Deividas Sirvydis

Pistons Add Jared Cunningham, Waive Deividas Sirvydis

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.

Pistons Re-Sign Deividas Sirvydis, Fill 20-Man Roster

The Pistons have re-signed guard/forward Deividas Sirvydis after waiving him in July, the team announced today (via Twitter). Detroit also confirmed its previouslyreported 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.

Pistons Waive Cory Joseph, Deividas Sirvydis, Tyler Cook

5:07pm: The Pistons have officially waived Joseph and Sirvydis, the team confirmed in a press release. Detroit also announced that Cook has been waived. As noted below, his salary for 2021/22 had been fully non-guaranteed.


3:36pm: The Pistons are waiving a pair of players from their roster, according to Shams Charania and James Edwards III of The Athletic, who report (via Twitter) that Cory Joseph and Deividas Sirvydis will be released.

Joseph’s $12.6MM salary for the 2021/22 season was only partially guaranteed for $2.4MM. Sirvydis had a fully guaranteed salary for the coming season, but his cap hit was just $1.52MM and his 2022/23 salary was non-guaranteed.

Detroit will have the option of either applying the dead money for Joseph and Sirvydis solely to the team’s 2021/22 cap or stretching those cap charges across multiple seasons to generate more space this offseason. That possibility shouldn’t be ruled out, since the Pistons’ trade of Mason Plumlee suggested the club is looking to open up cap room for free agency.

John Hollinger of The Athletic (Twitter link) estimates that Detroit could get up to about $22MM in cap space by stretching Joseph and Sirvydis and cutting Rodney McGruder and Tyler Cook, who have non-guaranteed contracts.

Joseph, who will turn 30 in August, began last season with Sacramento and was sent to Detroit at the March trade deadline. He played well with the Pistons down the stretch, averaging 12.0 PPG, 5.5 APG, and 3.2 RPG on .506/.368/.878 shooting in 19 games (26.4 MPG). Joseph should be an appealing target for teams in the market for a backup point guard.

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. A return to Europe seems like a possibility for Sirvydis.

Central Notes: Hayes, Stewart, Sirvydis, Gottlieb, Varejao

The Pistons’ four rookie draft picks continue to receive extensive playing time and coach Dwane Casey is encouraged by the progress of the team’s so-called “Core Four,” Keith Langlois of Pistons.com writes. That quartet of Killian Hayes, Isaiah Stewart, Saddiq Bey and Saben Lee combined for 73 points, 22 rebounds and 19 assists against the Bulls on Sunday.

“It’s another area of growth, of toughness,” Casey said. “If you win with toughness in this league, we’d have won quite a few games. Those guys toughed it out – mentally, physically – and it says a lot about their character, who they are as people.”

We have more from the Central Division:

  • Another Pistons rookie, Euro import Deividas Sirvydis, had an eight-point, six-rebound outing against Philadelphia on Saturday and he’s also trying to make an impression in the late going, Langlois writes in a separate story. Sirvydis joined Detroit during the offseason after being selected in the second round in 2019 as a draft-and-stash prospect. “The main thing with him is getting stronger, which he’s done,” Casey said. “I’ve told our guys, he’s going to be a player one day. He’s going to be one of those big two/threes who can stretch the floor.”
  • Cavaliers assistant Lindsay Gottlieb is leaving the franchise when the regular season is completed. She has been named USC’s head women’s coach, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. Gottlieb, who had been on Cleveland’s staff since 2019, was the first female head coach from a Power 5 conference to become an NBA assistant coach. She previously coached Cal for eight seasons.
  • While it may have been heartwarming to see 38-year-old Anderson Varejao make a brief comeback in the NBA, the Cavaliers should have evaluated a younger player looking for a chance, Joe Vardon of The Athletic argues. The team could have signed someone who played in the G League or overseas and potentially found a diamond in the rough, Vardon writes, noting that some other teams have gotten productive minutes from players on 10-day contracts or rest-of-season deals.

Pistons Notes: Doumbouya, LaVar, Sirvydis, Vet Leadership

Second-year Pistons forward Sekou Doumbouya had a stellar preseason turn in a 99-91 victory against the Knicks Sunday, reminding the Pistons faithful that the 19-year-old could be a key part of Detroit’s future, as Keith Langlois of Pistons.com details. Now just the third-youngest Pistons player, Doumbouya scored 23 points on 8-of-11 shooting, in addition to pulling down five rebounds and logging two dimes, in only 18 minutes.

“I came in and tried to help the team – that’s my job, to come off the bench, lock in and be ready to help the team,” Doumbouya said. He averaged 6.4 PPG and 3.1 RPG in 38 games for the Pistons during the 2019/20 season.

