Marcus Sasser Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Pistons Notes: Cunningham, Schröder, Gores, Harris

April 3rd, 2025 at 9:23am CST by Dana Gauruder

Cade Cunningham made his first All-Star appearance this season. The Pistons guard wants even greater recognition as his career unfolds, he told Eric Woodyard of ESPN.

“I think I can be the best basketball player in the world. I think I’m on my way,” Cunningham said. “I want people to understand that and that’s what I’m working to show people every time I play.”

Prior to the team’s astonishing turnaround, the No. 1 pick of the 2021 draft heard whispers that he was a bust, even after signing a max extension last summer. He understood the criticism and took it constructively.

“There was a time where I didn’t give them much else to think,” said Cunningham, who has missed the last five games with a calf contusion. “But I felt support since day one being here, though, and more than anything I wanted to hold up my end of the bargain.”

We have more on the Pistons:

Ron Holland and Marcus Sasser served their one-game suspensions and Isaiah Stewart began his two-game ban in the Pistons’ 119-103 loss to Oklahoma City on Wednesday. The suspensions resulted from an altercation with the Timberwolves on Sunday. That led to a 40-minute outing for veteran point guard Dennis Schröder, who produced 15 points and seven assists. Schröder, a trade-deadline acquisition, has also been increasingly relied upon in crunch time, even when Cunningham plays. “I love watching him play in the fourth quarter,” coach J.B. Bickerstaff told the Detroit Free Press’ Omari Sankofa II. “I love watching him play in those big moments because he finds a way to impact the game.”
Owner Tom Gores is fighting back on criticism of his players in the aftermath of the dust-up with the Timberwolves. He issued a statement via the team’s PR department (Twitter link) which read, “In recent days, our team has faced scrutiny stemming from moments of intensity on the court. Let me be absolutely clear: We stand behind our players. While I wish the penalty outcome had been different, I write to you with a full heart — with pride in our players, passion for our city, and a clear voice of support for all those who wear the Pistons’ colors. We are bonded through our challenges. Our players compete with passion and teamwork — values that so many of us share. Detroit has always been a city that plays with hustle and pride. The Pistons have never shied away from playing hard and having each other’s backs, and we won’t start now. In Detroit, we rise together. To our players and coaches: Continue to work hard and play hard. We see you. We appreciate you. We support you. Your dedication fuels this franchise, and your courage inspires us all. To our fans: thank you for riding with us through every game, battle, and moment. Your energy fuels our players and makes the Pistons who we are. Together, we will keep building. together, we will keep competing. and together, we will keep proving that Detroit basketball is more than a game — it’s a way of life.”
Starting forward Tobias Harris left Wednesday’s game in the second half due to right Achilles tendinopathy, according to the team’s PR department (Twitter link). Harris, who scored 10 points in 22 minutes, missed the previous two games with the same issue. Harris has appeared in 70 games, averaging 13.8 points and 6.0 rebounds in the first season of his two-year contract he signed as a free agent.

NBA Announces Five Suspensions For Pistons/Timberwolves Altercation

April 1st, 2025 at 11:20am CST by Luke Adams

Five players have been suspended following the altercation between the Pistons and Timberwolves that took place in Minnesota on Sunday, the league announced today in a press release (Twitter link).

Those suspensions are as follows:

Isaiah Stewart (Pistons): Two games
Ron Holland (Pistons): One game
Marcus Sasser (Pistons): One game
Naz Reid (Timberwolves): One game
Donte DiVincenzo (Timberwolves): One game

All five players were ejected from Sunday’s game following an on-court incident that occurred midway through the second quarter.

Holland, who tried to swipe the ball away from Reid as he drove to the basket, was called for a foul and was immediately confronted by the Timberwolves big man, who yelled at the Pistons forward and repeatedly jabbed his finger at him. DiVincenzo quickly entered the mix and he and Holland shoved one another, leading to a scrum that spilled into the stands along the baseline.

