Detroit Pistons Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Central Notes: Maker, Korver, Baynes, Parker

February 10th, 2017 at 5:43pm CST by Milo Taibi

Howard Beck of Bleacher Report profiled Thon Maker of the Bucks; the team’s “Secret Unicorn.” Maker has been used sparingly in his rookie season – reaching double-digit minutes just four times – but has earned the respect of his colleagues in practice, earning the nickname “The Sheriff,” due to his vocal and attentive nature.

The reigning #10 overall NBA draft pick, Maker hadn’t been scouted as extensively as other players in the class of ’16. The Bucks selected Maker as a sign of confidence in their ability to nurture talent, Beck writes, opting for a “high-risk, high-ceiling” asset at No. 10.

“We look at the risk as being more minimal, only because we believe in the person,” Bucks GM John Hammond said regarding Maker.

Leading up to tonight’s match-up with the Lakers, coach Jason Kidd announced Maker would replace the injured Jabari Parker in Milwaukee’s starting five.

Other goings-on around the Central…

Kyle Korver has fit in nicely on the Cavaliers bench, Dave McMenamin of ESPN writes. Dubbed “The American Eagle” by teammates, Korver has averaged 10.4 points on 49.4% shooting from beyond the arc since being dealt to Cleveland. “Kyle is getting more and more comfortable with what we want to do offensively and defensively,” LeBron James said of his teammate. “The one by our bench that he caught that was thrown all the way over the top to our bench, and he just looked at the floor, and Glenn Robinson III was right in his face, and he still shot it? That’s just a sharpshooter right there.”
The Pistons bench has provided a lift on each end of the court, Rod Beard of The Detroit News writes. “Any time we start getting those stops, we get out in transition and that’s where we start looking good,” Aron Baynes said. “The coaches have been making a point that we need to get better all year. The last few games the starters have been taking that message and it’s fuel for the team.” The second unit’s excellent play is much-needed, as Detroit’s starting lineup have averaged 81.2PPG, 24th in the league.
Stephen Watson of WISN spoke with Bucks GM John Hammond, who noted “we feel comfortable with who we are,” following Parker‘s season-ending injury. While Hammond also mentioned “the trade deadline is approaching,” it appears the team does not have an immediate contingency plan to replace Parker in Kidd‘s rotation. Parker was having a career year prior to his ACL injury, averaging 20.1 points with 6.2 rebounds through 51 games. In the interim, Lakers coach Luke Walton said he expects Milwaukee to “rally around Parker’s situation,” according to Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 2/9/17

February 9th, 2017 at 3:09pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are Thursday’s D-League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:

Rookie big man Diamond Stone has been recalled by the Clippers, according to Rowan Kavner of Clippers.com (via Twitter). Stone averaged 19.7 PPG in three games during his latest stint with the Salt Lake City Stars, though he also received a pair of DNP-CDs. Since the Clips don’t have a D-League team of their own, Stone has played for other teams’ affiliates this season, including Golden State’s and Utah’s.
Chris McCullough continues to bounce back and forth between the NBA and D-League, having been reassigned to the Long Island Nets today, the team announced in a press release. Brooklyn’s D-League affiliate isn’t in action again until Saturday, so we’ll see how long McCullough’s assignments lasts this time around.
We missed this announcement on Wednesday, but the Pistons have sent Henry Ellenson and Michael Gbinije back to the Grand Rapids Drive. Stan Van Gundy expects the duo to remain on assignment through Friday’s game, per Keith Langlois of Pistons.com (Twitter link).

Baynes Ranked The Most Likely Piston To Be Moved

February 7th, 2017 at 5:58pm CST by Austin Kent

In response to Stan Van Gundy saying that “everybody is available,” Aaron McMann of MLive ranked Pistons players based on how likely they are to be traded before the February 23 deadline. Heading the list is Aron Baynes, while Reggie Bullock and Reggie Jackson round out the top three. Jackson, it’s worth mentioning, would presumably bring in the biggest haul, despite the fact that his numbers have declined from last year.

NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 2/6/17

February 6th, 2017 at 2:26pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are Monday’s D-League assignments and recalls from around the league:

2:26pm:

The Spurs have assigned guard Bryn Forbes to Austin, according to a press release from the club. Forbes has been impressive in D-League action this season, averaging 23.0 PPG in 12 contests.
Rookie big man Deyonta Davis has been assigned to the Iowa Energy, the Grizzlies announced today in a press release. Memphis has used its D-League affiliate sparingly this season — this will be Davis’ first assignment to Iowa.

12:06pm:

The Pistons have recalled rookies Henry Ellenson and Michael Gbinije from the D-League, according to a press release issued by the team. The duo played a significant role in Grand Rapids’ Saturday win over the Raptors 905, with Gbinije scoring a team-high 29 points, while Ellenson added 25.
Speaking of the Raptors, they’ve sent point guard Delon Wright to their D-League affiliate, the team announced today (via Twitter).
Rookie forward Georges Niang has been assigned to the D-League by the Pacers, the team announced in a press release. Niang, who has played sparingly in 21 games for Indiana, has averaged 17.8 PPG in four games for the Fort Wayne Mad Ants.
With their D-League affiliate not in action until Wednesday, the Nets have recalled Chris McCullough, per a team release. It’s already the 17th time this season that Brooklyn has recalled McCullough from Long Island.

Hornets Sign Ray McCallum To 10-Day Deal

February 3rd, 2017 at 2:07pm CST by Arthur Hill

2:07pm: The Hornets have officially signed McCallum, the team announced today in a press release.

9:57am: The Hornets will sign point guard Ray McCallum to a 10-day contract, tweets Shams Charania of The Vertical.