There’s more out of the Motor City:

  • In a Bleacher Report Ask Me Anything conversation yesterday, the outspoken LaVar Ball was true to form, ripping the Pistons for recently waiving middle son LiAngelo Ball. The Pistons had signed LiAngelo to an Exhibit 10 training camp contract. “I love the fans, but the franchise over there is raggedy as hell,” the elder Ball said. “They don’t know a good player. I was giving them a [l]ottery pick for free!” LiAngelo went undrafted out of UCLA in 2018.
  • Pistons rookie swingman Deividas Sirvydis has arrived in Detroit, per Rod Beard of the Detroit News (Twitter link). The 20-year-old will need to clear COVID-19 testing protocol, according to Pistons head coach Dwane Casey, and may be ready to join his teammates in a practice this Thursday or Friday.
  • Two former All-Stars can supply valuable leadership for a young Pistons team in transition, according to Keith Langlois of Pistons.com. Savvy veterans Derrick Rose and Blake Griffin, who have logged significant playoff minutes, can help inform the Pistons’ future leaders and build the current culture. “They’re great pros, big-time pros,” Casey said. “We’re being sensible about our program and what we’re building. It’s not going to happen overnight – I know that and they know that. It’s not like they’re fighting for star status. They’ve been there.

Central Notes: Griffin, Rose, Antetokounmpo, Maker, Sirvydis

While the Pistons have shuffled their roster in recent weeks, Blake Griffin and Derrick Rose remain their most recognizable players. Both of them are healthy in the early days of camp, Keith Langlois of Pistons.com writes.

Griffin and Rose have been full participants in drills and scrimmages, according to coach Dwane Casey. Griffin has the spring in his legs back after undergoing another knee surgery which kept him sidelined much of last season.

“He’s back to being the Blake of old. We’re excited about that,” Casey said. “We know he’s been putting in the work. All the naysayers, all of that stuff, he’s back to being the Blake of old.”

We have more news from the Central Division:

  • The looming deadline for Giannis Antetokounmpo to sign an extension — December 21 — hasn’t affected his work ethic in camp, Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer told reporters, including The Athletic’s Eric Nehm (Twitter link). “He wants to be coached hard,” Budenholzer said of Giannis. “He wants everybody to do everything they can every day to get better.”
  • Center Thon Maker is on the Cavaliers’ roster after signing a training-camp deal and he knows he’s fighting for a roster spot, Chris Fedor of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports. “Nothing is ever given, period. Even being the top-10 pick it wasn’t given as well,” he said. “I’m not coming in thinking I’m a top-10 (pick) now. I’m coming in aggressive like I was when I was a first year. I’m approaching it as if I just came out of college.” Maker became an unrestricted free agent when the Pistons didn’t extend him a qualifying offer.
  • Deividas Sirvydis is scheduled to arrive in Detroit on Wednesday and will have to go through COVID protocols before he can start practicing, Rod Beard of the Detroit News tweets. The Lithuanian swingman, who was drafted in the second round in 2019, signed a three-year contract with the Pistons at the beginning of the month.
  • The Bulls’ G League team, the Windy City Bulls, is unlikely to participate in the Atlanta “bubble” event,” Emiliano Carchia of Sportando tweets.

Pistons Notes: Jackson, Plumlee, Sirvydis, Grant, Griffin

The Pistons‘ two-year deal with Josh Jackson is worth the full room exception, according to Keith Smith of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). With no options on year two, Jackson is assured of earning about $9.77MM over the course of the deal, including $4.77MM in 2020/21.

Newly-signed big man Mason Plumlee, meanwhile, also has no options on the final season of his new contract with the club. The three-year deal, initially reported as being worth $25MM, technically has an overall value of $24.66MM, but it does feature a 10% trade kicker, per Smith (Twitter link).

Finally, Lithuanian journalist Donatas Urbonas (Twitter link) provides the details on Deividas Sirvydisnew contract. The 2019 second-round pick inked a three-year, minimum-salary deal that features full guarantees in years one and two, with a non-guaranteed salary in 2022/23.

Here’s more on the Pistons:

  • In a conference call with reporters today, Pistons GM Troy Weaver said that Jerami Grant was the team’s top target in free agency and that he believes the forward has All-Defensive potential (Twitter links via Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press and Eric Woodyard of ESPN). “The Pistons had two iterations of great teams, and Jerami could have played on both teams,” Weaver said of Grant (Twitter link via James Edwards III of The Athletic).
  • Weaver also said that both Grant and Josh Jackson were players the team wanted to pursue aggressively when free agency opened, per Keith Langlois of Pistons.com. “Both tremendous young men,” Weaver said. “Bring exactly what we needed for this team – long, versatile athletes that can play multiple positions. That’s today’s NBA.”
  • While the Pistons will likely be cautious with Blake Griffin after he missed most of 2019/20 with a knee injury, the former All-NBA forward isn’t interested in minutes restrictions, head coach Dwane Casey said this week (Twitter link via Edwards). “He’s full-go,” Casey said. “… We’re a different team with him.”
  • The Pistons announced today in a press release that their signing of veteran shooting guard Wayne Ellington is now official. His minimum-salary contract is fully guaranteed, tweets Keith Smith.

