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Pistons Acquire Tobias Harris

February 16th, 2016 at 11:59pm CST by Chuck Myron

Kim Klement / USA TODAY Sports Images

2:58pm: The Pistons have acquired Tobias Harris from the Magic for Brandon Jennings and Ersan Ilyasova, the teams have formally announced. ESPN’s Chris Broussard first reported it was a done deal shortly after Michael Scotto of SheridanHoops reported the sides were in talks (Twitter links), while Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports, USA Today’s Sam Amick and Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel added detail (All Twitter links).

“We are pleased to welcome Tobias Harris to our organization,” Pistons GM Jeff Bower said in Detroit’s release. “Tobias adds good versatility as a ball-handler and scorer who can play both forward positions. He also has good experience for a young player and will fit well with the young core we have assembled on our roster. We appreciate the contributions made by Brandon and Ersan to our organization and wish them well moving forward.”

The deal represents a nearly even exchange of salaries for this season, with Harris’ $16MM going to the Pistons and $16,244,497 headed to Orlando, but a long-term cost savings for the Magic, since Jennings is on an expiring deal and Ilyasova is guaranteed only $400K for next season. Harris signed a four-year, $64MM deal this past summer.

Detroit appeared to be one of the leading contenders for Harris as free agency got underway in the offseason, but the team hadn’t emerged as a trade suitor this year until today. Marc Stein of ESPN.com reported last week that the Magic were open to trading the 23-year-old Harris, cautioning that they weren’t shopping him. However, a serious discussion took place recently between the Magic and Clippers involving Harris, Blake Griffin and other players, according to Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders. The Magic had been on the lookout for veterans, according to Stein, and Jennings, who’s 26, and Ilyasova, 28, ostensibly fit that bill.

“Brandon and Ersan are two veterans that will help balance our roster and provide valuable experience to our team,” Magic GM Rob Hennigan said as part of his team’s statement. “Both players bring scoring, competitiveness and added depth to our roster. We want to thank Tobias for his contributions, both on and off the court.”

Power forward has been the unsettled spot for the Pistons, who were high on Ilyasova but saw him instead as a backup, as ESPN’s Zach Lowe reported as he identified the team’s interest in Ryan Anderson. The acquisition of Harris would presumably take the Pistons out of the running for other power forwards the team has been linked to, including Markieff Morris and Al Horford, though Detroit will still have significant cap flexibility for next summer, when only about $64MM in guaranteed salaries will be on the books against a cap that many around the league reportedly believe will surge to $95MM.

The Magic meanwhile reduce their guaranteed salary commitments to only about $44MM for next season, giving them plenty of spending power. They had an open roster spot before the trade, so they didn’t have to offload anyone to make the two-for-one exchange.

Pistons, Magic Talk Harris, Jennings, Ilyasova Deal

February 15th, 2016 at 1:09pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Pistons and Magic have spoken about a potential trade that would send Tobias Harris to Detroit for Brandon Jennings and Ersan Ilyasova, sources tell Michael Scotto of SheridanHoops (Twitter links). The sides are progressing, USA Today’s Sam Amick hears, adding that while no deal is done, it seems likely to happen (on Twitter). It would represent a nearly even exchange of salaries for this season, with Harris’ $16MM going to the Pistons and $16,244,497 headed to Orlando, but a long-term cost savings for the Magic, since Jennings is on an expiring deal and Ilyasova is guaranteed only $400K for next season. Harris signed a four-year, $64MM deal this past summer.

Pistons To Target Ryan Anderson, Motiejunas?

January 20th, 2016 at 3:52pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Pistons are reportedly seeking an upgrade at the power forward position and intend to target soon-to-be free agents Ryan Anderson and Donatas Motiejunas in the offseason, according to ESPN’s Zach Lowe in his most recent podcast. “They want a four in free agency this summer, the Pistons, really badly,” Lowe said. “They’re going to look at Stan’s [Van Gundy] old friend Ryan Anderson. I’ve heard they’re hot on Motiejunas from Houston who’s always hurt. So, who knows how hot they actually are?”

