- The Pistons are being patient with rookie Cade Cunningham‘s development, Rod Beard of The Detroit News writes. Detroit drafted Cunningham No. 1 overall this summer, cementing the 20-year-old as its franchise cornerstone going forward.
The Timberwolves, Pacers, Cavaliers, Pistons, Raptors and Spurs continue to inquire about Ben Simmons’ availability, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports via a league source.
The Simmons saga is one of the major storylines of this preseason and it took another twist on Friday when reports surfaced that the Sixers were withholding an $8.25MM advance payment from their disgruntled playmaker.
However, as Pompey points out, this standoff could drag on until after December 15, when many free agents signed this summer can be included in trades.
The Sixers have put an exorbitant price tag on Simmons, in part while waiting to see if the Trail Blazers made Damian Lillard available or if the Wizards were willing to part with Bradley Beal. Simmons’ agent, Rich Paul, tried to assist the Sixers in receiving a five-player package for Simmons in a three-team trade but Philadelphia’s asking price was too rich, according to Pompey.
The withheld salary has been placed in an escrow account. Simmons is likely to receive all the money in his contract once he’s traded, Pompey notes, since it’s expected the team that acquires him will waive the fines the Sixers have instituted for his refusal to show up for training camp.
The Inquirer’s beat writer explored the standoff in great detail. Here are some highlights:
- Simmons’ desire to be traded was communicated to the front office just days after the team was eliminated from the playoffs. Paul told GM Elton Brand his client wanted out three days after the Hawks bounced the team out of the playoff chase. Brand then told president of basketball operations Daryl Morey.
- When the Sixers asked why Simmons wanted out, Paul told them his client was “mentally exhausted,” says Pompey.
- When Morey was hired last November, Simmons suspected he wouldn’t be with the franchise long-term. He was the centerpiece in trade talks with Morey’s former team, Houston, in the Sixers’ failed attempt to acquire James Harden. Simmons even went house shopping in Houston in anticipation of being dealt.
- Simmons doesn’t have any ill will toward his All-Star teammate Joel Embiid, but believes their partnership on the court has “run its course.” Even if he does return to Philadelphia to rejoin the team, Simmons has no intentions of playing another game for the Sixers.
The Pistons waived Cory Joseph this summer rather than guaranteeing the $12.6MM left on his contract. However, there was little doubt the team would re-sign him, as Keith Langlois of the team’s website explains.
Joseph not only excelled last season after coming over in a trade with Sacramento, he was a mentor for the team’s young guards. Joseph received a partial guarantee of $2.4MM from his previous contract before the Pistons re-upped him on a two-year, $10MM deal.
“He’s been a godsend to those young guys,” Pistons coach Dwane Casey said. “He’s always talking. I love Cory’s spirit.”
- Casey is thrilled with how second-year Pistons point guard Killian Hayes has looked in the early days of camp, Langlois writes in a separate story. Hayes’ rookie year was marred by a hip injury that kept him out for all but 26 games. “I think last season was weird – coming in as a rookie, everything going on with COVID, getting injured. He was feeling his way,” Casey said. “Now I think the number one thing, he’s playing with a lot of confidence. He’s just hooping, playing free and being Killian. He had a great summer and he’s had a great start to training camp, as well.”
Kelly Olynyk has reached the point in his career where he wants to be a mentor as well as an on-court contributor, so the Pistons seemed like a perfect fit in free agency, writes Lauren Williams of MLive. The addition of Olynyk brings another reliable shooter and passer to Detroit’s frontcourt along with eight years of experience that he can share with the team’s young players.
“It’s just about I’m at the point in my career where I think I can really help a team like this young team with leadership on and off the court,” he said. “So just, teaching guys because I’m nine years in now. I kind of have those tricks of the trade. It’s time to pass them on. So I thought it was a great opportunity from that standpoint and also a great opportunity to come through and play.”
Through two days of training camp, coach Dwane Casey is still figuring out exactly what he wants Olynyk’s role to be. Casey is counting on having the ball in Olynyk’s hands frequently, whether he starts or comes off the bench.
“I think he’ll be a high usage rate guy with the second unit, first unit or who he’s playing with, just because of his ball skills and his ability,” Casey said. “And one weapon you can have in the NBA today is a five man that can shoot the ball from deep.”
There’s more from Detroit:
- The Pistons are excited about rookie swingman Jamorko Pickett, according to James L. Edwards III of The Athletic. Pickett earned a two-way contract with a strong Summer League performance, and Casey said at media day that he has a chance to be a good player for several years. Casey admitted he didn’t know much about Pickett heading into the draft, but general manager Troy Weaver and scout Jason Buckner were watching him closely in college.
- Detroit will have more depth than in recent years, but Casey doesn’t plan to expand his rotation beyond 10 players, Edwards adds. The most intense competition figures to be at the backup wing, where Josh Jackson, Frank Jackson and Hamidou Diallo will all be fighting for minutes. “It’s crowded at the wing position,” Casey said. “There’s some healthy competition at that area. We’re going to need a couple different things; we’re going to need shooting, defense, with either unit. You want that balance, so we’re going to go with who gives us that balance at the wing position.”
