Cade Cunningham Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Pistons Notes: Cunningham, Hayes, Coaching Staff

September 20th, 2021 at 7:34pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Figuring out how to maximize the backcourt of lottery picks Killian Hayes and Cade Cunningham may be most important element of Cunningham’s integration into the league, Keith Langlois of Pistons.com writes. That process will start in training camp and Pistons head coach Dwane Casey is known for preferring multiple ballhandlers on the court. Cunningham’s versatility makes it both easier and more challenging to find the right balance between the two young backcourt partners, Langlois adds.

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The team has officially named Rex Kalamian, Jerome Allen, Jim Moran and Bill Bayno as assistant coaches, and Andrew Jones as a player development coach in a press release. The news that the club was hiring Kalamian, Allen and Bayno was reported in June. Allen was on Brad Stevens’ Celtics staff, while Bayno had been on Indiana’s staff. Kalamian worked the Kings last season. A report surfaced in July that Moran, a former Portland assistant, would be joining Casey’s staff. Jordan Brink and Austin Dufault have been promoted to player development coaches, the release adds.
Hayes may not be a legitimate building block, Sam Vecenie of The Athletic opines in a Q&A session with colleague James Edwards III. His struggles to gain separation make it very difficult for him to create anything as a lead guard and he’s always been turnover-prone, according to Vecenie, though it would unfair to give up on him too quickly. Vecenie does believe the club is being built the right way, though it needs a couple more elite players to be a true contender.
In case you missed it, there’s been speculation that second-round rookie Luka Garza, who has signed a two-way deal, could be promoted to a standard contract. Get the details here.

Pistons Notes: Weaver, Direction, Assets, Bartelstein

September 14th, 2021 at 9:00pm CST by Rory Maher

The Pistons have undergone a total roster overhaul under second-year general manager Troy Weaver. After the recent trade of 2019 first-round pick Sekou Doumbouya to the Nets, no players remain on the roster that Weaver inherited on June 18, 2020. The Pistons’ GM has been very open about his desire to aggressively upgrade the roster for both the short and long-term.

After a series of trades, two drafts, and some noteworthy free-agent signings, Weaver has certainly fulfilled his promise. Will that make the Pistons a better team in 2021/22? Rod Beard of The Detroit News believes that the team has real direction, but suggests the playoffs appear unlikely. He notes that the team’s future looks brighter than it did when Weaver took over almost 14 months ago, and although they currently lack a proven star player, the Pistons are in a better position to sign, trade for, or develop one going forward.

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James Edwards III of The Athletic ranked the team’s best assets. Unsurprisingly, No. 1 overall pick Cade Cunningham tops the list, followed by Jerami Grant and a couple of reigning All-Rookie Team members: Saddiq Bey and Isaiah Stewart. Edwards states that a few more players on the roster have value around the league as well, like Kelly Olynyk, whose versatility and shooting on offense is coveted, but others have to show improvement in specific areas to improve their standing.
According to Edwards (Twitter link), sources informed him that executive VP of operations Josh Bartelstein‘s title will be adjusted to include basketball operations as well. In a follow-up tweet, Edwards notes that Bartelstein is very close to vice chairman Arn Tellem, and has been instrumental in the team’s move to downtown Detroit as well as the team’s operations as a whole.
In case you missed it, the Pistons have reached a deal to sign free agent point guard Derrick Walton Jr. to an Exhibit 10 contract ahead of training camp.

Pistons Notes: David, Diallo, Pickett, Schedule

August 20th, 2021 at 5:51pm CST by Dana Gauruder

George David has reached an agreement with the Pistons to become an assistant general manager, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets. It will be a second stint in the organization for David, who spent 19 seasons in Detroit’s front office before joining Wasserman Media Group in 2015. David, who spent the bulk of his previous time in the organization in scouting and player evaluation, has strong ties with GM Troy Weaver, Wojnarowski adds in another tweet.

