Pistons Share Injury Updates On Harris, Duren, LeVert
The Pistons have issued updates on a trio of injured players, making the following announcements on Saturday (Twitter link):
Forward Tobias Harris has been diagnosed with a left hip sprain and will be reevaluated in two weeks.- Center Jalen Duren has a sprained right ankle and will be reevaluated in one week.
- Guard/forward Caris LeVert remains day-to-day due to right knee inflammation, but won’t travel to Cleveland for Sunday’s game vs. the Cavaliers as he continues to receive treatment.
The timeline for Harris, who already missed Thursday’s contest against Miami, suggests he’ll remain sidelined for a minimum of five more games, starting with intra-conference showdowns against the Cavs on Sunday and the Knicks on Monday. His absence may extend beyond that five-game stretch, since there’s no guarantee he’ll be ready to return when he’s evaluated on January 17.
Harris, 33, has been a full-time starter since arriving in Detroit as a free agent during the 2024 offseason. In 23 games this season, he’s averaging 13.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.5 assists in 27.4 minutes per night, with a .455/.333/.848 shooting line. Due to his expiring $26.6MM contract, the 15th-year forward is considered a potential in-season trade candidate.
While Harris’ recovery period may last longer, Duren’s absence figures to have a greater impact on the Pistons’ lineup in the short term. The 22-year-old is enjoying a breakout season ahead of his restricted free agency in 2026, with averages of 17.9 PPG and 10.6 RPG through his first 31 games (28.4 MPG).
Reigning Eastern Conference Defensive Player of the Month Isaiah Stewart will likely take on a larger role with Duren out, and Paul Reed is a capable backup too. But Detroit has been much better with Duren on the court (+8.9 net rating) than off it (+2.4) so far this season.
Javonte Green, Jaden Ivey, and Marcus Sasser are a few of the other players who figure to see minute bumps while the Pistons’ injured players get healthy.
Injury Notes: Warriors, Young, LaVine, Pistons
After previously announcing that Draymond Green would miss Friday’s matchup with the defending champion Thunder, the Warriors have also ruled out Stephen Curry (left ankle sprain) and Jimmy Butler (illness), per Anthony Slater and Shams Charania of ESPN.
It’s the first half of a back-to-back set, and the Warriors are hopeful that all three players will be back on Saturday vs. Utah, according to Slater and Charania. It’s also worth noting that Friday’s game will be nationally televised, which means Curry and Butler couldn’t be rested without legitimate ailments, since they qualify as “stars” under the NBA’s player participation policy. Green, who doesn’t meet the star criteria, is listed on the injury report as out due to “rest.”
With three starters sidelined, forward Jonathan Kuminga is expected to play on Friday for the first time in over two weeks, head coach Steve Kerr said today during a radio appearance on 95.7 The Game (Twitter link).
Here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA:
- Hawks guard Trae Young (right quad contusion) has been ruled out for a third consecutive game and won’t be available on Friday in New York, tweets Brad Rowland of Locked on Hawks. Young was initially listed as questionable, which suggests he’s considered day-to-day and should probably return soon, barring a setback.
- Kings guard Zach LaVine will miss a ninth straight game on Friday vs. Phoenix due to a left ankle sprain. Asked on Thursday if he had any updates on LaVine’s status, head coach Doug Christie had little to offer, telling reporters there’s “nothing new” (Twitter video link via James Ham of The Kings Beat).
- The Pistons were without Tobias Harris (left hip sprain) and Caris LeVert (left knee inflammation) for Thursday’s loss to Miami (Twitter links via Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press and Hunter Patterson of The Athletic). Head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said that LeVert’s injury, which has kept him on the shelf for the past two games, is one they’ve been managing all season and that it “flared up on him” this week. As for Harris, Bickerstaff suggested he would have more info on the forward’s prognosis within the next few days.
Pistons Notes: Cunningham, Injuries, Harris, Jenkins, Green
Cade Cunningham, the reigning Eastern Conference Player of the Week, scored a career-high 46 points in the Pistons’ wild 137-135 overtime win over the Wizards on Tuesday. With a handful of regulars sitting out, Cunningham attempted 45 field goals and made 14. He went 16-of-18 from the foul line.
Cunningham also recorded his first triple-double of the season — he contributed 11 assists, 12 rebounds, five steals and two blocks, becoming the first player in NBA history with those numbers in a single game since the league began tracking steals and blocks in 1973/74, according to the team’s PR department (Twitter link).
Cunningham also took a hard fall in the fourth quarter when he was fouled by Wizards forward Cam Whitmore but he stayed in the game, which was the Pistons’ seventh straight win.