Pistons Sign Deividas Sirvydis To Three-Year Contract

9:15pm: His contract with the Pistons is now official, the team announced in a press release.


9:47am: The Pistons have reached a three-year contract agreement with 2019 second-round pick Deividas Sirvydis, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets.

This reported transaction adds to the Pistons’ flurry of activity this offseason under new GM Troy Weaver. The third year of the deal will not be guaranteed, James Edwards III of The Athletic tweets.

The 20-year-old Lithuanian swingman was selected with the 37th overall pick in the 2019 draft. The 6’8” Sirvydis signed a multi-year contract with Hapoel Jerusalem in May but departed Israel in November to join Detroit for training camp. The Israeli team will receive a buyout, Donatas Urbonas tweets

The Pistons gave up three second-round picks to the Mavericks to move up in last year’s draft to snag Sirvydis. He played last season for Vilnius Rytas in Lithuania, averaging 6.6 PPG in 15.5 MPG while appearing in 16 EuroCup games.

The Pistons are hard-capped after acquiring forward Jerami Grant from the Nuggets in a sign-and-trade.

Central Notes: Bulls, P. Williams, Sirvydis, Pistons, Pacers

The chatter suggesting that the Bulls have their eye on Patrick Williams with the No. 4 pick is “intensifying by the day,” according to K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. One of Johnson’s sources believes the Bulls may even have told Williams they plan to draft him if they don’t move up from No. 4.

Jeremy Woo of SI.com hears that Williams has worked out for the Bulls and confirms that there’s plenty of buzz linking the Florida State forward to Chicago. However, Woo cautions that there are still a number of conflicting rumors circulating around the league when it comes to the Bulls’ intentions. Previous reports have indicated that the team may have its eye on a lead play-maker with its lottery pick.

Here’s more from around the Central:

  • Pistons 2019 second-round pick Deividas Sirvydis has left Hapoel Jerusalem to travel to the United States, where he intends to sign his first NBA contract and join Detroit for training camp, per Lithuanian journalist Donatas Urbonas (Twitter link). The 6’8″ Lithuanian wing was the 37th overall pick in last year’s draft.
  • While the Pistons intend to guarantee Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk‘s salary for 2020/21, Khyri Thomas‘ future with the club is still to be decided, a source tells James Edwards III of The Athletic. The two young Pistons have matching $1,663,861 non-guaranteed salaries for the coming season.
  • The Pacers, who don’t have a first-round pick in this year’s draft, haven’t worked out any prospects in person, VP of player personnel Ryan Carr said on Monday (Twitter link via J. Michael of The Indianapolis Star). Carr cited coronavirus-related concerns as a key factor in that decision, per Scott Agness of Vigilant Sports (Twitter link). Indiana only holds the No. 54 pick on Wednesday.

International Notes: Zizic, EuroLeague, Schroder, Sirvydis

Maccabi Tel Aviv is interested in signing Cavaliers center Ante Zizic next season, according to Dario Skerletic of Sportando. Zizic will be a free agent after Cleveland declined his fourth-year option in October.

Zizic got into just 22 games this year, averaging 4.4 points and 3.0 rebounds in 10 minutes per night. The 23-year-old center is in his third season with the Cavs after being acquired from Boston in the Kyrie Irving deal.

There’s more international news to pass along:

  • Most EuroLeague players are against resuming the season, tweets Greek basketball writer George Zakkas. A conference call was held yesterday in which players expressed their concerns about the coronavirus and the risk of injury if the season were to start again. The players were unanimous in their stance, which surprised league officials, according to Ennio Terrasi Borghesan of Sportando. The 11 A-licensed EuroLeague teams will vote tomorrow morning on whether the season will resume. Sportando’s Emiliano Carchia has heard that four teams seem to be in favor of restarting, while five clubs are against it (Twitter link).
  • The BBL in Germany has released its schedule for a 10-team tournament to crown a league champion, Borghesan writes in a separate piece. The opening game is set for June 6 with the finals on June 26 and 28.
  • Thunder guard Dennis Schroder will become the sole owner of his hometown team in Braunschweig, Germany, on July 1, Skerletic notes in a separate story. “I am very happy to be the sole shareholder of the Lions.” Schroder said. “… I want to give something back to the region. I am convinced that we can develop the team further and make it a top club in the league.”
  • Pistons draft-and-stash player Deividas Sirvydis has agreed to a long-term deal with Hapoel Jerusalem, Carchia writes. Detroit selected the 19-year-old forward in the second round last year.
  • Former NBA center Tarik Black has left Maccabi Tel Aviv, Lupo relays.