Detroit Pistons Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Cade Cunningham Returns Saturday

January 27th, 2024 at 11:48am CST by Tristan Tucker

The Pistons are fully healthy for the first time this season, as Cade Cunningham is making his return to action after missing nearly three weeks due to a knee injury, per The Athletic’s James L. Edwards III (Twitter link). After Monte Morris made his season debut on Wednesday, the Pistons will have their full rotation available on Saturday.

With Cunningham active, the Pistons turned to a starting lineup of Cunningham, Jaden Ivey, Bojan Bogdanovic, Isaiah Stewart and Jalen Duren, according to Omari Sankofa II of Detroit Free Press (Twitter link). When Cunningham was out, Killian Hayes drew the start in his place, averaging 4.4 points and 7.4 assists per game during that stretch. He’ll head back to the bench with Cunningham healthy.

Getting Cunningham back is undoubtedly a huge boost for a Pistons team whose second unit appears to be clicking more as of late. Morris helped in his return, and Detroit has looked better since acquiring veterans Danilo Gallinari and Mike Muscala in a trade with the Wizards on Jan. 14. For what it’s worth, the Pistons are 2-3 since that trade, with the ninth-best offensive rating in the league in that stretch. They also haven’t lost a game by double digits since Jan. 10.

In 36 games (all starts) with Detroit this season, Cunningham holds averages of 22.8 points, 7.3 assists and 4.1 rebounds. He leads the team in points and assists.

Jazz, Suns, Pistons Among Possible Miles Bridges Suitors

January 26th, 2024 at 11:20am CST by Luke Adams

The Jazz, Suns, and Pistons are among the teams that have called the Hornets to inquire on forward Miles Bridges, reports Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports.

Bridges, 25, is considered a potential trade candidate for a Hornets team that appears lottery-bound and already moved one key player (Terry Rozier) this week in exchange for a first-round pick. Bridges has been productive in his return to the court this season, averaging 20.8 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 2.9 assists in 37.0 minutes per game across 31 appearances, with a shooting line of .455/.355/.866.

However, Bridges’ trade value is complicated by a couple factors. One is his contract situation. Having accepted his qualifying offer as a restricted free agent last summer, Bridges will be an unrestricted free agent after this season. He also has the ability to veto a trade and would lose his Bird rights if he’s dealt this season, which could affect what a team is willing to give up to acquire him.

The other factor limiting Bridges’ trade value is his legal situation off the court. The Hornets forward sat out the entire 2022/23 season following accusations of domestic violence and has faced new allegations following the resolution of that case. While the former Michigan State star would be an ideal fit on the court for many teams seeking another wing or forward with size, there may be teams unwilling to pursue him due to the off-court allegations.

According to Fischer, the Jazz are viewed as both a buyer and seller at this season’s trade deadline. While players like Jordan Clarkson, Collin Sexton, and Talen Horton-Tucker are considered available, Utah is also keeping an eye out for possible additions who could help the team win now. One item on the Jazz’s wish list is a veteran who could handle point guard duties while rookie Keyonte George continues to learn the ropes. Hawks guard Dejounte Murray is one player Utah has expressed interest in, says Fischer.

The Suns’ interest in Bridges was reported earlier this week and has since been confirmed by Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Unlike Utah and Detroit, Phoenix isn’t in position to open up cap room this summer to potentially re-sign Bridges and would likely have to view him as a rental. However, if the cost is modest enough due to Bridges’ expiring contract and legal issues – perhaps Nassir Little and a couple second-round picks – the Suns would still be interested.

According to Fischer, the Suns are eyeing potential rotation players at various positions who could be acquired using Little as the primary outgoing salary-matching piece. That group includes guards Delon Wright and Monte Morris, forwards Jae’Sean Tate and Royce O’Neale, and center Nick Richards.

As for the Pistons, they project to have significant cap room this summer and appear to be attempting to get a head-start on free agency by acquiring a player to whom they could dedicate a chunk of that room. They were linked to Pascal Siakam before he was sent to Indiana and have reportedly discussed Zach LaVine as well.

In his latest Substack article, Marc Stein says that those talks with the Bulls about LaVine have “by no means gone dormant,” noting that the Pistons maintain interest in the two-time All-Star.

Pistons Rumors: Core, Murray, LaVine, Bojan, Burks, Morris

January 25th, 2024 at 7:59am CST by Luke Adams

The Pistons have already completed one in-season trade and are open to making more deals, but there are a few players on the roster who are considered essentially off-limits in trade discussions, writes James L. Edwards III of The Athletic.

According to Edwards, those players are Cade Cunningham, Ausar Thompson, Jalen Duren, and Jaden Ivey. There’s a belief that Detroit has no interest in moving any of those four youngsters in the immediate future and views them as the club’s “blue-chip pieces,” says Edwards.

