Detroit Pistons Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Jason Maxiell Retires As Piston

August 4th, 2017 at 9:15am CST by Luke Adams

Longtime NBA big man Jason Maxiell has signed a contract with the Pistons in order to officially retire as a member of the organization, the club announced today in a press release. The 10-year NBA veteran spent eight of those seasons in Detroit.

“The best years of my professional career were spent in Detroit and it’s important to me to retire as a Detroit Piston,” Maxiell said in a statement. “This is a special franchise with great tradition and history. I want to thank all the fans who supported me during my eight seasons representing Detroit.”

Maxiell, the Pistons’ first-round pick in 2005, came off the bench for his first several years with the team, though he was the team’s starting power forward by the end of his time in Detroit. His best season came in 2007/08, when he appeared in all 82 games for Detroit, averaging 7.9 PPG and 5.3 RPG, with a .538 FG%.

In 618 career regular season games for the Pistons, Magic, and Hornets, Maxiell posted averages of 5.6 PPG and 4.2 RPG. Maxiell hadn’t played in the NBA since the 2014/15 season, having spent the last two seasons playing for teams in China and Turkey.

“Jason and his representatives reached out to us regarding his desire to sign one last contract with the team in order to retire as a Detroit Piston,” Pistons GM Jeff Bower said in a statement of his own. “Jason made an impact on and off the court with the organization, spending eight seasons in Detroit, many with deep playoff runs. We’re pleased that Jason has chosen to remain connected to our organization and wish him well in the future.”

NBA Owners Approve Pistons’ Move Downtown

August 3rd, 2017 at 12:36pm CST by Luke Adams

As expected, the NBA’s Board of Governors has unanimously approved the Pistons’ relocation from the suburbs of the city to downtown Detroit. Beginning in 2017/18, the Pistons will play their games at the new Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, rather than at The Palace of Auburn Hills.

The Pistons first announced back in November 2016 that they intended to move to downtown Detroit to join the NHL’s Red Wings in the Little Caesars Arena. At that point, the agreement still had to clear a few hurdles related to city and NBA approval, but the move is now official, with the Pistons poised to play the first game in their new home this fall.

The Pistons had played their home games in Auburn Hills since 1988, and haven’t played in downtown Detroit since 1978.

Central Notes: Rose, Parker, Mirotic, Harris

July 28th, 2017 at 7:25pm CST by marksuleymanov

Newest Cavaliers point guard Derrick Rose, who signed with the club on a one-year, $2.1MM veteran’s minimum contract, is viewed by the team as a backup, Cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor writes. New Cavs general manager Koby Altman was careful in describing his new point guard, stating that the former Most Valuable Player will be an asset off the bench.

Entering free agency, Rose reiterated on many occasions that his goal was to sign a max contract in free agency. After a decent – if unspectacular – year with the Knicks in 2016/17 that ended with knee surgery, Rose’s free agency destinations dwindled, as did his salary. However, Altman noted that Rose was mostly interested in a winning environment.

“He wanted to be in a place where he can play with excellent players and a place where he can play in meaningful games,” Altman said at his introductory press conference.. “It’s funny, he uses the term, ‘I just want to hoop.’ He just wants to be here. He’s excited to be here. He’s in a great space mentally and his body looks great and we’re really excited about him. He came here for the opportunity to win. He came here for the opportunity to play with other great players.”

Rose, still just 28 years old, will focus on helping the team, even if it means sacrificing playing time.

Below are additional links around the Central Division:

Bucks‘ forward Jabari Parker is recovering from a second tear of his ACL but is recovery is going well, he tells ESPN’s Nick Friedell. The 22-year-old has previously suffered a tear in the same ACL but despite not having a return date in mind, he expects to be back on the court this upcoming season.
Pistons head coach Stan Van Gundy views Tobias Harris as a starter but it will be up to the rest of the team’s performance to see if he becomes a starter, NBA.com’s Keith Langois writes.
Nikola Mirotic, who is currently in talks with the Bulls, will not play in Eurobasket 2017, according to Sportnado. Mirotic’s focus is his NBA career, the brief report states.

Smith Understands Business Side Of Morris Trade

July 26th, 2017 at 10:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

Pistons guard Ish Smith understands the business side of the NBA that can result in losing a teammate and friend like Marcus Morris, relays Tony Paul of The Detroit News. During a public appearance today, Smith, who has played for 10 teams in eight seasons, commented on the trade that sent Morris to Boston in exchange for Avery Bradley. “It’s a business. You gotta move on,” Smith said. “I stand by Coach (Stan Van Gundy). I hate losing one of my good friends, but we’re excited about Avery and how talented he is, how good he is and what he brings.”
Van Gundy says the Pistons are done with major moves before the season starts, Paul adds. The coach believes the team has significantly improved its 3-point shooting by obtaining Bradley and Langston Galloway and drafting Luke Kennard.

