Detroit Pistons Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Atlantic Notes: Martin, Bridges, Thomas, Tatum

December 24th, 2023 at 3:15pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Sixers have an intriguing trade chip in wing KJ Martin, but he’s hoping to prove that they should keep him around, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer.

“I’ve been traded twice already, so I feel like I have an understanding [that] stuff happens for a reason,” Martin said. “If I stay here, then hopefully, you know, I’m trying to get the opportunity to show what I can do. You feel me? I never am the type of person to be super, super down on myself about stuff that I really can’t control.”

Martin’s minutes have been significantly reduced, now that he’s playing on a legitimate contender. He started 49 of 82 games for Houston last season, but is averaging only 5.5 minutes in 15 appearances with Philadelphia.

“Obviously, it’s an adjustment,” Martin said. “Last season, I played 29, 30 minutes a game. So that’s the only tough thing about it. I have 200-plus games under my belt at this point and I just want to go out and compete.”

There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:

Nets forward Mikal Bridges recently voiced his sympathy towards his former Suns head coach Monty Williams, now coaching the Pistons through a 26-game losing streak, writes Mark W. Sanchez of The New York Post. “Definitely wouldn’t want that on anybody, especially not Mont,” Bridges said. “Such a great dude and works so hard and really good coach. So it’s tough… That’s my guy. Obviously, I don’t want him losing like this.”
The Nets beat the Pistons 126-115 on Saturday, which gave Detroit an NBA record-tying 26-game losing streak. Nets guard Cam Thomas acknowledged in a postgame interview with the YES Network (YouTube video link via ESPN) that Brooklyn does not want to be the club that the Pistons beat to end their losing streak. “Obviously, you don’t want to be that team [to lose to Detroit], so we just wanted to come out, be aggressive and try to get a win tonight,” Thomas said. Brooklyn will face Detroit again on Tuesday.
Celtics All-NBA forward Jayson Tatum is doing his darnedest to play through a painful sprained ankle for the East’s No. 1 seed, writes Jared Weiss of The Athletic. He missed one contest with the injury, against the Kings, before returning for a blowout win over the Clippers on Saturday. “I’ve been out for three days, and I don’t like missing games,” Tatum said. “So I was excited to get back out there with the team and play today.”

Pistons Notes: Losing Streak, Trade Market, Weaver, Harris

December 24th, 2023 at 9:00am CST by Arthur Hill

The Pistons keep making the wrong kind of history as their losing streak has now reached record territory, writes Brian Mahoney of The Associated Press. Detroit dropped its 26th consecutive game Saturday night in Brooklyn, moving into a tie with the 2010/11 Cavaliers and 2013/14 Sixers for the longest single-season slide in NBA history.

There are no obvious win opportunities on the horizon as the team prepares for a rematch with the Nets on Tuesday, followed by a trip to Boston on Thursday. Two more losses would tie the Pistons with Philadelphia for the league’s longest losing streak of any kind, which was set during the 2014/15 and 2015/16 seasons.

“Everybody wants to win, everybody hates losing, so it’s hard,” Cade Cunningham said. “We’ve got to be realistic as well. Can’t just keep saying the same things over and over, like we’ll get the next one. There has to be like a plan of action, so we’re just trying to figure that out.”

Detroit stayed close for much of Saturday’s game, trailing by just two points midway through the third quarter before Brooklyn pulled away. Mahoney notes that familiar mistakes were a problem again for a team that commits the most fouls per game at 22.8 and ranks 29th in turnovers at 16.6 per night.

“We had a lot of tough breaks this year, but I try not to look at life that way. It just happens,” coach Monty Williams said. “When you turn it over 14 times you don’t expect 22 points, but it happens. Those live turnovers, they’re basketball death for possessions and we’ve had a lot of those this year.”