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The two-year contract signed by Hamidou Diallo is worth a flat $5.2MM in each season, Keith Smith tweets. The second year, as previously noted, is a team option. Diallo entered the month as a restricted free agent.
Jamorko Pickett, who signed an Exhibit 10 contract, has an uphill climb to make the opening-day roster, but he has no doubt he’s good enough to play in the NBA, Keith Langlois of Pistons.com writes. Pickett, who played four seasons at Georgetown, averaged 9.8 PPG and 3.8 RPG in the Las Vegas summer league. “I was given opportunities and I took the most of them,” he said. “I know I belong here. It’s always having that mindset – knowing I belong, knowing I should start. That’s what pushed me when I did have the opportunity to excel.”
Cade Cunningham will make his regular season debut at home against Chicago on Oct. 20, Langlois notes while breaking down the regular-season slate. The NBA released team schedules on Friday. The Pistons’ schedule can be accessed here.

Eastern Notes: Garza, Cunningham, Carter, Bacon

August 19th, 2021 at 6:54pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Pistons second-round pick Luka Garza earned a two-way contract with strong performances in the Las Vegas summer league. Garza dropped 25 pounds since the college season ended and noticed a difference in his mobility, Keith Langlois of Pistons.com writes. “I think it definitely improves my ability to move in multiple ways,” Garza said. “But, for me, I’m not comfortable. I want to continue to work on that and get better and better and better. The better I am on that end, the better my career is going to go.”

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Top pick Cade Cunningham showed that he’s ready and willing to be the Pistons’ team leader during summer league action, Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports writes. Cunningham made his presence felt, not only with his play but the way he encouraged and directed his teammates. “He’s a natural leader, which is rare for a 19-year-old kid,” coach Dwane Casey told Goodwill.
Jevon Carter, who was acquired by the Nets in a trade with Phoenix this summer, won’t hesitate to voice his opinion in the Brooklyn locker room, according to Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic. “I’m a vocal leader,” Carter said. “I help the team out.” Carter appeared in 60 regular-season and seven postseason games for the Suns, who included him in the Landry Shamet deal.
Dwayne Bacon‘s contract with the Knicks is non-guaranteed, Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets. Bacon signed a one-year, minimum-salary deal after being waived by Orlando.

Jalen Green Wanted To Be No. 1 Pick But “Didn’t Want To Be In Detroit”

August 16th, 2021 at 2:34pm CST by Luke Adams

Jalen Green only worked out for two teams, the Pistons and Rockets, leading up to the 2021 NBA draft and was hoping to be the first prospect off the board on July 29. However, while he sought the honor of being the No. 1 pick, Green wasn’t enthusiastic about the idea of beginning his NBA career in Michigan, he tells Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports.

“I wanted to be the No. 1 pick, but as for the location, I didn’t want to be in Detroit,” Green said. “I felt a lot more comfortable in Houston. It felt like a real homey environment.

“With Detroit, it felt like I was just going back to the G League bubble, and I just got out of the bubble. That’s pretty much what it was,” continued Green, who played for the G League Ignite at Walt Disney World last winter. “In the bubble, I didn’t really have anything to do but just stay in the gym. I didn’t have any time to get away for myself. The only time I had to get away for myself was in my apartment. That’s what it felt like in Detroit. I wouldn’t be stepping outside in Detroit. There are not many things you can do in Detroit like that. You’re going to stay in the gym and then go back to your apartment.”

Green, of course, was drafted by the Rockets with the No. 2 pick after the Pistons used the first overall selection to nab Cade Cunningham. If Green had been the Pistons’ pick, it’s probably safe to assume his comments to Haynes about Detroit would sound a little different.

By contrast, Cunningham had nothing but praise for the city of Detroit following his pre-draft visit with the Pistons, telling reporters that he appreciated Michiganders’ “underdog, go-get-what-you-want” mentality.

Green, clearly not concerned about endearing himself to Pistons fans, is out to prove the team made a mistake by passing on him. As Haynes relays, the Rockets rookie is looking to beat out Cunningham and the rest of the 2021 draft class to win the NBA’s Rookie of the Year award in 2021/22.

“I need it. I feel like I’m the best player in the class,” Green told Yahoo Sports. “I didn’t go No. 1, so I’m going to go get the Rookie of the Year.”

Pistons Notes: Stewart, Cunningham, Hayes, Koprivica

August 14th, 2021 at 6:22pm CST by Arthur Hill

Pistons center Isaiah Stewart is making progress in his recovery from an ankle injury he suffered as part of the U.S. Select Team, writes Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press. After a strong rookie season, Stewart was chosen to be part of the squad that helped Team USA prepare for the Olympics last month. Despite hurting the ankle during a scrimmage, he said it was a valuable experience.

