- The Pistons enter the All-Star break with eight victories in 54 gamse. After the Pistons made numerous trades before the deadline, James Edwards III of The Athletic believes that the impact of acquisitions Simone Fontecchio and Quentin Grimes will be one of the top storylines to follow in Detroit for the rest of the season.
FEBRUARY 15, 7:00am: Stewart was arrested by Phoenix police for assault, according to Mark McClune of KTVK 3TV (Twitter link), who says the Pistons big man was issued a citation and was released. The police investigation into the incident remains active.
Meanwhile, Pistons head coach Monty Williams said after Wednesday’s game that the Suns’ statement on the incident was “irresponsible” (Twitter link via Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press).
“I know Phoenix came out and said it was unprovoked. I think it’s irresponsible,” Williams said. “… Until you find out everything, you can’t make those statements. I heard about that, and that did not need to happen.”
FEBRUARY 14, 7:55pm: The Suns have released a statement regarding the incident, per Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic (Twitter link). “The attack on Drew Eubanks was unprovoked, and acts of violence such as this are unacceptable. We unequivocally support Drew, and will continue to work with local law enforcement and the NBA.”
A league spokesperson confirmed the NBA will review the altercation, Rankin adds (via Twitter).
FEBRUARY 14, 7:10pm: Prior to Wednesday’s game in Phoenix, Pistons big man Isaiah Stewart punched Suns center Drew Eubanks in the face, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). The NBA is expected to review footage of the incident, Charania adds.
According to Charania and James L. Edwards III of The Athletic, it’s unclear what initiated the incident, but evidently the two big men were “chest-to-chest” before Stewart landed a punch near Eubanks’ lip. Police separated the two players and “inspected the scene,” per The Athletic’s report.
Speaking to reporters pregame, Eubanks confirmed he was hit, as Gerald Bouguet of PHNX Sports relays (All Twitter links). Phoenix’s backup center said he’d just arrived to the arena and was in street clothes when the incident occurred, adding that he had never been involved in any other off-court altercations with Stewart.
“Words were said, I got sucker punched, and security intervened. … Clearly you can see what he does, how he acts on the court, so it wasn’t surprising,” Eubanks said.
Eubanks added that he was fine and will be playing tonight vs. Detroit, while Stewart is inactive with an ankle sprain.
Wednesday will mark Stewart’s eighth straight absence due to the injury, with his last appearance coming January 28. As Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press tweets, Stewart had been slated to return to action immediately after the All-Star break, but that return could be postponed if he’s suspended, which seems very likely.
According to Sankofa (Twitter link), the Pistons had no comment on the altercation as of 7:15 pm CT.
In November 2021, Stewart was suspended for two games without pay “for escalating an on-court altercation by repeatedly and aggressively” pursuing LeBron James, who received a one-game suspension for “recklessly hitting Stewart in the face” and initiating the incident. Both players were ejected — Stewart received two technical fouls and James received a Flagrant 2 foul. The video of that incident can be found here.
During Wednesday’s game vs. Phoenix, the Pistons released a statement regarding the pregame incident between forward/center Isaiah Stewart and Suns center Drew Eubanks.
“We are aware of the incident between Isaiah Stewart and Drew Eubanks prior to this evening’s game. We are in the process of gathering information about what happened and what provoked it, and responding to the NBA and local authorities.”
Eubanks was punched in the face by Stewart after arriving at the Footprint Center. He said he was OK and called it a “soft punch,” per Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports. Eubanks played in the game, while Stewart remains sidelined with a sprained ankle.
Here’s more from the Central:
- Craig Porter Jr.‘s new four-year contract with the Cavaliers will pay him a guaranteed $1.5MM in 2023/24, nearly tripling the salary of his old two-way deal, reports ESPN’s Bobby Marks (via Twitter). Porter’s base salary for ’24/25 is $1.9MM, with $1MM in guaranteed money. However, years three ($2.2MM) and four ($2.4MM) are fully non-guaranteed, with no special trigger dates beyond the league-wide guarantee date of January 7. The final season — ’26/27 — is a team option, Marks adds.
- Bulls guard Ayo Dosunmu had a stellar performance in Tuesday’s win over Atlanta, scoring a career-high 29 points (on 12-of-18 shooting, including 5-of-7 from three) and dishing out seven assists while playing terrific defense on Trae Young, who finished just 3-of-14 from the field, writes Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic. Dosumnu has become a much more consistent offensive threat of late, averaging 15.9 PPG on .592/.525/.773 shooting over in the 14 games (32.3 MPG) leading up to Wednesday’s loss to Cleveland. “He’s got incredible stamina and endurance,” head coach Billy Donovan said, per K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. “It’s a skill. [Udonis] Haslem had it. Joakim [Noah] had it. The more fatigued and tired they get, the more stubborn they get and the more competitive and the more they push. He’s got that in him. He can keep his motor running high. For him to do what he did offensively and then to play the defense he did was a pretty remarkable performance with the number of minutes he got.”