There’s more on the Pistons:

Detroit needs to be active on the trade market, not only to stop the losing streak but to get the franchise moving in the right direction, contends James L. Edwards of The Athletic. Owner Tom Gores vowed this week that changes are coming, and Edwards believes the current team relies too heavily on young players without enough veterans to teach them how to succeed.
Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press offers similar advice, stating that general manager Troy Weaver has placed too much emphasis on preserving cap space and not enough on acquiring talent. Sankofa hears that the front office is prioritizing veterans in trade talks and is hoping to “address glaring areas of need.” Those are numerous, he adds, as the current roster doesn’t have enough shooting, depth or defensive prowess. Sources tell Sankofa that ownership doesn’t plan an immediate move involving Weaver or anyone on the coaching staff, with the trade market being viewed as the best source of help.
Saturday marked an emotional return to Brooklyn for Joe Harris, who was traded to Detroit this summer after spending seven seasons with the Nets, per Mark W. Sanchez of The New York Post. “[Brooklyn] means everything,” Harris said. “This is literally where I developed into an NBA player — here. If it wasn’t for my stop in Brooklyn, I’m not sure I’d be in a similar spot. You like to think that you would, but there’s a lot of dots that gotta be connected.”

Pistons Owner Tom Gores: “We Will Make Changes”

December 23rd, 2023 at 11:55am CST by Tristan Tucker

After the Pistons inched closer to making the wrong kind of history by losing to the depleted Jazz on Thursday night, Pistons owner Tom Gores spoke to select media to address Detroit’s current 25-game skid.

“I think [the fans] deserve an answer,” Gores said in a Q&A with The Athletic’s James L. Edwards III and others.

While the Pistons weren’t expected to be a contender this season, they were hoping to take steps toward being a more competitive team. Clubs such as the Magic and Thunder have catapulted themselves into playoff contention this year behind young cores, and while the Pistons were definitely a tier below those two, the goal was to at least vie for a play-in spot following four straight seasons with 23 or fewer wins.

Detroit hired Monty Williams, who oversaw Phoenix’s transformation into a contender from a rebuilding team, and got former No. 1 overall pick Cade Cunningham back from injury. The Pistons also have multiple promising young players, including Jalen Duren, Ausar Thompson and Jaden Ivey. Despite making what seemed like decent moves on paper, they never addressed their three-point shooting and are the worst team in the league in that regard. Now, rather than taking a leap forward, they’ve regressed and are at the lowest point of their rebuild.

However, Gores still believes in the future of the team and sees the Pistons as having the flexibility to improve moving forward.

“So, as much as this vision feels blurry, to me, it’s the same vision I had at the beginning of the season about a bright future,” Gores said. “… We have an incredible set of young players. We’ve built ourselves to be flexible and nimble, so we’re not stuck in this problem. We have a problem. We’ve lost way too many games. We’re not stuck in it, though. We’re nimble. We can bounce from this. We have a tremendous amount of cap space.”

Despite his optimistic outlook on the franchise’s overall health, Gores insisted that changes are imminent.

“We require change,” Gores said. “We’re not doing well. As far as where we were going in getting this set of players and flexibility, I think the work is still there. We have to assess what’s not working. I’m down to Monty and I talking about rotations. I don’t normally do that. Monty is so good and knows what’s he doing, he’s open to even talking about it. We do have to change something. I can’t tell you what it exactly is. … We’re on it already. We will make changes. We will make them. We don’t know exactly what they’ll be yet.”

While he was unwilling to commit to specific changes, Gores said they’ll have to be made “in the near future.” He also went on to say that a successful season would be getting wins and keeping the health of the young core in tact. However, Gores was clear he wants changes to extend to the roster as well.

“I expect [general manager] Troy [Weaver] to find ways to change the makeup of our team and find ways to be more successful,” Gores said. “I do expect him to find ways, and he knows that. If we do nothing to improve ourselves, I’m going to be disappointed. That’s nothing new to Troy. He knows that.”