“It was great,” Stewart said. “Just my name being selected on that USA Select Team. Being out there with the best of the best will definitely for sure boost your confidence. Just shows you that you belong. It was great to be out there. I learned from some great coaches while being out there, and I was just being a sponge.”

Stewart was in a walking boot for a while, but he has progressed beyond that as the ankle heals. He’s with Detroit’s Summer League team in Las Vegas, but isn’t playing as the Pistons are focused on having him fully healthy for training camp.

Stewart also discusses his heated high school rivalry with Cade Cunningham and what he believes the No. 1 pick can bring to the team.

“I see him fitting with me easy,” Stewart said. “I’m tough, hard-nosed, chip on my shoulder. I feel like he’s got that same thing even though he’s the No. 1 pick. I can just tell he’s a dog. I feel like in Detroit, that’s what this team needs to be surrounded by is tough, hard-nosed players who put they construction hat on, go to work every night. And I can see him meshing with the rest of the guys pretty well. That’s the culture we’re trying to build.”

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Cunningham has looked like a star in the Summer League and turned in his best game in Friday’s win over the Knicks, per Keith Langlois of NBA.com. Cunningham went 7 for 10 from three-point range in a 24-point performance. “There’s a reason we drafted him at one,” said Summer League coach J.D. DuBois. “His ability to do multiple things, his ability to make tough shots, to want the ball. His leadership, both with his voice and his actions. He prepares at a high level every day. When you see him perform like this, you’re not shocked. He works really hard at it on a consistent basis.”
The Pistons have a good collection of young talent in place, but Killian Hayes looks like a question mark, observes Evan Sidery of Basketball News. The seventh pick in the 2020 draft, Hayes was limited to 26 games as a rookie because of injuries and has struggled with his shot during Summer League.
Second-round pick Balsa Koprivica was confident the Pistons would select him after a strong pre-draft workout for the team, Sankofa adds in a separate story.

Pistons Sign Cade Cunningham To Rookie Contract

August 8th, 2021 at 7:59pm CST by Luke Adams

This year’s No. 1 overall pick, Cade Cunningham, has signed his rookie contract, the Pistons announced today (via Twitter).

[RELATED: 2021 NBA Draft Pick Signings]

Viewed for months as the overwhelming favorite to come off the board first on draft night, Cunningham played a single season at Oklahoma State, averaging 20.1 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 3.5 APG, and 1.6 SPG on .438/.400/.846 shooting in 27 games (35.4 MPG). He was a consensus All-American and was named the Big 12 Player of the Year as a freshman.

Cunningham, who is making his Summer League debut in Las Vegas on Sunday night, will be the highest-paid rookie in the 2021 class. As our breakdown shows, he’s in line for a rookie salary of $10MM+ and will make more than $45MM over the life of his four-year contract with Detroit.

The Pistons also formally confirmed the signing of second-rounder Isaiah Livers, which we previously relayed.

Central Notes: Cunningham, Sykes, K. Martin, Caruso

August 8th, 2021 at 9:00am CST by Arthur Hill

Cade Cunningham will have his first game as a pro when the Pistons begin Summer League play tonight, but James L. Edwards III of The Athletic cautions that fans shouldn’t expect too much right away. The No. 1 pick in this year’s draft went several months without playing five-on-five before Detroit’s team started practice this week. Edwards expects him to adjust to the situation gradually rather than try to dominate right away.

“I don’t want to come in and force anything,” Cunningham said. “I want to get a flow for the team. I want to get a feel for everyone on the team. I know what the No. 1 pick perception is coming in, so I think the biggest thing for me is coming and reassuring the team that I’m about playing winning basketball and not living up to the hype or whatever. I want to be able to blend in.”

Summer League may be crucial for Sekou Doumbouya after two up-and-down seasons, Edwards adds. The offseason additions of Kelly Olynyk and Trey Lyles will mean fewer minutes available in the front court, and Doumbouya may need a strong performance this week to show the Pistons that he should still be part of their future.