As those three players fell into the stands, Sasser and Stewart entered the fray and shoved Reid and DiVincenzo, resulting in a “continued escalation” of the situation, per the NBA.

In addition to those five players, the game’s officials ejected Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff and Timberwolves assistant Pablo Prigioni. However, neither coach was mentioned in today’s announcement, so it appears they won’t face any additional discipline from the NBA.

According to the league, Stewart received an extra game due in part to his “repeated history of unsportsmanlike acts.” He’ll miss Wednesday’s game in Oklahoma City and Friday’s contest in Toronto, while his teammates Holland and Sasser will only have to sit out on Wednesday. Reid and DiVincenzo will serve their suspensions on Tuesday when the Wolves face the Nuggets in Denver.

As Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets, Stewart’s two-game suspension will cost him $206,897, which represents 2/145ths of his $15MM salary for 2024/25. Holland ($46,812), Sasser ($15,834), Reid ($80,283), and DiVincenzo ($65,776) will lose 1/174th of their respective salaries for this season.

Pistons-Timberwolves Altercation Leads To Seven Ejections

March 30th, 2025 at 7:33pm CST by Dana Gauruder

A fight that spilled into the stands marred the Pistons–Timberwolves game on Sunday with five players, Detroit head coach J.B. Bickerstaff and a Minnesota assistant coach getting ejected.

The altercation occurred with 8:36 remaining in the second quarter. Timberwolves big man Naz Reid was driving to the basket and Pistons rookie forward Ron Holland tried to swipe at the ball. Holland was called for a foul and Reid immediately confronted Holland, pointing his finger at Holland. Minnesota guard Donte DiVincenzo also confronted and pushed Holland, leading to a scrum that spilled into the stands along the baseline.

All the players on the court headed toward the stands and members of both coaching staffs came out to try to separate the competitors. The officiating crew, with assistance from the league’s replay center, chose to eject Holland, Isaiah Stewart and Marcus Sasser from the Pistons side and DiVincenzo, Reid and assistant coach Pablo Prigioni from the Timberwolves, along with an incredulous Bickerstaff. Luke Walton took over as Detroit’s coach for the remainder of the contest.

A replay of the fight, posted by House of Highlights on Youtube, can be found here.

Tensions were heightened moments earlier when Stewart and Timberwolves big man Rudy Gobert had an angry exchange.

Fines and potential suspensions are likely for both teams, who are battling for playoff position. The Pistons are fifth in the Eastern Conference and looking to move up one spot, which would give them home court advantage in the first round.

Minnesota entered the game tied for seventh place in the Western Conference. The Timberwolves are looking to move up at least one notch and avoid the play-in tournament.

Central Notes: Mobley, Cavs, Mathurin, Holland, Sasser

March 24th, 2025 at 2:09pm CST by Rory Maher

Cavaliers big man Evan Mobley is viewed as one of the favorites for Defensive Player of the Year in 2024/25, and while he had no qualms about making a case for himself, he was more interested in talking about the team’s goals when he recently spoke to Mark Medina of Sportskeeda.

“I’m mostly just focused on the playoffs,” Mobley said. “I’m just trying to be as great as possible in the playoffs and go as far as we can in the playoffs.”

Mobley has been highly impressive in his fourth NBA season, averaging a career-best 18.6 points to go along with 9.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 0.8 steals and 1.5 blocks in a career-low 30.2 minutes per contest across 63 outings. His shooting slash line is .568/.372/.729.

The 23-year-old forward/center is the only player from the East to have the won the new Defensive Player of the Month award two times this season, Medina notes. Mobley pointed out that his impact goes beyond what a traditional box score can measure.

“There are defenders not even taking a shot,” Mobley told Sportskeeda. “They’re coming in down the paint and see me there. Then they turn back around and go somewhere else. Those plays don’t necessarily get tracked. But that’s a big factor.”