- Second-year wing Dalen Terry has received rotation minutes for the Bulls in 2023/24 due to injuries to Zach LaVine, Patrick Williams and Torrey Craig (Craig has since returned), and while his performances have been uneven, he says the speed of the NBA game is starting to slow down for him, Johnson writes for NBC Sports Chicago. “This season I feel I improved a lot on my discipline, just realizing that sometimes my fouling gets me out of the game,” Terry said. “My confidence level is just so much different than it was last year. … My rookie year, sometimes I was out there and I was like, ‘Man, everything is going so fast.’ It just happened. Now I can see stuff happen before it happens. That’s been the easiest part to me.” Terry, 21, was the 18th pick of the 2022 draft.
Evan Fournier is glad for the change of scenery, even though he isn’t sure whether he’ll have a role with the Pistons. Fournier was languishing on the Knicks‘ bench before getting dealt to Detroit a week ago.
“I’m really excited to finally be out of New York,” he said (video link from James Edwards III of The Athletic). “As soon as I got traded they called me and said they’ve been trying to have me for the last couple of seasons now, so I’m looking forward to the opportunity.”
Fournier’s contract includes a $19MM club option for next season, which almost certainly will be declined. He hopes to show what he has to offer before the end of this season.
“I don’t know what my role is, but I’m just going to be myself and prepare as if I’m going to play,” he said. “I have to get to know the guys still, but if I can help them with what I see then I’ll gladly do it.”
We have more from the Central Division:
- There’s little doubt that Quentin Grimes, who was also included in the same trade, will have a rotation role with the Pistons, though he’s dealing with a knee sprain and won’t make his Detroit debut until after the All-Star break. “I’ve always felt like he’s one of those guys who’s trying to find that consistent path, but he has a skill set and body type that fits the way we want to play,” coach Monty Williams said, per Mike Curtis of the Detroit News. “He can shoot the ball. He’s got a big body, so defensively, he can switch and guard the way that we like to. I think there’s a lot more in his game. We want to try to figure that out.”
- The Bucks defeated the Nuggets 112-95 on Monday, marking the second consecutive game they have held an opponent under 100 points. It’s the first time the Bucks have pulled that off in the regular season since November 2021. Giannis Antetokounmpo said the coaching change from Adrian Griffin to Doc Rivers has made a difference. “Coach Doc is holding us to a high standard,” the Bucks superstar said. “He wants us to defend. He doesn’t take lack of effort as an excuse. If you’re on the floor, you’ve got to do your best.”
- The Bulls signed guard Jevon Carter to a three-year, $19.5MM contract last summer but he’s played a much smaller role than anticipated, K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago notes. “They don’t really have too much to say about it,” Carter said of the coaching staff’s reasons for not playing him more often. “It’s just the NBA. That’s how it goes. All I can do is keep working and be ready for whenever my name is called. And that’s what I’m going to do.” Carter has appeared in 51 games off the bench, averaging 13.8 minutes per night. He averaged 22.4 MPG while playing 81 regular season games with Milwaukee last season.
A number of free agent signings have been finalized in the days since last Thursday’s trade deadline, but there are still many teams around the NBA with one or more open spots on their respective rosters.
For clubs with just a single standard or two-way opening, there’s not necessarily any urgency to fill those spots, especially ahead of the All-Star break. But the clock is ticking for teams who have two or more openings on their standard rosters to make a move, since clubs are only permitted to carry fewer than 14 players on standard contracts for up to two weeks at a time.
With the help of our roster count tracker, here’s where things stand for all 30 teams around the NBA as of Tuesday afternoon. As a reminder, teams are typically permitted to carry up to 15 players on standard contracts and three on two-way deals.
(Note: Teams marked with an asterisk have a player on a 10-day contract.)
Teams with multiple open roster spots
- Brooklyn Nets
- Note: One of the Nets’ roster openings is a two-way slot.
- Golden State Warriors
- Milwaukee Bucks
- Note: Both of the Bucks’ roster openings are two-way slots.
- Minnesota Timberwolves
- New Orleans Pelicans
- New York Knicks *
- Philadelphia 76ers
- Phoenix Suns
The Warriors, Timberwolves, and Pelicans are all currently carrying 13 players on standard, full-season contracts, with all three of their two-way slots filled. That means they’ll have to add a 14th man at some point in the not-too-distant future to adhere to the NBA’s minimum roster requirements.
Golden State and Minnesota made trades on February 8 that dropped them below 14 players, so those two teams have until Feb. 22 to add a player. New Orleans’ deadline is coming a little earlier, since the club dipped to 13 when Malcolm Hill‘s 10-day contract expired on Feb. 6.