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Summer League veteran Keifer Sykes hopes to show the Pacers that he’s worthy of a spot on their roster, writes Jonathan X. Simmons of The Indianapolis Star. Sykes reached an agreement on an Exhibit 10 contract this week, shortly after hitting a game-winning shot to wrap up The Basketball Tournament. “This is my fourth time in summer league, so I’m really excited after last year with COVID and we didn’t have it,” Sykes said. “I’m just excited to continue to show people my game, and to continue to have endurance in my pro career while I’m getting into my prime.”
The guarantee date has passed for Pacers small forward Kelan Martin, so unless the two sides quietly agreed to push that deadline, Indiana will owe him $1.7MM this season, tweets Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files. Martin played 35 games for the Pacers last season after starting his career with the Timberwolves in 2019/20.
Due to NBA rules regarding Base Year Compensation, the Bulls‘ trade exception in the deal that sent Daniel Theis to Houston will be his 2020/21 salary of $5MM instead of his new outgoing salary of $8MM+, tweets Bobby Marks of ESPN. That means Chicago will have to sign Alex Caruso outright, rather than arranging a sign-and-trade with the Lakers. The Bulls will presumably use their mid-level exception for Caruso, adds K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago (Twitter link).

Eastern Notes: Bulls, Dinwiddie, Nets, Celtics, Cavs, Pistons

August 3rd, 2021 at 8:49pm CST by Luke Adams

The first-round pick the Bulls will send to the Spurs in the DeMar DeRozan sign-and-trade will be top-10 protected in the first year and top-eight protected in the second and third years if it doesn’t convey immediately, reports John Hollinger of The Athletic.

That pick will tentatively be the Bulls’ 2025 first-rounder, but that’s conditional on Chicago sending its 2023 pick to Orlando. If the 2023 first-rounder falls in its protected range (top four) and the Bulls keep it, the Bulls would have to wait until at least 2026 to send a first-rounder to the Spurs in order to avoid running afoul of the Stepien rule, which prohibits teams from trading back-to-back future first-round picks.

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In an in-depth look at the challenges facing the Wizards in their efforts to acquire Spencer Dinwiddie via sign-and-trade, Danny Leroux and Fred Katz of The Athletic cite sources who say the Nets are seeking a significant asset (besides a trade exception) from Washington in any agreement.
The Celtics are taking a conservative approach to free agency this year in part because they want to maintain a salary structure that allows them to be players for a major free agent in 2022, as Mark Murphy of The Boston Herald explains (via Twitter).
The Cavaliers continue to scour the market for shooting help, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com, who says Doug McDermott was the team’s top target entering free agency. McDermott, who agreed to a three-year deal with San Antonio, was one of a number of players on Cleveland’s wish list that opted to go elsewhere.
Pistons head coach Dwane Casey envisions Cade Cunningham and Killian Hayes sharing the play-making responsibilities for the team in 2021/22, as Keith Langlois of Pistons.com writes. “Both of ’em are 1A and 1B,” Casey said of his two young guards. ” Either one can bring it up. Either one can initiate offense. Either one can run pick and roll. What we want to work to is position-less basketball.”

Eastern Notes: Mobley, Gores, Wizards, Bonner

July 30th, 2021 at 9:57pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Cavaliers fielded calls for over a month regarding the No. 3 pick in the draft. However the team’s brass was more excited about adding a rookie with a very high ceiling than reconstructing the roster, Chris Fedor of the Cleveland Plain Dealer writes. The Cavs selected USC big man Evan Mobley with the pick. “We were able to draft a transformative talent, whose versatility, athleticism and physical gifts are qualities we covet in a player. Evan Mobley checks each of those boxes,” GM Koby Altman said.

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Pistons owner Tom Gores calls top pick Cade Cunningham a natural leader and feels giddy about the team’s future, according to Keith Langlois of Pistons.com. “I’ve never felt better,” Gores said. “I woke up this morning and felt like we won already. We haven’t won a game yet. We felt like we won. I feel excited about where we’re at, but I also know through my life experiences we’ve got to go to work. We’ve got a great foundation.”
Zach Guthrie and Mike Miller will be part of Wes Unseld Jr.‘s staff with the Wizards, Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report tweets. Guthrie worked under Rick Carlisle in Dallas last season, while Miller is the former coach of the G League’s Westchester Knicks. Former Magic assistant Pat Delany had already agreed to join the Wizards.
Becky Bonner is expected to be a bench coach on Jamahl Mosley‘s Magic staff, Fischer adds in another tweet. She’s already the team’s Director of Player Development and Quality Control. Nate Tibbetts, Dale Osbourne and Kaleb Canales are expected to be on the front of Orlando’s bench assisting Mosley, according to Fischer (Twitter link).