- Second-year center Isaiah Stewart is getting some valuable instruction from new Hall of Famer Ben Wallace, per Keith Langlois of Pistons.com. “Today was probably the most I ever talked to him,” Stewart said after Tuesday’s practice. “I took advantage of the time and asked as many questions as I can. Hearing he’s going to be around more, I’m definitely going to be picking his brain. I hope he doesn’t get tired of that.”
The Pistons have signed veteran shooting guard Jared Cunningham to a training camp contract and placed swingman Deividas Sirvydis on waivers, the team announced (via Twitter).
Cunningham, 30, last played in the NBA during the 2015/16 season when he appeared in a combined 44 games with the Cavaliers and Bucks. Since then, he has spent time overseas and in the G League, last playing for Bnei Herzliya in Israel.
Cleveland selected Cunningham with the 24th overall pick in the 2012 draft and shipped him to Dallas in a draft-night trade. He had brief stays with six NBA teams and holds a career scoring average of 2.3 PPG in 84 games.
Sirvydis, the 37th pick in the 2019 draft, just re-signed with Detroit on Tuesday after being waived in July. He saw limited action in 20 games last season and could be headed to the Pistons’ new G League affiliate, the Motor City Cruise.
Detroit’s roster remains at the training camp limit of 20 players.
The Pistons have re-signed guard/forward Deividas Sirvydis after waiving him in July, the team announced today (via Twitter). Detroit also confirmed its previously–reported agreements with guards Cassius Stanley and Derrick Walton, officially filling its 20-man roster for training camp.
A Lithuanian wing, Sirvydis was the No. 37 pick in the 2019 draft and was stashed for a year overseas before signing his first NBA contract in the 2020 offseason. His rookie season was uninspiring, as he played limited minutes in 20 games, averaging 2.1 PPG and 1.5 RPG in 6.7 MPG. The Pistons released him just ahead of free agency.
Stanley and Walton received non-guaranteed deals and it seems like a safe bet that Sirvydis did as well, since there’s no clear path for him to make the regular season roster. Detroit has 15 players on guaranteed deals, with Chris Smith and Jamorko Pickett on two-way contracts.
Given that Sirvydis opted for a training camp deal with the Pistons over a return to Europe, he may intend to play for Detroit’s G League affiliate, the Motor City Cruise, in 2021/22. If so, his contract likely includes Exhibit 10 language that would put him in line for a bonus worth up to $50K if he spends at least 60 days with the Cruise.
- The Pistons converted rookie center Luka Garza‘s two-way contract into a two-year standard deal this week. It’s a minimum-salary contract, Keith Smith of Spotrac tweets, The first year is guaranteed and Detroit has a team option for 2022/23. If it’s picked up, the second year will also be fully guaranteed.
- Chris Smith, who suffered a torn ACL in January playing for UCLA, is looking at a couple more months before he’s back, Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press tweets. The Pistons signed the forward to a two-way contract in August. Another Pistons rookie forward, second-round pick Isaiah Livers, is aiming for clearance to return from his foot injury at the beginning of November, Rod Beard of the Detroit News tweets.
The Pistons have waived rookie wing Anthony Tarke, according to the NBA’s transactions log. The team also released its initial roster for training camp.
Tarke bounced around a bit in college, starting at NJIT before transferring to UTEP and Coppin State. He put up an eye-popping 2.6 SPG and 1.9 BPG as a senior for Coppin State, but his shooting stroke might need some work. He most recently suited up for the Pistons’ Summer League squad.
Tarke signed a non-guaranteed Exhibit 10 contract last week that makes him eligible to receive up to $50K if he spends at least 60 days with the Pistons’ G League affiliate, the Motor City Cruise.
The Pistons sit at 17 players under contract for training camp, with reported deals with Derrick Walton Jr. and Cassius Stanley not yet official — there’s been no indication that those agreements have fallen through, so they’ll likely be finalized later in training camp or the preseason.
- Figuring out what to do with their top free agent acquisition, Kelly Olynyk, will be one of the main storylines in Pistons training camp, Keith Langlois of the team’s website writes. They’ll have to decide whether to start Olynyk or use him as Isaiah Stewart‘s backup. They’ll also have to decide whether to use to him at power forward at times alongside Stewart. Detroit targeted Olynyk due his ability to stretch the floor. He signed a three-year, $37MM contract in August.
- The Pistons are fully vaccinated, Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports tweets.
Having promoted Luka Garza from his two-way contract to a standard deal, the Pistons didn’t waste any time in filling their newly-opened two-way slot. According to the team (via Twitter), forward Jamorko Pickett has had his Exhibit 10 deal converted into a two-way pact.
Pickett, who went undrafted after playing four seasons at Georgetown, averaged 12.2 PPG, 7.2 RPG, and 2.1 APG in 26 games (34.7 MPG) as a senior in 2020/21.. He started 109 of 119 games during his college career and made 36.5% of his 3-point attempts, including 37.3% last season.
Pickett signed a non-guaranteed training camp deal with Detroit in August. It initially looked like he’d probably be released before the regular season and join the Pistons’ G League team, the Motor City Cruise, as an affiliate player. However, Detroit created some roster flexibility by trading away Sekou Doumbouya and Jahlil Okafor, providing a pathway for Pickett to stick around.
The Pistons now project to have a full 20-man camp roster, with camp invitees Derrick Walton and Cassius Stanley expected to join the 18 players who are already officially under contract.