Mobile Menu
HEADLINES

Pistons Rumors

Keifer Sykes Signs Exhibit 10 Deal With Pistons

September 14th, 2022 at 5:03pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Pistons have signed free agent point guard Keifer Sykes to an Exhibit 10 contract, tweets James L. Edwards of The Athletic.

The 28-year-old made it to the NBA for the first time last season, appearing in 32 games for the Pacers and averaging 5.6 points, 1.4 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 17.7 minutes per night. Since going undrafted out of Wisconsin Green Bay in 2015, Sykes had made several G League appearances and played for a long list of overseas teams.

He was part of a G League trade in July, being shipped from Indiana’s Fort Wayne affiliate to Detroit’s Motor City affiliate. Now that the Pistons own his rights, they can send him to their G League team if he doesn’t earn a roster spot with the NBA club and signs an NBAGL contract.

Under his Exhibit 10 contract, Sykes will be eligible for a bonus worth up to $50K if he spends at least 60 days with the Motor City team.

Retweet 3 Share 0 Send via email0

Cunningham's 3-Point Shooting Will Be Crucial

September 13th, 2022 at 9:59pm CST by Dana Gauruder
Retweet 2 Share 0 Send via email0

Pistons Sign Micah Potter To Exhibit 10 Deal

September 13th, 2022 at 9:26am CST by Luke Adams

SEPTEMBER 13: The Pistons have officially signed Potter, per RealGM’s NBA transaction log.

AUGUST 26: The Pistons are signing free agent center Micah Potter to an Exhibit 10 contract, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

Potter, 24, initially signed an Exhibit 10 contract with Miami last fall after going undrafted out of Wisconsin. He was waived before the regular season began and spent most of his rookie year with the Sioux Falls Skyforce, the Heat’s G League affiliate, averaging 17.2 PPG and 9.8 RPG on .539/.445/.731 shooting in 33 NBAGL games (28.8 MPG).

In addition to earning him a spot on the All-NBAGL Rookie Team, Potter’s strong performance at the G League level earned him a brief look at the NBA level. The Pistons signed him to a 10-day contract in December and he appeared in three regular season contests, scoring 12 points and grabbing nine rebounds in 31 total minutes.

Potter also suited up in five games for the Knicks’ Summer League team in Las Vegas last month.

Potter’s Exhibit 10 contract means he’ll be eligible for a bonus worth up to $50K if he’s waived this fall and then spends at least 60 days with the Motor City Cruise, Detroit’s G League team. The Cruise acquired Potter’s returning NBAGL rights from the Skyforce on Thursday, according to a press release.

Retweet 8 Share 0 Send via email0

And-Ones: Russell, Noel, Paul, Team USA, Baker

September 12th, 2022 at 10:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Bill Russell‘s No. 6 will be retired throughout the league and another Hall of Famer, Alonzo Mourning, said it was much-deserved honor, Marc J. Spears of Andscape writes.

“We still need to celebrate his name, because he paved the way during a time where he had to deal with so many different obstacles,” Mourning said. “Not just on the court, but off the court. He paved the way for all of us.”

Mourning and Jerry West were on stage at the Hall of Fame’s annual ceremony over the weekend to honor Russell before the Class of 2022 was inducted.

We have more from around the basketball world:

  • Pistons center Nerlens Noel‘s lawsuit against agent Rich Paul is headed to arbitration, Michael McCann of Sportico reports in a subscribers-only article. Noel sued Paul last August, alleging that the agent’s negotiating tactics during 2017 cost him a four-year, $70MM extension with Dallas.
  • USA Basketball wound up with the bronze medal in the AmeriCup by defeating Canada 84-80 (Twitter link). Former NBA forward Gary Clark led the way with 18 points. Argentina, having defeated Team USA in the semifinals, earned the gold medal with a victory over Brazil.
  • The G League Lakeland Magic acquired the returning player rights to forward Robert Baker from the Stockton Kings in exchange for a 2022 second-round pick, JD Shaw of Hoops Rumors tweets. Baker, 24, appeared in 26 games with the Stockton Kings last season and one Summer League game with the Thunder.
Retweet 2 Share 0 Send via email0

2022/23 NBA Over/Unders: Central Division

September 9th, 2022 at 11:42am CST by Luke Adams

The 2022/23 NBA regular season will tip off next month, so it’s time to start getting serious about predictions for the upcoming campaign and to continue an annual Hoops Rumors tradition.

With the help of the lines from a handful of sports betting sites – including Bovada, BetOnline, and Betway – we’re running through the predicted win totals for each of the NBA’s 30 teams, by division. In a series of team-by-team polls, you’ll get the chance to weigh in on whether you think those forecasts are too optimistic or too pessimistic.

In 2021/22, our voters went 16-14 on their over/under picks. Can you top that in ’22/23?

We’ll keep our series going today with the Central division…

Milwaukee Bucks

Cleveland Cavaliers

Chicago Bulls

Detroit Pistons

Indiana Pacers

Previous voting results:

Southeast

  • Miami Heat (50.5 wins): Under (56.6%)
  • Atlanta Hawks (46.5 wins): Over (53.6%)
  • Charlotte Hornets (36.5 wins): Under (63.0%)
  • Washington Wizards (35.5 wins): Under (50.8%)
  • Orlando Magic (26.5 wins): Over (55.3%)

Southwest

  • Memphis Grizzlies (49.5 wins): Over (68.7%)
  • Dallas Mavericks (48.5 wins): Over (63.7%)
  • New Orleans Pelicans (44.5 wins): Over (61.2%)
  • Houston Rockets (24.5 wins): Under (61.8%)
  • San Antonio Spurs (23.5 wins): Under (67.5%)
Retweet 4 Share 0 Send via email0

Edwards Thinks Livers Is A Breakout Candidate

September 7th, 2022 at 8:05pm CST by Rory Maher
Retweet 1 Share 0 Send via email0

Latest On Kemba Walker, Pistons

September 7th, 2022 at 1:10pm CST by Luke Adams

It has been over two months since ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the Pistons and Kemba Walker were finalizing a buyout agreement, but with training camps set to tip off in less than three weeks, the veteran point guard remains under contract in Detroit.