Pistons To Sign Landry Nnoko

July 26th, 2017 at 9:12pm CST by Arthur Hill

Ex-Clemson big man Landry Nnoko has agreed to a partially guaranteed minimum deal with the Pistons, tweets Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype.

The 23-year-old Cameroon native played with Detroit’s summer league team in Orlando, averaging 2.0 points and 2.3 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in three games. He went undrafted out of Clemson in 2016 after averaging 8.1 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game in his senior season with the Tigers.

The 6’10” center spent last season with Pesaro in Italy.

Pistons Reach Sponsorship Deal With Flagstar Bank

July 26th, 2017 at 8:57am CST by Luke Adams

The Pistons have a new jersey ad sponsor, reaching a deal with Flagstar Bank, per Darren Rovell of ESPN (Twitter link). One third of the league’s teams have now announced jersey sponsorship deals, as our ongoing list shows.

Pistons Sign Luis Montero To Two-Way Deal

July 24th, 2017 at 10:03pm CST by Luke Adams

July 24: The signing is official, according to a team press release.

July 21: Free agent guard Luis Montero is poised to sign a two-way contract with the Pistons, a league source tells Jorge Sierra of HoopsHype. It will be the first two-way deal in franchise history for Detroit.

Montero, 24, went undrafted in 2015, but caught on with the Trail Blazers and made his NBA debut for Portland during the 2015/16 season. After playing limited minutes in 12 games for the Blazers, Montero has spent most of his time with various G League clubs.

In 2016/17, Montero averaged 8.8 PPG and 6.2 RPG in 49 total contests for the Reno Bighorns and the Sioux Falls Skyforce.

Our two-way contract FAQ provides more details on two-way deals, while our tracker shows which players have signed or agreed to them so far.

Pistons Add Leadership, Three-Point Shooting

July 21st, 2017 at 5:48pm CST by Austin Kent

The decision to bring Anthony Tolliver back aboard will pay off for the Pistons in veteran leadership, Rod Beard of the Detroit News writes. “He’s one of the highest-character guys in the NBA. What he will do in terms of leadership is important to our team, but it’s important that he’s a guy who can go out and play,” head coach Stan Van Gundy said.
The Pistons‘ chief goal this offseason was to improve their three-point shooting and Keith Langlois of the team’s official website writes that they’ve added a number of players that can help in that regard.

Suns Expressed ‘Strong’ Interest In Andre Drummond In June

July 20th, 2017 at 2:48pm CST by Luke Adams

The Suns were among the teams that expressed “strong” interest in Andre Drummond in June, reports Jake Fischer of Sports Illustrated. According to Fischer, Sacramento also showed significant interest in trading for Drummond — the Kings’ interest has been previously reported.

While Drummond remains in Detroit for now, Fischer is skeptical that he’ll finish his contract with the Pistons, noting that the club dangled its starting center in trade talks at the deadline and again leading up to the draft.

A report earlier this week suggested that Pistons owner Tom Gores is a big fan of Drummond, whereas head coach and president of basketball operations Stan Van Gundy isn’t quite as bullish on the young center. According to that report, the Pistons didn’t receive any trade offers this offseason that merited a serious conversation between management and ownership about the 23-year-old’s future in Detroit.

The Suns, meanwhile, entered the summer in the market for a major frontcourt upgrade, so their interest in Drummond doesn’t come as a real surprise. Phoenix reportedly went into free agency targeting Blake Griffin and Paul Millsap. However, after missing out on Griffin, the Suns pulled back on their pursuit of top free agents, opting instead to exercise a little more patience with their rebuilding process.

Of course, given Drummond’s age, he may still fit the timeline for a rebuilding team like the Suns or Kings, despite his massive contract. So those clubs shouldn’t necessarily be ruled out as suitors if the Pistons revisit trade possibilities for the former ninth overall pick later this offseason or at next year’s deadline.

Pistons, Derek Willis Agree To One-Year Deal

July 20th, 2017 at 1:03pm CST by Luke Adams

The Pistons have agreed to sign undrafted free agent Derek Willis, according to ESPN’s Chris Haynes (via Twitter). Willis will sign a one-year contract with Detroit, Haynes reports.

Willis, who spent four years at Kentucky, wasn’t viewed as a top prospect heading into this year’s draft, ranking 58th on DraftExpress’ list of seniors. The 6’9″ forward posted modest numbers during his final season with the Wildcats, posting 7.0 PPG, 5.4 RPG, and 1.0 BPG in 38 games (21.9 MPG).

However, the Pistons worked out Willis in June and apparently liked what they saw from the 22-year-old, who also showed an ability to make outside shots over the course of his college career (.399 3PT%).

Detroit has used its mid-level exception and bi-annual exception, so Willis figures to get a minimum salary contract from the club, and I doubt it will be guaranteed. The Pistons likely have their eye on Willis as a possible affiliate player for the Grand Rapids Drive, rather than as a member of Detroit’s 15-man regular season roster.