Detroit has indicated that it intends retain current starter Ersan Ilyasova, whose $8.4MM salary for 2016/17 becomes fully guaranteed if he remains on the roster past July 1st, but the franchise would prefer to use the big man off the bench, Lowe notes. The 28-year-old has appeared in 41 games for the Pistons this season, all as a starter, and he is averaging 11.1 points and 5.5 rebounds in 27.6 minutes per game. His career numbers through 494 regular season NBA contests are 10.7 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.1 assists to accompany a slash line of .445/.371/.770.

As for Detroit’s reported targets, Anderson, whom New Orleans has reportedly been listening to offers about, isn’t likely to come cheap. A source within an NBA team told Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times and Basketball Insiders that he expects that Anderson will be able to command a maximum-salary contract this summer. Anderson is making $8.5MM in the final season of his contract. He’ll be a veteran of eight years by this summer, so he’d be eligible for the middle-tier max of a projected $24.9MM. The stretch-four has ties to Pistons coach/executive Stan Van Gundy, having played for him when the duo were with the Magic. The 27-year-old is averaging 16.8 points and 6.1 rebounds in 39 contests this season.

Motiejunas, 25, has only appeared in 14 games this season for the Rockets as he struggles with back issues. He is averaging 5.6 points and 2,1 rebounds in 13.4 minutes per game this year, with career numbers of 8.0 points and 4.0 rebounds on 48.2% shooting. Motiejunas has never appeared in more than 71 games in a season during the course of his NBA career, which speaks to the injury issues that Lowe mentioned in his podcast. The Rockets will be able to match offers for him as a restricted free agent if they tender a qualifying offer worth nearly $3.279MM.

Scotto’s Latest: Anderson, Gay, Morris, Motiejunas

January 14th, 2016 at 12:21pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Pelicans rejected a trade proposal from the Kings of Ryan Anderson for Rudy Gay, league sources told Michael Scotto of SheridanHoops, a signal that Sacramento is making Gay available. New Orleans has reportedly been listening to offers about Anderson but not shopping him, and coach Alvin Gentry has said it’s unlikely the Pelicans trade him this season. A straight-up exchange of Anderson for Gay trade would move the Pelicans to within $1MM of the luxury tax threshold, so it’s not surprising New Orleans said no. Scotto heard more about Anderson and several other trade candidates, as we’ll summarize here:

The Pistons are expected to pursue Anderson in free agency, league sources told Scotto. Stan Van Gundy said in October that Anderson, incumbent Pistons power forward Ersan Ilyasova and Kevin Love are in a class by themselves among those who combine effective rebounding and 3-point shooting.
The Suns, who reportedly engaged in talks with the Pelicans about a swap of Markieff Morris for Anderson, now prefer young players or draft picks in exchange for Morris, Scotto’s league sources say.
The Clippers are making Josh Smith available for a trade, according to Scotto, essentially a reprise of earlier this season, when Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports reported the Clips had gauged interest in him. Clippers coach/executive Doc Rivers denied that earlier report, however.
The Rockets have taken Donatas Motiejunas off the trade market, but Terrence Jones remains available, Scotto reports. Houston earlier had talks with Phoenix about a swap of Jones and Corey Brewer for Morris, as Scotto revealed, and those discussions were serious, Marc Stein of ESPN.com later added. Brewer becomes eligible to be traded Friday.
Scotto adds the Mavericks to list of teams with interest in trading for Timberwolves shooting guard Kevin Martin.