As James L. Edwards III of The Athletic explains in his latest mailbag, the Pistons would still like to buy out Walker, and the holdup isn’t due to anything on their end. Sources tell Edwards that Walker and the Pistons found common ground on a buyout number that would reduce his $9,165,471 cap hit by “a few million,” but the 32-year-old has yet to officially agree to those terms.

While Edwards can’t confirm why the move has been delayed, he suspects that Walker doesn’t yet have a new NBA home lined up and isn’t inclined to give up a portion of his salary until he’s confident he can make most or all of that money back on a new deal.

The Pistons currently have 17 players on guaranteed contracts and presumably aren’t interested in having Walker on their 15-man roster to start the season, since that would require them to trade or release two other players instead of just one. That means their leverage is limited as they try to nudge Walker to surrender some of his salary.

If he’s not confident he’ll have a contract offer on the table from another team, Walker could simply wait out the Pistons and let them waive him before the season begins, at which point they’d owe him his full $9MM+ salary. Taking that route wouldn’t be a major financial burden for Detroit, since the team’s total salary remains below the cap.

A minimum-salary contract for Walker in 2022/23 would be worth $2,905,851, so if he does find a suitor willing to sign him, that could be the amount he gives back to the Pistons in a buyout agreement.

A four-time All-Star, Walker has seen his production dip in the last year or two as he has been slowed by knee issues. He averaged 11.6 PPG and 3.5 APG on .403/.367/.845 shooting in 37 games (25.6 MPG) last season for the Knicks, and was a liability on defense.

Retweet 2 Share 0 Send via email0

Duren Likely To Develop In G League

September 6th, 2022 at 8:30pm CST by Dana Gauruder
  • The Pistons traded into the lottery to snare center Jalen Duren but he’ll likely spend a majority of the season with the G League’s Motor City Cruise, Keith Langlois of Pistons.com writes. The roster includes several veteran big men and GM Troy Weaver and head coach Dwane Casey are proponents of developing young talent in the G League. Duren at 18 is the youngest player in the league, Langlois notes.
Retweet 2 Share 0 Send via email0

Cade Cunningham Ready To Build On Strong Rookie Season

September 3rd, 2022 at 6:48pm CST by Arthur Hill
  • Cade Cunningham is hoping to take the next step after the most exciting season from any Pistons rookie since Grant Hill, states Keith Langlois of NBA.com. Cunningham was torrid after the All-Star break — averaging 21.0 points, 5.8 rebounds and 6.4 assists per night — and Langlois believes he’ll be in All-Star contention if he can continue that production this season.
Retweet 2 Share 0 Send via email0

Pistons Notes: Breakout Players, Walker, Casey

September 1st, 2022 at 5:55pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Before the Pistons can take a leap in the win column and contend for the postseason, the team will need its young role players to improve in their development. Mike Curtis of The Detroit News identifies power forward Marvin Bagley III — the former No. 2 lottery pick in 2018 — athletic wing Hamidou Diallo, and center Isaiah Stewart as three such role players capable of growing their games in 2022/23.

Curtis thinks that Bagley could become a reliable option in the post if he can stay healthy next year. Curtis also opines that Diallo could see his standing in the Detroit hierarchy improve if he grows as a long-range shooter. Stewart’s three-point output has been limited in the last two seasons. He has connected on 33% of his 0.8 attempts thus far in his NBA career. Curtis writes that the 6’8″ big man showed off an increased willingness to let fly from outside during two Summer League contests with Detroit in Las Vegas this year. Overall, Stewart shot 5-of-9 from outside.

There’s more out of the Motor City:

  • The Pistons may still be holding out hope that they can use the expiring $9.2MM remaining on veteran point guard Kemba Walker‘s current contract in a trade. Keith Langlois of Pistons.com notes in a new mailbag that, if such a deal does not materialize in time for the start of NBA training camps later this month, Detroit could move to buy him out of his deal. Elsewhere in the mailbag, Langlois says he considers Isaiah Livers the most likely new addition to the Pistons’ starting lineup this season, and thinks star point guard Cade Cunningham, the top draft pick in 2021, could be in line for All-Star consideration this season if he continues to develop.
  • In an interview with Johnny Kane of Bally Sports Detroit (Twitter video link), Pistons head coach Dwane Casey expressed enthusiasm about the team’s ability to grow next season. Casey hailed Cade Cunningham and 2022 No. 5 overall pick Jaden Ivey as “stars to be.” Casey anticipates that the team will at the very least improve from its 23-59 record in 2021/22. “You expect growth,” Casey said (hat tip to Mike Curtis of The Detroit News for the transcription). “The internal growth is very important. One thing [GM] Troy Weaver has done is brought a bunch of young, hard-working, character guys in that have been working all summer. I can see the improvement. The game has slowed down for a guy like Saddiq Bey. You mentioned Cade Cunningham. You mention Isaiah Stewart — all those guys, the game has slowed down for them.”
  • The Pistons recently agreed to sign free agent big man Micah Potter to a training camp deal. Get the full details here.
Retweet 3 Share 0 Send via email0
Load More Posts