Here’s more from the Central:

Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (subscriber link) and Tony Jones of The Athletic explain why Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson decided to have a “fun practice” on Saturday following a four-game losing streak, helping the players rediscover the joy they’ve played with all season. Instead of letting frustration seep in, the team instead played H.O.R.S.E and cracked jokes while watching highlights the coaching staff compiled of the players when they participated in the NCAA Tournament. “I think it’s been important to not overreact,” Atkinson said, per Jones. “To be clear, I’m not happy with the way we have played. We haven’t played well in the last week. But, you have to look at things in the big picture. And in the big picture, I’ll take who this team has been during the other 97 percent of the season over what we have been over the last week.” Cleveland snapped its four-game skid with a dominant second half on Sunday in Utah against the tanking Jazz.
Over the course of Bennedict Mathurin‘s three seasons with the Pacers, there has been a constant effort to try to figure out how best to incorporate his more ball-dominant, one-on-one style within the movement-oriented flow of a Tyrese Haliburton-led offense. As Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star writes, the issue becomes even more complicated in instances when Haliburton is unavailable — he missed time recently with a back ailment. When Haliburton is out, Mathurin, who will be eligible for a rookie scale extension this summer, gets more freedom to try and score however he can out of necessity. The tension between the two playing styles has defined Mathurin’s tenure with the team to this point, Dopirak adds. “It’s two different styles,” Carlisle said, “and I just let him know at halftime (on Saturday vs. Brooklyn) that I acknowledge that if he had the ball every time and we spread it out every time and he was doing the stuff we were doing when we were down in those games (without Haliburton), that he would score and he would get to the free throw line. But in the flow of our normal game, that’s not who we are. We’ve gotta work to bring the two forces of nature together.”
With Cade Cunningham (calf soreness) and Tim Hardaway Jr. (ankle sprain) out Sunday vs. New Orleans, rookie forward Ron Holland helped spark a Pistons victory, recording 26 points (on 10-of-14 shooting), six assists and five rebounds in 36 minutes off the bench. The fifth overall pick in last year’s draft tied his career high for points in a game and set a new one in assists. Second-year guard Marcus Sasser, who has been in and out of the rotation in 2024/25, was also instrumental to the win, scoring 10 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter. Hunter Patterson of The Athletic and Keith Langlois of Pistons.com have the stories and quotes.

Central Notes: Mitchell, Pistons, Pacers, Bulls

January 3rd, 2025 at 3:33pm CST by Luke Adams

Donovan Mitchell‘s points per game (23.7), assists per game (4.6), shot attempts per game (18.3), and usage rate (30.1%) are all down from where they were last year, but the Cavaliers certainly haven’t missed that production from the star guard, winning 29 of their first 33 games this season.

As Brian Windhorst of ESPN details, Mitchell’s willingness to take a step back and defer to teammates has paid off in a major way — his three-point percentage is a career-best 41.5% and Cleveland has the NBA’s No. 1 offense (121.3 offensive rating).

“He was an All-NBA (caliber) player last year because of how much he did for them and having to play a lot at point guard,” an advance scout told Windhorst. “This year, he’s probably going to make All-NBA because he’s pulling back and encouraging his teammates to have bigger roles. … I’ll tell you what, they were a lot easier to defend last year when he was a one-man show.”

One reason for Mitchell’s dip in production is the fact that he’s averaging a career-low 31.5 minutes per game. As Windhorst explains, new head coach Kenny Atkinson helped develop a plan coming into the season to keep the five-time All-Star fresher and reduce the stress on his knee, which was an issue at times last season. It has paid off so far, as Mitchell has missed just one game and several of his teammates – including All-Star candidates Darius Garland and Evan Mobley – are enjoying career years.

“Donovan is so selfless and he empowers people. (Stephen Curry) is like this, too. They’re so positive, they know how to uplift others around them,” said Atkinson, a former Warriors assistant. “That’s the ultimate leader, right?”