Pistons Notes: Ilyasova, Jennings, Drummond

January 1st, 2016 at 6:31pm CST by Will Joseph

Pistons coach/executive Stan Van Gundy is very much interested in keeping Ersan Ilyasova in Detroit next season, Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press relays (on Twitter). Ilyasova has a non-guaranteed deal worth $8.4MM for next season. The 28-year-old power forward is averaging 10.9 points and 4.9 rebounds per game. Detroit acquired Ilyasova in a trade with the Bucks in June and Van Gundy recently said he has been thrilled with the move.

“He’s a very good player on a very good contract,” Van Gundy said, per Ellis. “I don’t really see a scenario where we wouldn’t.”

Here’s more news concerning Detroit:

Brandon Jennings still needs time to get back to full speed, but his return so far has impressed Reggie Jackson, who assumed Jennings’ role as the Pistons’ starting point guard, David Mayo of MLive.com details. “They really haven’t dropped off with Brandon coming in, a guy we all know can get hot and get it going, but as well, probably doesn’t get enough credit for being able to see the floor, and his passing ability,” Jackson said. “I think it really showed tonight. He got hockey assists, got kick-outs, really got to the paint, and was attacking. I’m happy to see him doing well and helping lead our second unit to help lead our team to get wins.” Jennings has yet to start a game since returning from a torn Achilles last week.
Former Piston and current Wolves small forward Tayshaun Prince returned Thursday to Detroit, where he spent 11 of his 14 seasons, but he’s not ready to say it was for the final time, Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune writes. “When people tell me I’m done, I look at them like they’re crazy because throughout my whole career when we won, and even when we didn’t win, the things I did on the floor didn’t show up in the stat sheet,” Prince said. “No matter what, I can still impact the game, and I know I can still do that for a long time.”
Andre Drummond‘s inconsistency can be attributed to a lack of focus and engagement during games and has nothing to do with conditioning, according to Van Gundy, Rod Beard of the Detroit News writes.

And-Ones: Hardaway Jr., Pistons, Williams

December 7th, 2015 at 10:43pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Tim Hardaway Jr. took a positive approach to his two-game stint with the D-League’s Canton Charge, Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. The Hawks shooting guard was back at practice on Monday after averaging 17 points with the Charge. “There is no negativity,” he told Vivlamore. “I knew what the objective was – to go down there and get some reps and help the Canton team out.” The Hawks traded their first-round pick to obtain Hardaway from the Knicks in a draft-day deal but he has appeared in only four games, averaging 2.5 points in 11.1 minutes.

In other news around the Eastern Conference:

Darrun Hilliard will get sent to the Pistons’ D-League affiliate in Grand Rapids a couple more times in the coming weeks, coach Stan Van Gundy told the assembled media, including Hoops Rumors, on Sunday night. The rookie shooting guard out of Villanova, Detroit’s second-round pick in June, scored 31 points for the Drive in his first D-League appearance on Saturday and was immediately recalled. “He can put the ball on the floor and make plays and we don’t have a lot of that on the perimeter with our wings,” Van Gundy said. “We like what he brings to the table. He’s doing everything he can to impress us and get his chance.”
The Pistons acquired their starting small forwards, Ersan Ilyasova and Marcus Morris, for essentially two expiring contracts and a second-round pick during the offseason. Van Gundy, who made those deals as the team’s president of basketball operations, has been thrilled with the results. “We didn’t give up a whole lot to get either one of them and they’ve both got great contracts,” he told Hoops Rumors and other members of the media last week. “That’s probably two of the best things that have happened to us since we’ve been here.”
Point guard Lou Williams told his ex-Raptors teammate DeMar DeRozan that he’s disappointed things didn’t work out for him in Toronto, Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports tweets. Williams, who signed a three-year, $21MM contract with the Lakers after the Raptors let him walk, felt like he ‘found a home’ with Toronto, Lewenberg adds.
The Raptors recalled small forward Bruno Caboclo and rookie combo guard Delon Wright from their D-League affiliate, Raptors 905, the team’s media relations department tweets. Both were on the active roster for Monday’s game against the Lakers.
The Thunder assigned Mitch McGary to their D-League affiliate, the Oklahoma City Blue, according to the team’s website. The second-year power forward has played three games with the Blue and six with the Thunder this season.