Gores ended the interview by shutting down outside perceptions that there are voices moving in different directions within the organization, as well as they idea that he’d sell the team, as fans chanted on Thursday.

“They can say what they want, but that’s ridiculous,” Gores said. “Other than winning — and we should win more games — we do a lot in the community. Players, the organization, we do a lot in the community. If you put aside winning, we’ve made a very big difference in the community. That means a lot to me. I understand that’s only going to mean a lot to people if we win, but the underworking of what’s happening and with our community, over all these years, is there. We’re doing multibillion-dollar things outside of (basketball). I understand the fans being upset, but it’s a ridiculous thought.“

Poll: When Will The Pistons Get Their Next Win?

December 22nd, 2023 at 2:45pm CST by Luke Adams

The Pistons are on the verge of making the wrong kind of history after losing their 25th consecutive game on Thursday vs. Utah.

Last night’s matchup looked like a prime opportunity for Detroit to snap its lengthy winless streak, which began way back in October. The team was playing at home against a shorthanded Jazz squad that was missing top scorers Lauri Markkanen and Jordan Clarkson and point guards Keyonte George and Talen Horton-Tucker, among others. But the Jazz – who got a season-high 27 points from Kelly Olynyk and at least 13 from all five starters – pulled out the victory.

The Pistons are now nearing two ignominious NBA records. Losing a 26th game in a row on Saturday would put them in a tie for the longest single-season losing streak in league history. If they lose three more in a row, they’d tie the record for the longest total losing streak (including across multiple seasons): 28 games. A total of four more consecutive losses would put them in sole position of both records.

Over the course of the 25-game losing streak, there haven’t even been many close calls for the Pistons — they haven’t lost by five points or fewer since November 20, and they only have two such losses during the entire streak. The other 23 losses have been by at least six points, and many have been far more one-sided than that.

Detroit has been the NBA’s worst three-point shooting team this season, ranking dead last in makes per game (9.7) and percentage (33.0%). Protecting the ball on offense and taking it away on defense have also been major issues. The Pistons’ 16.6 turnovers per game rank 29th in the NBA, as do their 6.3 steals per night. On top of that, no team commits more fouls per game (22.8) than Detroit.

Put it all together and it’s perhaps no surprise that Cade Cunningham‘s assertion on Thursday that there’s “no way” the Pistons are “2-26 bad” elicited eye-rolls from many fans. But he might have a point — the team’s -11.4 net rating is in the same ballpark as that of the 7-19 Hornets (-10.8) and it’s actually ahead of the mark that the 4-23 Spurs have posted (-11.6).

Still, it’s safe to assume that the Pistons aren’t going to enter a game as a betting favorite until perhaps January 10 at home vs. San Antonio, so if they’re going to avoid setting a new NBA record for futility, they’re going to have to pull off an upset.

Here’s the Pistons’ upcoming slate:

Dec. 23: at Brooklyn
Dec. 26: vs. Brooklyn
Dec. 28: at Boston
Dec. 30: vs. Toronto
Jan. 1: at Houston
Jan. 3: at Utah
Jan. 5: at Golden State
Jan. 7: at Denver
Jan. 9: vs. Sacramento
Jan. 10: vs. San Antonio
Jan. 12: vs. Houston
Jan. 15: at Washington

We want to know what you think. Will the Pistons win one of those games against the Nets to avoid setting the NBA record for most consecutive losses in a single season? Will they win at least one of the next four and avoid entering the history brooks for the longest NBA losing streak of any kind? If not, when exactly is this streak going to end?

Vote in our poll, then head to the comment section below to share your thoughts!

Central Notes: Merrill, Craig, LaVine, Nembhard, Pistons

December 22nd, 2023 at 10:02am CST by Luke Adams

In the midst of his best stretch of the season, Cavaliers wing Sam Merrill woke up on Thursday morning with a sore right wrist after falling on it on Wednesday, writes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (subscription required).