Here’s more from around the Central:

Hunter Patterson of The Athletic explores how Jaden Ivey‘s extended absence due to a leg injury will affect the Pistons‘ rotation, while Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press (subscriber link) posits that not having Ivey available will give the team an opportunity to experiment with lineups. Ausar Thompson and Malik Beasley are among the candidates to be promoted to the starting five, while Marcus Sasser and Wendell Moore could see increased roles.
The Pacers are hovering around .500 after making the Eastern Conference Finals last season and project to be a taxpayer next season if they bring back starting center Myles Turner, according to Fred Katz of The Athletic, who considers what the next move is for Indiana. A consolidation trade that moves out a couple of their higher-paid bench players may be in the Pacers’ best interests, Katz suggests.
After a week in which the Bulls needed overtime to beat the lowly Hornets and then were defeated by the lowlier Wizards, Joe Cowley calls out the front office in a column for The Chicago Sun-Times, arguing for roster changes sooner rather than later to ensure the team keeps its top-10 protected pick in the 2025 draft and adds a much-needed building block.

Pistons Fear Jaden Ivey Sustained Major Leg Injury

January 2nd, 2025 at 7:33am CST by Luke Adams

Pistons guard Jaden Ivey was carried off the court on a stretcher after suffering a left leg injury during the fourth quarter of Wednesday’s win over Orlando, as Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press details.

There are no details yet on the severity of the injury, but it appears to be significant, Sankofa writes, based on Ivey’s reaction and the emotion shown by players from both teams in the aftermath.

The injury occurred with 10:07 remaining in the fourth quarter. With Ivey and Magic guard Cole Anthony battling to reach a loose ball, Anthony fell on the Pistons guard’s left leg, which turned awkwardly underneath him (Twitter video link). Players from both teams surrounded Ivey as he grabbed his lower leg and writhed in pain on the court.

Anthony and Pistons swingman Ausar Thompson were among the players who appeared teary-eyed as Ivey was wheeled off the floor on a stretcher, Sankofa notes.

“It’s tough on the whole group,” Pistons star Cade Cunningham told reporters after the game. “To see him hurting like that is tough on us. He’s built for it, he’s going to shake back knowing him. He’s going to work his tail off and he’s going to be better than ever when he gets back. It’s hard to see that, for sure.”

There should be more details on Ivey’s injury within the next 24 hours, but it’s hard to imagine a scenario in which he’s able to quickly return to action without missing much time.

As Sankofa writes, losing Ivey would be a major blow for a Pistons team that has exceeded expectations so far this season and currently holds a play-in spot at 15-18. Head coach J.B. Bickerstaff has staggered his two lead guards so that Ivey is the one initiating the offense when Cunningham is on the bench.

The No. 5 overall pick in the 2022 draft, Ivey had been enjoying his best season as a pro so far in 2024/25, establishing new career highs in points (17.6) and rebounds (4.1) per game, as well as field goal percentage (46.0%) and three-point percentage (40.9%). He has started all 30 games he played, averaging 29.9 minutes per night.

Marcus Sasser is the No. 3 point guard on the depth chart and would likely be in line for a minutes bump if Ivey is unavailable, but it’s unclear if Bickerstaff would trust the second-year guard to take on a similar role to the one Ivey has played. Sasser has averaged just 13.1 minutes per contest in 22 outings off the bench this season.

Central Notes: Cavaliers, White, P. Williams, Moore, Sasser

November 17th, 2024 at 9:55am CST by Arthur Hill

Only three NBA teams have ever started a season 15-0, and the Cavaliers have a chance to join them today by beating Charlotte, writes Tom Withers of The Associated Press. This year’s Cavs have already set a franchise record with 14 straight victories, and they appear to have a legitimate chance to win the Eastern Conference. There weren’t any major roster changes during the offseason, but the team seemed to reset by hiring Kenny Atkinson as head coach.

Atkinson has installed an up-tempo offensive system that emphasizes spacing, ball movement and creating open three-point opportunities. After serving as an assistant coach with Golden State, Atkinson has his team playing a style that’s similar to the Warriors.

