventually land a role with an NBA team. “I’m pushing all of my chips into the middle of the table,” Wallace said. “I definitely want to learn the business side of basketball. I’m working with a great partner in [Drive owner] Steve Jbara, who is teaching me a lot about the business side of basketball. I’m working guys out, I’m having executive meetings, I’m selling tickets, I’m doing the whole nine.”