Not wanting to miss out on the opportunity to continue playing an increased role for the banged-up Cavs, Merrill attempted to fight through the pain, but was clearly bothered by the injury and didn’t play in the second half of Thursday’s loss to New Orleans, as Fedor details.

“When it rains, it pours,” forward Dean Wade said of Merrill joining an increasingly crowded Cavs injury list. “It sucks, but we’ve still got to go out there and play a game. We’ve got, I don’t know how many healthy bodies we’ve got, but still got to go out there and fight.”

“It was definitely tough for us. He’s been lights out the last two games,” Jarrett Allen added. “He came in and he tried to pull through, tried to rough it out with the hurt hand. Sadly, he couldn’t do it. But it happens. It’s been the cascade of players going down for us, so we just have to keep going.”

With Ty Jerome, Darius Garland, and Evan Mobley sidelined due to longer-term injuries, the Cavaliers could theoretically qualify for a hardship exception if a fourth player goes down. But hardship exceptions are only available to teams with full rosters — Cleveland already has an open spot that the team has thus far been unwilling to fill due to luxury tax concerns.

As we await more details on Merrill’s injury, here are more notes from around the Central:

Bulls forward Torrey Craig believes the eight-to-10 week recovery timeline the team provided when announcing his right foot injury is too long, tweets K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. Craig said on Thursday that he’s a fast healer and that he intends to beat that timeline, assuming his rehab goes well.
In other Bulls injury news, Zach LaVine is making good progress in his recovery from his own right foot injury and is expected to start cutting next week, according to Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. “He’s going to hopefully start to jump shooting, running, increase the speed,” Donovan said of what LaVine’s rehab. “He’s actually running at a pretty good clip straight ahead, and then moving toward next week is when they would probably start some of that running, changing direction, kind of curve running to see how he responds.” As Cowley details, LaVine could be cleared to resume basketball activities and begin practicing again if he responds well next week.
After missing six games due to a bone bruise, Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard returned to action on Friday in Memphis and looked good in his 16 minutes on the court, per Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star.
Something has to change for the 2-26 Pistons, according to James L. Edwards III of The Athletic, who says that “a shakeup needed to happen yesterday” and that everyone – from players to coaches to the front office to ownership – bears blame for this season’s disaster.

Pistons’ Cunningham: No Way Are We “2-26 Bad”

December 21st, 2023 at 9:44pm CST by Tristan Tucker

The Pistons are one loss away from tying the all-time single-season record for most losses in a row after dropping their 25th straight to the depleted Jazz on Thursday night.

Playing without Lauri Markkanen, Keyonte George, Jordan Clarkson, Talen Horton-Tucker and Omer Yurtseven, the Jazz defeated the Pistons 119-111, as Detroit’s woes off the bench and from beyond the arc continued. Still, Cade Cunningham believes the Pistons can turn it around with this group.

“We’re not 2-26 bad,” Cunningham said (Twitter link via The Athletic’s James L. Edwards III. “No way are we that bad. So, yes, I think we can turn it around. I think we can play a much better brand of basketball — executing game plan, not turning it over, keeping your man in front of you. I was the head of that snake. This isn’t about the system. This is about the players and what we’re doing on the floor. Those three things aren’t about a system.”

As Spotrac’s Keith Smith observes (Twitter link), the Pistons are not only just one game from tying the single-season record of 26 straight losses, they’re also three losses from tying the all-time longest losing streak, a record the Sixers hold from when they lost 28 straight across the 2014/15 and ’15/16 seasons.

“It’s definitely on my mind,” Cunningham said of approaching the record (Twitter link via Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press. “That’s history that nobody wants to be a part of. We’re trying to build something that’s sustainable. It’s not like we’re just trying to win one game. We want to win multiple games.”

Things are at a breaking point in Detroit. As captured by NBA on ESPN (YouTube link), Pistons fans erupted in “sell the team” chants during the game.