“I was so thrilled when Draymond (Green) said that the other day,” Atkinson said. “He was just really impressed how we pinged the ball around. How we drive, kick, swing. We get it out of pick and roll. We get it in fast-break situations, and it is Warriors-esque. It’s really that type of ball movement. It’s beautiful to watch.”

The Cavaliers gained a sense of stability over the summer when Donovan Mitchell signed a three-year, maximum-salary extension, Withers adds. Mitchell has been able to carry the team whenever it needs a scoring boost, including an 18-point fourth quarter outburst in Friday’s win over Chicago.

“That was him,” Atkinson said. “That wasn’t us. It wasn’t me saying it. He just senses, ‘What does the team need right now?’ And that could be him or it could be someone else. And that speaks to his IQ, just understanding of who’s on the court, who he’s playing with.”

There’s more from the Central Division:

An offseason trade for Josh Giddey and the return of Lonzo Ball pushed Bulls guard Coby White into a different role this season. He talks about that adjustment and more in an interview with Grant Afseth of Sportskeeda. “My career with this team has put me in multiple roles, especially as our roster changes,” White said. “Last year, I was more on the ball, but this year, with guys like Lonzo and Giddey, who are really talented passers, I’m adjusting. They make it easy because they’re willing to make the right play every time. It’s an adjustment, but it’s been a smooth one thanks to them.”
Bulls forward Patrick Williams has been through an up-and-down career since being selected with the fourth pick in the 2020 draft, but he believes he has benefited from the experience, per Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. ‘‘Where am I at in my career? I don’t know what other people felt it should have been,” Williams said. “I know that I feel I’m making my way toward it. You never want it to come easy. I didn’t want to be one of those guys that bloom early, blossom early. … Nah, I’d rather have it this way. Bumps and bruises, people talk [expletive] about me, ups and downs with an injury, ups and downs with everything. It builds an appreciation when I get where I’m going. It builds a resolve for when I do have a bad game, I can say, ‘I’ve been here before. Just move on.’’’
Wendell Moore Jr. and Marcus Sasser helped the Pistons hold off Toronto Friday night and improve to 2-0 in the NBA Cup, writes Hunter Patterson of The Athletic. The two bench players had the team’s highest plus-minus ratings in the fourth quarter, with Moore at plus-10 and Sasser at plus-seven. “Wendell and (Sasser), they were huge for us,” Cade Cunningham said. “They came in, brought so much energy, made shots, were flying around, defended. That group just got us back in the game and then from there we just rode it out.”

Pistons Exercise 2025/26 Options On Four Players

October 21st, 2024 at 5:36pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Pistons have exercised their 2025/26 contract options on Jaden Ivey, Jalen Duren, Ausar Thompson and Marcus Sasser, the team’s PR department tweets.

For Ivey and Duren, the options cover their fourth NBA seassons. Ivey, the fifth pick in 2022, will now get a guaranteed $10,107,163. Duren, chosen 13th overall that same draft after the Pistons swung a deal to acquire him, will make $6,483,144 next season.

Both players will either start or be regular second-unit players this season. They will be eligible for rookie scale extensions next summer.

Thompson and Sasser were first-rounders last season. Thompson, the No. 5 pick in 2023, will make $8,775,162 in 2025/26, while Sasser, the No. 25 pick last year, will receive $2,886,431. The Pistons will have until October 31, 2025 to pick up their fourth-year options for ’26/27.

Notably, the Pistons also have a fifth player who has a rookie scale team option for 2025/26: Wendell Moore, acquired over the summer in a trade with Minnesota, would make $4,574,283 if his option is picked up.

While Detroit still has another 10 days to exercise Moore’s option, teams typically announce all of those decisions at the same time, so his omission from today’s press release is a strong indication that option won’t be picked up. Assuming that’s the case, he’d become an unrestricted free agent next summer.

We’re tracking all of the ’25/26 rookie scale option decisions right here.

Pistons Notes: Beasley, Klintman, Point Guards

October 6th, 2024 at 1:47pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

New floor-spacing Pistons shooting guard Malik Beasley has been a critical addition to Detroit’s revamped three-point shooting attack, writes Keith Langlois of Pistons.com.