No roster moves are required for the Nets and Bucks, as both teams have at least 14 players on standard contracts, with one or more two-way openings. I’d expect Brooklyn and Milwaukee to fill those two-way slots before the two-way signing deadline in early March, though they don’t necessarily have to.
The Knicks and Sixers currently only have 12 players on standard, full-season contracts. New York also has Taj Gibson on a 10-day deal, while Philadelphia is poised to sign Kyle Lowry to a rest-of-season contract. Both teams will need to make at least one more roster move by Feb. 22 after dipping down to 12 players on trade deadline day last Thursday.
As for the Suns, they’re currently carrying just 13 players on standard contracts, but it sounds like they’ve already lined up a deal with a 14th man — a report earlier today indicated that they’re preparing to sign Thaddeus Young.
Teams with one open roster spot
- Boston Celtics
- Charlotte Hornets
- Chicago Bulls
- Cleveland Cavaliers *
- Dallas Mavericks
- Indiana Pacers
- Miami Heat
- Utah Jazz
- Washington Wizards
One of the 14 players on the Cavaliers‘ standard roster is Zhaire Smith, who is on a 10-day deal. Once his contract expires next week, the Cavs will have to either re-sign him or add another 14th man — and they’ll have to do it right away.
In addition to being prohibited from carrying fewer than 14 players on standard deals for more than two weeks at a time, NBA teams are limited to 28 days of carrying fewer than 14 players over the course of a season. The Cavs have already reached that 28-day limit, having carried just 13 players from January 4-18 and again from January 28 until February 11.
The rest of these teams have 14-man standard rosters with no two-way openings, meaning there’s no urgency for them to make any moves, though they’ll likely fill those open roster slots at some point between now and the end of the season in April.
Teams with no open roster spots
- Atlanta Hawks
- Denver Nuggets
- Detroit Pistons *
- Houston Rockets
- Los Angeles Clippers
- Los Angeles Lakers
- Memphis Grizzlies *
- Oklahoma City Thunder
- Orlando Magic
- Portland Trail Blazers *
- Sacramento Kings
- San Antonio Spurs
- Toronto Raptors *
Twelve of these 13 teams have full 18-man rosters, with 15 players signed to standard contracts and three to two-way deals. However, the Pistons, Trail Blazers, and especially the Raptors are worth monitoring here, since they all have players on 10-day contracts and can open up roster spots when those deals expire.
Detroit and Portland are each carrying a single player on a 10-day deal, while Toronto has two, meaning the Raptors will dip down to 13 players on standard contracts during the All-Star break. They’ll have up to two weeks to get back to 14.
The Grizzlies are actually carrying 19 players at the moment, with 16 players on standard contracts (15 full-season deals, plus Jordan Goodwin on a 10-day) because they’ve been granted a hardship exception due to all the injured players they’re missing.
- The Pistons are increasingly looking to take advantage of Jalen Duren‘s passing skills, James Edwards III of The Athletic writes. Duren had a six-assist game against Sacramento during their current West Coast road trip. “When we throw it into him, it’s an opportunity for everyone to be open,” guard Jaden Ivey said. “He looks for us out on the perimeter. He’s finding guys. If he doesn’t have anything, he uses his strengths and abilities to put the ball in the basket.”
FEBRUARY 12: The Pistons have officially signed Evbuomwan to his 10-day contract, per NBA.com’s transaction log.
FEBRUARY 11: The Pistons are signing forward Tosan Evbuomwan to a 10-day contract, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Detroit had an open roster spot, so no corresponding move is required.
Evbuomwan, 22, spent training camp with the Pistons and has suited up this season for their G League affiliate, the Motor City Cruise. In 29 games with the Cruise, Evbuomwan has averaged 15.1 points, 8.4 rebounds and 3.9 assists. He parlayed that productivity into a 10-day hardship deal with the Grizzlies. He averaged 2.5 points and 3.5 rebounds in 18.5 minutes across four contests with Memphis before that deal expired this past week.
The 6’7″ forward had a productive collegiate career at Princeton, where he led the Tigers to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament this past season. He averaged 15.1 points, 6.3 rebounds and 4.9 assists per contest in his senior season before declaring for the draft, where he ultimately went unselected. He was the 2021/22 Ivy League Player of the Year.
Evbuomwan provides an athletic forward for depth purposes for Detroit’s new-look bench. His contract will cover the team’s final two games before the All-Star break — at Los Angeles on Feb. 13 and at Phoenix on Feb. 14 — as well as the first game after the break, which is at Indiana on Feb. 22. Since 10-day contracts must cover at least three games, the deal will run through Feb. 22 even if he signs it Sunday or Monday.