To their credit, coach Monty Williams and Cunningham both have taken full responsibility. For a coach in his first year with a team and a young player in what’s essentially his second NBA season, it’s telling that neither have pointed blame elsewhere.

“I want to be careful with my words because this one hurts more than most of them,” Williams said (Twitter link via Sankofa). “A team that played last night gets 30 points off turnovers and rebounds. This one is unbelievably hard to understand how we can get outworked in those categories. That is absolutely on me.”

The Pistons next play the Nets in back-to-back games before facing the Celtics and the Raptors. They have four chances to avoid taking sole possession of the worst losing streak in NBA history.

“To be on the wrong side of history, nobody wants to be there,” Cunningham said (Twitter link via Sankofa). “That is definitely an extra edge that we have to have, and we should’ve won this game. We didn’t, so gotta come back next game and be locked in. I gotta come in and be locked in and more solid down the stretch.“

Injury Notes: Jazz, Lakers, Sixers, Leonard, Payton, Clarke

December 21st, 2023 at 3:56pm CST by Rory Maher

The Jazz will be shorthanded for Thursday’s back-to-back in Detroit, with Lauri Markkanen (left hamstring — injury maintenance), Keyonte George (left foot inflammation) and Talen Horton-Tucker (left foot soreness) among the eight players who will be unavailable, per Eric Walden of The Salt Lake Tribune (Twitter link).

Utah is just 2-13 on the road this season, but the team will be facing the Pistons, who have lost 24 straight games, two shy of the single-season record. If Detroit hopes to snap the skid in the near future, tonight certainly seems like a good opportunity.

Here are a few more injury-related notes from around the NBA:

LeBron James (left ankle peroneal tendinopathy) and Gabe Vincent are out for Thursday’s back-to-back in Minnesota, tweets Mike Trudell of Spectrum SportsNet. Lakers center Anthony Davis (left ankle sprain/bone bruise), meanwhile, is questionable for the matchup against the West’s current No. 1 seed.
Sixers guard De’Anthony Melton exited Wednesday’s victory with a thigh contusion, but it’s not expected to be a serious injury, tweets Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Melton, Nicolas Batum (hamstring) and Robert Covington (illness) did not practice on Thursday, according to Derek Bodner of PHLY Sports (Twitter link). On the league’s official injury report, Melton is questionable for Friday’s matchup with Toronto, while Covington is probable and Batum has been ruled out.
He has yet to miss a game this season, but Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard popped up on the injury report ahead of Thursday’s back-to-back in Oklahoma City. He’s officially questionable with a left hip contusion.
Warriors guard Gary Payton II has been “making good progress” from his right calf strain and has been cleared to start “various forms of team practice,” the team announced (via Twitter). Payton, who has missed the past nine games, will be reevaluated again early next week, per the Warriors.
Grizzlies forward/center Brandon Clarke tells Marc J. Spears of Andscape he expects to return to action sometime around the All-Star break. A key rotation player for Memphis, Clarke has been sidelined since March 3 of last season after tearing his Achilles tendon.

Pistons Notes: Williams, Cunningham, Wiseman, Gores, Rebuild

December 19th, 2023 at 7:17pm CST by Dana Gauruder

When Monty Williams signed a six-year contract to coach the Pistons, he couldn’t have possibly known that a franchise seemingly ready to turn the corner would approach an NBA record for most consecutive losses. Williams admits that it’s the most difficult test in his coaching career.

“It’s tough to even put it into words. Even with this losing streak, I’m around town, taking my kids to games, I still get an unbelievably great deal of support,” Williams told Marc J. Spears of Andscape. “And it means the world to me. But we’re not done. I know it seems bad right now, and it is. This thing will turn and I just have to have faith and belief. This is the toughest challenge I’ve had in my coaching career. But I felt that way when I got to Phoenix and that thing turned. This one has taken a bit longer, but we’ve had way more obstacles.”