While it’s no surprise that Cunningham, Thompson, and Duren in that group, Ivey’s inclusion was perhaps less of a certainty, given that his role has fluctuated under new head coach Monty Williams. However, the former No. 5 overall pick has received a minutes bump in recent weeks and is averaging 17.7 points and 4.8 assists per game in his last 14 appearances (all starts).

Here’s more on the Pistons and their trade deadline plans:

The Hawks initiated talks with the Pistons a few weeks ago about guard Dejounte Murray, according to Edwards, who says Atlanta was interested in Thompson and Ivey, among others. Detroit didn’t have interest in moving forward with those talks, given the Hawks’ asking price, sources tell The Athletic.
The Pistons have also spoken to the Bulls about Zach LaVine, but Chicago “appears to be locked in” on a package that would include Bojan Bogdanovic and one of those four young players Detroit doesn’t want to move, Edwards writes. While the Pistons wouldn’t want to make that sort of deal, they might have interest in LaVine if the Bulls lowered their asking price.
Although the Pistons aren’t actively shopping Bogdanovic or Alec Burks, they appear more open to moving the two veterans than they were a year ago, says Edwards. Bogdanovic has a $19MM partially guaranteed salary for next season, while Burks is on an expiring contract. According to Edwards, Detroit may end up pushing its decision on Bogdanovic to the summer and feels like it has a chance to re-sign Burks. However, neither player is off the table in the next couple weeks — Edwards believes an offer of at least two “really good” second-round picks would be enough for the Pistons to seriously consider moving Burks.
Monte Morris made his season debut for the Pistons on Wednesday and played well, registering seven points, three assists, and three rebounds in 11 minutes. The veteran guard said after the game that he felt good, though he believes he has room to improve (Twitter link via Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press). League sources tell Edwards that potential suitors have expressed interest in Morris and will want to see how he performs upon returning from injury. It’s not a given that Detroit will trade the guard at the deadline, Edwards notes.

Cade Cunningham To Miss At Least One More Game

January 24th, 2024 at 5:21pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Pistons considered having Cade Cunningham return tonight, but coach Monty Williams will give him at least one more game off to recover from a left knee strain, tweets Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press. “We felt like we were in a good place, but decided to make sure he’s in a good place before he’s out there,” Williams said in a pregame meeting with reporters. Cunningham was originally listed as probable before downgraded to questionable and then out.

Pistons’ Cunningham, Morris Probable To Play Wednesday

January 23rd, 2024 at 10:05pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Pistons could have their full complement of players for the first time this season when they face the Hornets on Wednesday.

Cade Cunningham and Monte Morris are listed as probable to play, James Edwards III of The Athletic tweets.

Cunningham hasn’t played since departing Detroit’s Jan. 7 game at Denver after 11 minutes with a left knee strain. The Pistons’ franchise player, who is extension-eligible after the season, has missed the past seven games. He’s averaging 22.8 points, 7.3 assists and 4.1 rebounds per contest this season.

Morris would be making his season – and Pistons – debut if he checks into the game. Morris has been sidelined due to a right quad strain. He was affected during the preseason by lower back soreness, then hurt his quad while rehabbing his back injury.

Morris was acquired from Washington in July and was expected to back up Jaden Ivey and Cunningham. He has an expiring $9.8MM contract, which could come in handy as the four-win Pistons explore trades to build a better future.

Trade Rumors: R. Williams, Knicks, Lakers, Hawks, Wizards

January 23rd, 2024 at 8:00am CST by Luke Adams

Trail Blazers center Robert Williams won’t play again this season after undergoing knee surgery in November, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he’s off the table in trade talks. Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report and TNT suggested during the latest episode of the #thisleague UNCUT podcast that Williams is a trade candidate to watch.

“There are some teams that are pondering making a move for Robert Williams,” Haynes said (hat tip to Blazer’s Edge). “Now, I know Robert Williams is out for the season, had another surgery on his right knee. But teams feel like he would be somebody they could get on the cheap right now and allow him to continue recovering, continue rehabbing in hopes that next season he can blossom back into the Robert Williams that we’ve seen when he was playing at a high level with the Boston Celtics.”

Williams was one of the players acquired by Portland in October’s Jrue Holiday deal with the Celtics. While he has shown some promise in his first few years in the NBA, is still just 26 years old, and is on a multiyear contract, there was a sense that the Blazers could be willing to flip the big man to a new team, given that they already have their center of the future in Deandre Ayton. Haynes confirms that’s the case.

“The Blazers will be very open (to moving Williams),” Haynes said. “That’s not up for debate. They’ll be very open. If they feel like they can get the right deal in place, they’re open. The Blazers, they’re in a youth movement right now, so they have nothing but time on their side. Some players don’t fit the development arc of most of the youth they have on that team. Robert Williams is somebody who is definitely available, given the right price.”