McCallum, who has played for the Kings, Spurs and Grizzlies in his three-year NBA career, has spent this season with Grand Rapids in the D-League, where he is averaging 18.2 points and 7.5 assists per game.

The 25-year-old was waived by the Pistons just before the start of the season. He appeared to have a roster spot won, but was let go when the organization decided to claim Beno Udrih off waviers.

The Hornets had an opening after Thursday’s trade that sent Roy Hibbert and Spencer Hawes to the Bucks in exchange for Miles Plumlee. Charlotte also signed center Mike Tobey to a 10-day contract on Thursday.

Van Gundy Not Surprised Baynes Plans To Opt Out

February 2nd, 2017 at 10:32pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy said it’s “hardly a surprise” that backup center Aron Baynes intends to opt out of his contract this summer, Aaron McMann of MLive.com reports. Baynes holds a $6.5MM option and reportedly has been shopped, in part because he’s expected to enter the free agent market this summer. “We don’t want to lose him,” Van Gundy told McMann and other beat writers. “I would love to be able to bring him back here, I really would. But at the same time, we knew going into the summer that was going to be a possibility — and that’s why we went out and signed Boban (Marjanovic) a year in advance and we had money, because we anticipated it.”

NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 2/2/17

February 2nd, 2017 at 5:20pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Here are Thursday’s D-League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:

The Pistons recalled forward Henry Ellenson and guards Michael Gbinije and Darrun Hilliard from their affiliate in Grand Rapids, Rod Beard of the Detroit News tweets. That trio was assigned to the Drive on Wednesday to get some game action. Hilliard scored 29 points against Westchester, while first-round pick Ellenson racked up 20 points, nine rebounds and seven assists. Gbinije, a 2016 second-rounder, went scoreless in 30 minutes.
The Thunder once again assigned forward Josh Huestis to the Oklahoma City Blue, the team announced in a press release. Huestis has started 21 games for the Blue, averaging 13.9 PPG and 6.1 RPG in 32.4 MPG. Huestis made his season debut with the Thunder on Wednesday, scoring seven points in seven minutes against the Bulls.

Pistons Exploring Trade Market For Baynes, Boban

February 2nd, 2017 at 8:32am CST by Luke Adams

FEBRUARY 2: Asked about Wednesday’s report, Baynes suggested that he hasn’t yet decided to opt out of his contract with the Pistons this summer, according to Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press.

“I definitely haven’t thought about anything yet,” Baynes said. “It’s not even All-Star break. There’s a long way left in this season. I’m just trying to go out there and make the most of it.”

While Baynes may not be considering his offseason decision, his representatives have likely thought about it, and an opt-out would certainly make sense. Last summer, only three veterans with player options actually exercised them, and none of those three players – Mo Williams, Tim Duncan, and Caron Butler – have appeared in an NBA game this season.

FEBRUARY 1: The Pistons are exploring the trade market for possible deals involving Aron Baynes and Boban Marjanovic, league sources tell Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders. It’s not clear what sort of return the team would be seeking for its bigs.

Baynes, 30, joined the Pistons as a free agent in 2015 after spending the first three seasons of his NBA career in San Antonio. The Washington State alum has been a key part of Detroit’s rotation during the last two seasons, averaging 5.6 PPG and 4.4 RPG in 126 games (15.2 MPG). Baynes has a $6.5MM player option on his contract for the 2017/18 season, but league sources tell Scotto that the big man intends to turn that option down and become an unrestricted free agent this summer.

Marjanovic, meanwhile, also came to the Pistons as a Spurs free agent, inking a three-year, $21MM deal with Detroit last summer. In his first season with the club though, Marjanovic has played sparingly, appearing in just 20 games and averaging only 7.3 MPG. He saw his most extensive playing time in January when Baynes only played 17 minutes in a five-game span.

Baynes’ value on the trade market will likely be limited, since he can become a free agent this summer. Marjanovic is under contract through 2018/19, but has yet to show he can be a consistent and productive rotation player, which may make teams hesitant to pursue him. Neither player figures to produce a significant return for Detroit, but we’ll see if the Pistons end up moving one or the other in the coming weeks.

NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 2/1/17

February 1st, 2017 at 10:58pm CST by Arthur Hill

Here are Wednesday’s D-League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:

The Pistons sent Henry Ellenson and Michael Gbinije to their Grand Rapids affiliate, tweets Rod Beard of The Detroit News. Shooting guard Darrun Hilliard, who has appeared in just 26 games this season, was also sent down after requesting the move as a way to see game action (Twitter link). “He just wanted to play,” said coach Stan Van Gundy.

High Hopes Remain For Ellenson, Johnson

February 1st, 2017 at 6:03pm CST by Arthur Hill

Henry Ellenson has only played in 14 NBA games, but the rookie big man has performed well enough in the D-League to the keep the Pistons optimistic about his future, according to Keith Langlois of NBA.com. Ellenson averaged 20 points and nine rebounds per game during his most recent trip to Grand Rapids. Langlois notes that he was taken with the pick that Detroit traded last year for Donatas Motiejunas then regained when the deal was rescinded. “I think the guy is a really, really talented offensive guy and I have great confidence in his work ethic, that he’ll work at it and get better,” said coach/executive Stan Van Gundy.
Pistons second-year swingman Stanley Johnson credits weight loss for his increased playing time, relays Rod Beard of The Detroit News. Johnson has dropped about 15 pounds and has become a reliable backup to shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. “The two things to me are he’s gotten in shape — which he wasn’t to start the year — and he’s gotten much more coachable,” Van Gundy said.