Last year, Detroit ranked 29th in made three-pointers, 27th in attempts, and 26th in conversion rate. Beasley — along with fellow veterans Tobias Harris and Tim Hardaway Jr. — was brought in expressly to address that issue this year.

Across 79 contests as the Bucks’ (mostly) starting shooting guard last year, Beasley was an elite high-volume, long-range sniper. He averaged 11.3 points per game on .443/.413/.714 shooting splits, with 6.9 of his 9.1 nightly field goal attempts coming from the beyond the arc.

“We’re more talking about the type of [three-point] shots that we’re trying to create and how we’re going to create them,” new head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said of how he plans to approach his fresh optionality from beyond the arc. “Right now, the emphasis is on we want to create as many feet-set, catch-and-shoot threes as we can and then what do we have to do before that to get to those shots. That’s where we’re at right now.”

There’s more out of Detroit:

Rookie Pistons combo forward Bobi Klintman missed a team practice late last week with a calf contusion, reports Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press (Twitter link). Klintman will miss a few days as a precaution, Sankofa adds. Detroit selected Klintman out of Wake Forest with the No. 37 overall pick this summer.
Detroit is looking to share ball-handling duties when starting point guard Cade Cunningham is on the bench, Sankofa writes in a story for The Free Press. Without another traditional point guard currently on the team, Bickerstaff is looking to spread the wealth and build the confidence of his other players as passers and play-makers. “We may not have guys who are historically initiators, but we’ve got guys that can handle the ball and make plays and use their intelligence,” Bickerstaff said. “You’re going to see, from us, a ton of guys that have the ball in their hands and are making decisions. We may not have a primary ball-handler all the time, but we can split it up and make ourselves a little more difficult to guard.” Combo guards Jaden Ivey and Marcus Sasser are among the players who figure to see minutes in that role.
In case you missed it, the Pistons are looking to transition veteran big man Isaiah Stewart back to his preferred role of center for most of his minutes. Stewart had spent more time at power forward in recent years.

Eastern Notes: Larsson, Johnson, McConnell, Ivey, Sasser, Long Island Nets

September 3rd, 2024 at 8:48pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Heat second-round pick Pelle Larsson and two-way rookie Keshad Johnson were teammates at Arizona. The Wildcats head coach believes they’ll fit right in with the Heat culture, he told Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald.

“I think one of the things that makes them impressive prospects is they’re both wired and willing to be great role players,” Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd said. “You know, 100 percent of their focus is going to be contributing to the team’s overall success. These aren’t like shoot first, ask questions later type of guys. So they’re going to give you a well-rounded effort on both ends of the floor. On offense, they’re going to play their role and stay in their lane. Then defensively and in all the effort areas, they’re going to max that stuff out.”

Larsson looked like he could quickly contribute. During Summer League competition, he averaged 15.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.3 steals per game. He signed a three-year contract starting at the rookie minimum.

We have more from the Eastern Conference:

T.J. McConnell‘s four-year extension with the Pacers includes a partial guarantee in the third year of the contract and a team option in the final season, according to Bobby Marks of ESPN (Twitter link). The four-year, $44.8MM extension breaks down like this — $10.2MM in 2025/26; $11MM in 2026/27; $11.8MM ($5MM partial guarantee) in 2027/28; and a $11.8MM team option in 2028/29.
Though Jaden Ivey and Marcus Sasser are not natural point guards, The Athletic’s James Edwards believes one of them will back up Cade Cunningham rather than the Pistons making another roster move. Adding a free agent point guard would take away some of their playing time and the Pistons already brought in Tim Hardaway Jr. via trade and Malik Beasley via free agency. That duo will likely soak up a lot of minutes at shooting guard.
The NBA G League’s Long Island Nets will play six home games at in Montreal, two each in January, February and March, NetsDaily.com relays. Most of the team’s games are held at Nassau Coliseum. It’s speculated that the club is looking to extend its brand internationally.