While Haynes didn’t specify exactly which teams are potential suitors for Williams, he noted that Ime Udoka is “very fond” of the big man after coaching him in Boston and speculated that the Rockets could have interest.

Here are a few more trade rumors from around the NBA:

Discussing the Knicks‘ approach to the trade deadline on the Katz and Shoot podcast, Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports said Trail Blazers guard Malcolm Brogdon is the player he has heard most frequently linked to New York (Twitter video link). Fred Katz of The Athletic cited Pistons guard Alec Burks as another player the Knicks had their eye on and confirmed the team has looked into Dejounte Murray, but isn’t sure whether that interest in the Hawks guard is serious or just a matter of the Knicks doing their due diligence.
Murray, Bruce Brown, Terry Rozier, and Tyus Jones are potential Lakers trade targets to keep an eye on, Shams Charania of The Athletic said during FanDuel’s Run it Back show (Twitter video link). The team’s interest in all four guards has been previously reported.
Charania also confirms a previous report about the Lakers and Hawks discussing Murray, adding that a pick swap was part of those negotiations. The talks stalled due to Atlanta’s desire to reroute D’Angelo Russell to a third team, but Charania expects the two teams to resume those discussions before the trade deadline.
Only one Wizards player is truly off-limits in trade talks at this season’s deadline, according to Charania (Twitter video link): 2023 lottery pick Bilal Coulibaly. Washington would be open to inquiries on anyone else on the roster.

Pistons Notes: Muscala, Thompson, Ivey, Cap Room

January 22nd, 2024 at 10:06am CST by Arthur Hill

The Pistons got a strong performance from their new-look bench in Saturday’s loss to Milwaukee, writes Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press. Alec Burks scored 33 points and teamed with newly acquired Mike Muscala to hit 11-of-18 shots from beyond the arc as Detroit’s reserves put up 85 points, the most of any team this season. Muscala has noticed a commitment to effort from his new teammates since being acquired in a trade last week.

“Guys play really hard here, and it’s an honor to be a part of that,” he said. “It was a good game today, we just couldn’t get it done, especially on defense. We get a chance to play them again on Monday, and obviously they’re a great team. They have a lot of weapons on offense, but I thought we battled hard today.”

Rookie forward Ausar Thompson, who started for much of the first half of the season, has also become an important part of the bench unit, and Sankofa notes that his rebounding and ability to attack the basket make him an effective complement to Muscala. Coach Monty Williams seems confident in his current bench group.

“Ausar coming off the bench and knocking down shots was huge for his confidence and huge for the development of our young group,” Williams said. “Having (Danilo) Gallinari and Mike out there, they’re seamlessly fitting in and figuring out how we play. Burks has been phenomenal. His ability to score the ball, his ability to communicate and help the young guys on the floor have helped us a ton. You don’t typically get that kind of bench production, but with the vets we have coming off the bench, it certainly helps us.”

There’s more from Detroit:

Jaden Ivey has excelled over the past two weeks with Cade Cunningham sidelined by a left knee strain, and he’ll continue to have a role in running the offense once Cunningham returns, Sankofa adds. “It’s good to see him not just score the ball. Like I said he’s defending, attacking the basket, knocking down open shots,” Williams said. “I think it’s going to be a good complement with those two playing together within the system.”
The Pistons could have $60MM in cap room this summer, and James L. Edwards III and John Hollinger of The Athletic look at how they might spend it, agreeing that it’s likely to be more useful in trading for big salaries rather than signing free agents. Hollinger speculates that the Pistons might have interest in Andrew Wiggins if the Warriors can’t move him before the trade deadline, although he’s a gamble with three years and $85MM left on his contract. Hollinger mentions a few other potential targets with long-term deals, including the Nuggets‘ Zeke Nnaji, the Suns‘ Nassir Little and the Kings‘ Davion Mitchell.
The NBA has moved the starting time of the Pistons’ January 28 contest against the Thunder so it doesn’t conflict with the Detroit Lions’ playoff game on that Sunday, tweets Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press.

Central Notes: Beasley, Siakam, Nance, Pistons

January 21st, 2024 at 2:01pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Speaking to Shams Charania of Stadium (Twitter video link), Bucks shooting guard Malik Beasley explained the thinking behind his decision to sign Milwaukee over the summer when he reached unrestricted free agency.

“Definitely wanted to win a championship, that was one of my goals,” Beasley said. “I felt that I’m at a point in my career where I just want to win and do whatever I can for the team. With the Bucks I felt like the dynamic of Giannis (Antetokounmpo) and being able to space the floor for them, I felt like that was huge. I looked into all that, making sure I would be able to get some reps, making sure I’d be able to get some playing time.”