We have more on the Pistons:

Despite the 24-game losing streak, franchise player Cade Cunningham has shown progress this season, James Edwards III of The Athletic writes. Cunningham, who can sign a rookie scale extension next offseason, racked up a career-high 43 points and added seven assists and five rebounds with only three turnovers in Detroit’s loss at Atlanta on Monday. Over his last 10 games, Cunningham is averaging 22.0 PPG and 7.0 APG on 49% shooting and has cut back on his turnovers. Williams has also been impressed with Cunningham’s leadership. “Watching his leadership during which will probably be the toughest time in his career, I couldn’t be more proud of how he’s talked to the group, had a great spirit every single day,” Williams said.
James Wiseman‘s minutes have increased due to frontcourt injuries and he’s taking advantage, averaging 14.3 points and 7.3 rebounds in the last four games, Keith Langlois of Pistons.com notes. “It shows when you work and do the right things and you get the chance to play and you’re productive, you earn minutes,” Williams said. “There are times he looks like our best player on the floor on both ends and I’m happy for him.” Wiseman will be a restricted free agent after the season, if the Pistons extend a qualifying offer.
How much longer before owner Tom Gores declares the rebuild a failure and either pushes for a major trade or makes changes to the front office? Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press (subscription required) explores that topic.
The way this Pistons season has unfolded should be a cautionary tale to fans who are rooting for their teams to go into rebuild mode, John Hollinger of The Athletic opines. The crux of the problem, Hollinger notes, is that the Pistons have made eight first-round draft picks since their reset in 2019 and have yet to land a star. Even Cunningham might be better off as a complementary player rather than a No. 1 option, according to Hollinger.

Miles Bridges Denied Access To Canada, Unlikely To Play Monday

December 18th, 2023 at 3:50pm CST by Rory Maher

3:50pm: Bridges is unlikely to play on Monday night, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

1:23pm: Forward Miles Bridges was denied entry at the Canadian border on Sunday night and the Hornets are trying to get him to Toronto prior to Monday’s game against the Raptors, a league source tells Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer.

While the reason for the denial of access isn’t known, it may be due to his plea deal from last November, when he pleaded no contest — accepting punishment and conviction without admitting guilt — in a felony domestic violence case. He also faces newer allegations that are related to the original case.

As Boone writes, any person with a criminal record can be denied access into Canada. Those with past convictions can file a waiver of exclusion to try and gain clearance, and the process can take several weeks to possibly receive entry. It’s unclear if Bridges filed the waiver, which also has a fee attached, per Boone.

Bridges, 25, remained unsigned all of last season while his legal situation played out. Following an NBA investigation, he received a 10-game suspension to open ’23/24, though the league technically called it a 30-game suspension, with 20 games applied retroactively. Bridges will be an unrestricted free agent in 2024 after signing a $7.92MM qualifying offer in the offseason.

In an article evaluating fake trade proposals, James L. Edwards III of The Athletic says he heard the Pistons have had “internal discussions” about Bridges within the past year. However, due to the forward’s “baggage,” Edwards believes Detroit will avoid Bridges, at least in the short term.

After finishing last season a disappointing 27-55, Charlotte has once again struggled to open ’23/24 and currently holds a 7-17 record. Bridges is averaging 19.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.3 steals in 14 games (36.2 minutes per contest).

Pistons Receiving Interest In Isaiah Stewart

December 18th, 2023 at 11:00am CST by Arthur Hill

Several contenders, including the Celtics, Thunder and Mavericks, have expressed an interest in Pistons big man Isaiah Stewart, sources tell James L. Edwards of The Athletic. Stewart has been one of the few bright spots in Detroit’s ugly season, averaging 10.2 points and 6.8 rebounds through 25 games. He signed a four-year, $64MM extension this summer and would be subject to the poison pill provision in any trade until July 1. Edwards also addresses trade suggestions from readers, saying he’s heard the Pistons don’t have interest in adding Utah’s John Collins or Charlotte’s P.J. Washington.