After it expires, the Pistons could decide to sign him to a second 10-day deal or let him become a free agent. After a potential second 10-day deal, he’d need to be signed to a rest-of-season contract to be retained.
The team with the league’s worst record was the most active before the trade deadline.
The Pistons reshuffled their roster, though it’s fair to wonder just what all that activity accomplished. It started a few weeks earlier, swapping some backup forwards and draft capital with the Wizards mainly to shed Marvin Bagley Jr.‘s contract.
They also made three trades before Tuesday’s deadline, most notably giving up sharpshooters Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks to the Knicks. Detroit general manager Troy Weaver failed to get a first-round pick in return, instead picking up two second-rounders, a young rotation wing in Quentin Grimes and more future cap space.
A trade with the Jazz netted forward Simone Fontecchio, who scored 20 points in his Pistons debut on Saturday. Outside of Grimes and Fontecchio – and perhaps Troy Brown Jr. – the players they added probably won’t be on next year’s roster.
The Pistons are projected to have $58-$64MM in salary cap space this offseason. The question is ‘What do they do with it?’
There have been rumblings of a reunion with Tobias Harris when the Sixers forward hits free agency but that doesn’t solve Detroit’s fundamental issue – it doesn’t have any superstars.
Cade Cunningham was supposed to be that type of player as the top pick in the 2021 draft. His sophomore season was a washout due to a shin injury. He has posted solid numbers this season but hasn’t played at an All-Star level.
Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren, the 2022 first-round picks, have shown the ability to be quality starters but haven’t produced on a consistent basis.
A bigger question is whether Cunningham and Ivey can develop true chemistry. Both are more comfortable with the ball in their hands, with Cunningham playing a craftier, more deliberate style while Ivey thrives at a higher pace.
Owner Tom Gores continues to express confidence in Weaver, even though the GM’s four-year rebuilding project has been a colossal failure. Given the team’s activity at the trade deadline, it seems as if Weaver will continue in his role during the offseason.
That brings us to our topic of the day: What should the Pistons do this summer to turn their fortunes around? What players should they target in free agency and trades with their cap space? Should they be patient with the backcourt pairing of Cunningham and Ivey or trade one of them?
Please take to the comments section to weigh on this topic. We look forward to your input.
A pair of veteran point guards have already been plucked off the buyout market, with Spencer Dinwiddie officially signing with the Lakers on Saturday and Kyle Lowry lining up a deal with the Sixers. What other notable players could hit the buyout market in the coming days and weeks?
John Hollinger of The Athletic explores that topic in depth, identifying Delon Wright, Troy Brown, Marcus Morris, and Cedi Osman as several of the most intriguing options while acknowledging that some of those players likely won’t be waived.
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- The NBA has confirmed the dates for the 2024 Las Vegas Summer League, announcing that it will take place from July 12-22 (Twitter link). That’s a few days later than the event typically begins and ends.
- Celtics wing Jaylen Brown, who signed the largest contract in league history last summer, is the most accomplished player to participate in the NBA’s dunk contest in several years. He hopes to set an example for other stars, per Souichi Terada of MassLive.com (Twitter link). “I wish more top players (and) athletes decided to compete in the dunk contest,” Brown said. “I grew up watching that, and that’s what I love. Hopefully that comes around.”
- Danny Leroux of The Athletic takes a look at where each team’s cap situation stands heading into the 2024 offseason, identifying the Pistons, Magic, Sixers, Jazz, Raptors, and Thunder as the teams with the ability to generate the most cap room.
- Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo of ESPN.com (Insider link) have updated their list of 2024’s top prospects, moving French wing Zaccharie Risacher into the No. 1 spot for the first time. Risacher is the fourth different player to sit atop ESPN’s ’24 big board since the start of the college season in November, signaling that there’s no clear-cut top prospect in this year’s draft class.
The Pistons have opened a roster spot by waiving Ryan Arcidiacono, the team announced (via Twitter).
The 29-year-old point guard was acquired Thursday in the trade that sent Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks to New York. Reports at the time indicated that Arcidiacono was likely to be released sometime after the deal was complete.
Arcidiacono has an expiring minimum-salary contract, so the Pistons won’t be on the hook for any money beyond this season.
This marked the second straight year that the Knicks have traded Arcidiacono at the deadline — they sent him to Portland 12 months ago. He returned to New York on an Exhibit 10 contract in September, but saw limited playing time, averaging just 2.3 minutes per night in 20 games.
Teams will have 48 hours to submit waiver claims for Arcidiacono. Because his salary is less than this season’s non-taxpayer mid-level exception, Arcidiacono will be eligible to sign with any team except New York if he goes unclaimed.
Arcidiacono is the fifth player the Pistons have waived since Thursday’s trade deadline, joining Killian Hayes, Joe Harris, Danuel House and Danilo Gallinari.