Eastern Notes: Monroe, Irving, Stoudemire

November 24th, 2015 at 1:15pm CST by Chuck Myron

Greg Monroe believes his departure from the Pistons played a role in Andre Drummond‘s ascension as the NBA’s leading per-game rebounder, as Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press details. The Pistons replaced Monroe, who averaged 10.2 rebounds alongside Drummond, with trade acquisition Ersan Ilyasova, who’s averaging only 3.6.

“When you have someone you’re playing with that averages 10 rebounds, too, you’re going to get a few less rebounds,” Monroe said. “There’s a lot more rebounds available, so he’s gonna get more. It’s not surprising to me at all. He’s always had that motor. He’s always had that hunger to rebound.”

Drummond’s average on the boards has jumped from 13.5 last season to 17.6 this year. See more from the Eastern Conference:

Kyrie Irving is expected to return for the Cavaliers before January, a source tells Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv (Twitter link). Concerns that his absence would linger into the new year existed over the summer.
Amar’e Stoudemire calls it a “long shot,” but he won’t rule out playing next season with Hapoel Jerusalem, the Israeli team in which he has an ownership stake, notes Marc Berman of the New York Post. Stoudemire is on a one-year deal with the Heat. “I had a pretty strong 14-year career so far,’’ Stoudemire said. “Right now I’m taking it one day at a time, one season at a time. I don’t know how much time left I have as a player. I’m just cherishing the moment and try to develop the young guys.’’
Offseason trade addition Jared Dudley is a smaller version of Nene in many ways, observes J. Michael of CSNMidAtlantic.com. Dudley insists that Nene, a free agent at season’s end, remains an integral part of the Wizards in spite of his reduced role, as Michael relays. “Offensively, it starts with Nene,” Dudley said. “He’s the one guy [on the second unit] that can get his own shot and then we move the ball. Me being the four, when I get the ball even when I’m open sometimes it’s getting the ball side to side and getting other guys involved.”

Pistons Rumors: Morris, Ilyasova, Drummond

November 2nd, 2015 at 8:52pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Marcus Morris‘ hot start for the Pistons is a product of coach Stan Van Gundy encouraging his starting small forward to take mid-range jumpers, Keith Langlois of Pistons.com reports. Van Gundy told Morris to work on his mid-range game after acquiring him from the Suns in July and Morris has responded by averaging a team-high 19.3 points during the team’s 3-0 start. “Marcus is a guy we can go to and isolate and can shoot a high percentage on mid-range jumpers,” Van Gundy told Langlois. “Across the league, it’s not a high-percentage shot. We know that. But everything is based on individuals. It’s not based on a league-wide average. The league-wide average on those shots might be 37 percent, but Marcus is shooting 52 percent.”

In other Pistons news:

Ersan Ilyasova is having his minutes monitored closely by the coaching staff, David Mayo of MLive.com reports. The power forward who was acquired from the Bucks during the offseason, is averaging 26.0 minutes, less than any other starter. “I’m concerned with him,” Van Gundy told the team’s beat reporters. “He plays at a real high pace and intensity level. He had a long summer. I am somewhat conscious of not over-playing him needlessly.” Ilyasova played for the Turkish national team during the offseason.
Center Andre Drummond became the first Piston in nearly six years to win the league’s Eastern Conference Player of the Week award, Mayo notes in a separate story. Drummond had double-doubles in each of the first three games, including a 20-point, 20-rebound outing against the Bulls.
Rookie forward Stanley Johnson will likely develop into an ideal complement to the team’s core duo of Drummond and point guard Reggie Jackson, Ananth Pandian of CBSSports.com opines. Johnson has the defensive prowess to match up with division’s top wing players and his offensive game is more suited to the NBA, Pandian adds. “College basketball is a lot different with the rules,” Johnson told Pandian. “I think the NBA game is a help for me because when I drive to the basket there is not three or four defenders at the rim, there is only one. This makes my reads a lot easier and it makes attacking the basket a lot easier.”
The Pistons’ quick start has reserve power forward Anthony Tolliver feeling bullish about the team’s prospects this season, as he told Ric Bucher in an Sirius XM Radio interview (Twitter link). “I just don’t see us not making the playoffs,” Tolliver boasted in the interview.