“I do feel like I’m one of the best shooters in the league,” Beasley added. “I’m not try to be cocky or anything, I’m just confident.”

There’s more out of the Central Division:

Pascal Siakam‘s new Pacers teammates were encouraged by his strong debut for the club, a 21-point showing in a 118-115 loss to the Trail Blazers, per Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star. “We were just learning how to go on the fly, just going off our basketball brains,” All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton said. “It’s like playing pickup a little bit out there. That’s the exciting part for us I think is we get back here is, we played alright, but there’s so much more room for us.”
Cavaliers 10-day signee Pete Nance is reveling in his opportunity to play for his favorite team, writes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (subscription required). “It’s surreal,” Nance told Fedor. “The goal was to get a call-up from the G League at some point, but to have it be the Cavs, it’s just a really cool thing for me. I’m super excited. I grew up a lifelong Cavs fan. Something I’ve thought about my whole life. I’ve been working for this my whole life. It’s a dream come true.” Pete’s father Larry Nance played for the Cavs from 1988-94, while his brother Larry Nance Jr. was with the team from 2018-21.
The struggling Pistons face an intriguing trade deadline. In a new reader mailbag, Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press (subscription required) unpacks Detroit’s options, suggesting that the team will essentially view the trade deadline as an opportunity to get a head-start on the offseason by adding players who will be with the team beyond this season.

Injury Notes: Cunningham, LaVine, Hawks, Spurs, Whitehead

January 19th, 2024 at 11:51am CST by Luke Adams

Pistons guard Cade Cunningham, who has been out since January 7 due to a left knee strain, has been cleared to resume basketball activities, the team announced today in a press release. According to the Pistons, the plan is for Cunningham to begin ramping up for a return to action, which should happen within the next five-to-seven days.

Here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA:

After rolling his right ankle in the third quarter of Thursday’s win over Toronto, Bulls guard Zach LaVine headed to the locker room, then returned to the bench and played a couple minutes in the fourth quarter, but he didn’t finish the game and it was “obvious” he wasn’t quite right, says Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. It’s unclear if the injury – which affected the same foot that cost LaVine 17 games earlier in the season – will force him to miss any additional time.
Hawks rookie Mouhamed Gueye (right low back stress fracture) has increased the intensity of his individual work and is now doing full-court activity, per the team (Twitter link). Gueye will be reevaluated in two or three weeks. In other Hawks health news, Trae Young has been ruled out for Friday’s game in Miami due to an illness, according to Lauren L. Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Twitter links).
Spurs big man Zach Collins is on track to return from his ankle sprain on Friday in Charlotte, says Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News (Twitter link). The club has a back-to-back set tonight and tomorrow, so McDonald anticipates Collins will play on Friday and sit on Saturday, while Victor Wembanyama will be out tonight and play tomorrow.
The Nets announced on Thursday that rookie Dariq Whitehead has been diagnosed with a left shin stress reaction, adding that possible treatment options are still being considered, according to Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter link).

Latest On Dejounte Murray

January 18th, 2024 at 4:19pm CST by Rory Maher

Hawks guard Dejounte Murray has reportedly drawn plenty of trade interest this season, and ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski previously stated he believes there’s a very good chance the former All-Star will be moved prior to the February 8 deadline.

Michael Scotto of HoopsHype evaluates the teams that have been linked to Murray and offers new intel on the 27-year-old’s market. For example, league sources tell Scotto that in a potential Murray deal, in addition to acquiring draft and player assets, Atlanta does not want to take on salary beyond the 2023/24 season.

A Lakers deal for Murray would likely include D’Angelo Russell, according to Scotto’s sources, but the Hawks aren’t interested in Russell — they’d have to be able to flip him to a third team in that scenario. As Scotto explains, Russell has a $18.9MM player option for 2024/25 and isn’t viewed as a viable fit alongside another offense-first guard in Trae Young.

The Hawks did inquire about Austin Reaves in talks with L.A., but Scotto confirms the Lakers shot down that idea. Reaves is in the first season of a four-year contract — it’s unclear if Atlanta would want to keep the 25-year-old guard or potentially flip him as well.

As first reported by Scotto, the Knicks have looked into Murray. However, due to their strong play of late after acquiring OG Anunoby, Scotto hears New York doesn’t want to meet Atlanta’s asking price. The Nets also haven’t been inclined to offer a minimum of two first-round picks for Murray, per Scotto.

For various reasons, the Sixers, Pistons and Heat — three other teams linked to Murray — aren’t viewed as great fits, Scotto writes. It’s unclear what the Spurs are thinking this early in their rebuild, but Murray did say on Monday that he would welcome the opportunity to play for his former team and coach.