Central Notes: Pistons, Bulls, Butler

October 18th, 2015 at 8:00pm CST by Will Joseph

While center Andre Drummond, shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and point guard Reggie Jackson are guaranteed starting spots, Marcus Morris, Ersan Ilyasova and Stanley Johnson are still fighting for the other two starting roles with the Pistons, Terry Foster of The Detroit News details. Each player has skills that make for a compelling argument, Foster writes, and no one seems to have the edge yet. Ilyasova can stretch the floor with his 3-point shot, Morris provides toughness and Johnson is quick in transition, Foster adds.

Here’s more out of the Central Division:

Bulls rookie Bobby Portis is standing out early because of his confidence, rebounding ability and scoring touch, Nick Friedell of ESPN.com writes. Bulls head coach Fred Hoiberg acknowledged it would be hard to envision a scenario where Portis isn’t given rotational minutes early in the season, Friedell adds. “I just think it’s his energy,” Hoiberg said. “Anybody that goes out and plays that hard every possession, good things generally happen and that’s exactly what Bobby has done.”
Look for Jimmy Butler, who re-signed with the Bulls over the summer, to pick up his intensity on the court as the regular season draws near, K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune writes. Butler, according to first-year coach Hoiberg, has been focused on getting his teammates more involved in a new system, Johnson adds.

Pistons Notes: Ilyasova, Tolliver, Hilliard

October 2nd, 2015 at 12:45pm CST by Chuck Myron

Stan Van Gundy didn’t change the roster much in his first few months with the Pistons, and that was by design, he says, according to Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press. Now, the process has accelerated, and Andre Drummond, Brandon Jennings and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope are the only holdovers from before his tenure.

“You had to be cautious because you hadn’t had time to really have your processes in place to make great decisions and so you were rushed in your decision-making compared to what we have this year,” Van Gundy said, according to Ellis. “We didn’t want to take any big risks. Now we’ve had a chance to go through a year and thoroughly evaluate the draft and thoroughly evaluate free agents and pro personnel.”

See more on the revamped Pistons:

Van Gundy puts trade acquisition Ersan Ilyasova in a class with only Kevin Love and 2016 free agent Ryan Anderson among those who can both rebound and shoot three-pointers effectively, even though Ilyasova’s per-36-minute rebounding numbers have steadily declined the past few years, MLive’s David Mayo observes. Ilyasova contends that’s only because of a change in the way the Bucks used him, Mayo notes.
Anthony Tolliver, who like Ilyasova is one of the keys to replacing Greg Monroe‘s rebounding, poured effort into getting himself in shape for the final season of his contract this year, as he detailed on his blog and as he addressed in camp Thursday, as Mayo relays in a separate piece. “I didn’t really train as a basketball player. I trained as an athlete,” Tolliver said Thursday. “I worked on running mechanics, worked on jumping mechanics, speed training, all kinds of different things that I’ve never done before. So I just feel like I’m in a lot better shape than I have been in the past going into this year. It’s going to be a big one for me.”
The Pistons are making the most of Darrun Hilliard‘s versatility and having him play some point guard in camp, a position that this year’s 38th overall pick, who usually plays on the wing, is ready to embrace in his uphill battle for a regular season roster spot, as MLive’s Aaron McCann details. “Darrun’s a smart guy, knows how to play,” Van Gundy said. “It’s real easy to blend him in with other guys because he really understands how to play with other players easily.”