“I didn’t like the way that it happened,” Detroit coach J.B. Bickerstaff said of Whitmore’s foul, per Hunter Patterson of The Athletic. “When you take a guy out of the air like that, you don’t walk up on him. I thought (the officials) could have done a better job of controlling that situation. … It shows the courage of Cade, the resilience of Cade, the want to not let his teammates down. He could’ve stayed in the back, very easily, with what he was going through. But he didn’t want to give up. He wanted to continue to fight even when we were down, and he led us to the victory.”
Here’s more on the Pistons:
- Detroit played without Ausar Thompson (right ankle), Tobias Harris (right ankle), Jaden Ivey (right knee), Isaiah Stewart (left ankle), Caris LeVert (left knee) and Marcus Sasser (right hip). Harris has missed five consecutive games. “It’s a high ankle sprain and he’s progressing,” Bickerstaff said. “It’s just those things that take a little longer than you would like, but he’s progressing day to day. We’re hopeful he’ll be back soon.” Harris and Thompson are listed as out against Chicago on Wednesday, while Stewart is doubtful, Patterson tweets.
- Two-way player Daniss Jenkins logged 34 minutes and finished with 24 points, eight rebounds, four steals and three assists in what was just his 13th career NBA game. Jenkins sent the game into overtime on a corner three-pointer in the final second of regulation. “You dream of stuff like this,” Jenkins told Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press. “To come out and really hit that type of shot, I didn’t know what to do. I was just filled with a lot of joy and excitement and just congratulating myself, staying true to the journey, staying true to everything. I have to practice what I preach. This life is a marathon, everything is a marathon. My journey is a marathon.”
- Due to the injuries, Javonte Green made his first start with the Pistons, notching his first double-double of the season and second of his career with 11 points, 11 rebounds, three assists, two blocks and one steal in 38 minutes. Detroit signed Green, who played for New Orleans and Cleveland last season, to a one-year, partially guaranteed deal in the summer. “He blocked [two] threes, which is hard to do…Again, It’s top to bottom. These guys care about winning, and they’re willing to do whatever it takes to win. [Green] knows who he is and understands how he impacts winning,” Bickerstaff said.
Pistons Notes: Cunningham, Stewart, Harris, Duren, Fast Start
Cade Cunningham has been a fourth-quarter dynamo during the Pistons’ 6-2 start. The star guard has racked up 86 fourth-quarter points, tops in the league. He has scored 19 points in each of the last two games in the final 12 minutes, including a 114-103 victory over Utah on Wednesday.
“We’re just now turning the corner as far as just not being losers,” Cunningham said, per Hunter Patterson of The Athletic. “We were losers for a little stint in the NBA. But we all have winning habits, winning mentalities. We’re just starting to get our feet wet as far as learning winning basketball.”
Cunningham continues to impress second-year Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff.
“He’s phenomenal,” Bickerstaff said. “He’s an unbelievable player, unbelievable person. Great teammate, great leader. Everything you want in a No. 1 guy, Cade is it.”
We have more on the Pistons:
- Move over, Victor Wembanyama and Rudy Gobert. In Bickerstaff’s assessment, Isaiah Stewart is the league’s premier rim protector. Stewart is averaging a career-best 2.4 blocks per game so far this season. “He’s the best rim protector in the league. His timing, anticipation, always being early to the spot,” Bickerstaff said. “It’s a fearlessness, right? Where a lot of people would just get out of the way because they don’t want to get dunked on anymore, Isaiah doesn’t mind. He’s going to go up there and he’s going to challenge anybody because it’s the right thing to do. And that’s his responsibility for this team – protect the rim. It doesn’t matter to him the outcome, because he’s going to get more times than he’s been got.”
- Starting forward Tobias Harris sat out for the second straight time due to an ankle injury but he should return soon. “He’s getting better. The ankle is one of those things that it’s ‘how is it today?’ – you do more and see how it responds tomorrow,” Bickerstaff said. “But Tobias has been, throughout his career, one of the more durable and reliable players who doesn’t miss a ton of time. So, we don’t expect [him to miss significant time], but again, we’ll always do what’s right by him and make sure he’s healthy.”
- Jalen Duren had a monster game against the Jazz with 22 points and 22 rebounds. “I’ve had conversations with J.B., multiple conversations throughout the summer, coming into the season on how he’s seen me work on my game in the summer, how he wants me to continue to be aggressive and kind of show what I’ve been working on,” he said. “With that came a lot of confidence. My teammates, too, telling me to keep attacking bigs and whoever opposing teams decide to put on me. I’m just trying to do what they tell me to do.”
- There’s plenty to like about the Pistons’ quick start, Pistons.com’s Keith Langlois writes, and they should be even better down the road. Langlois notes that newcomers Duncan Robinson and Caris LeVert are still trying to settle into their roles, while guards Jaden Ivey and Marcus Sasser will provide even more firepower when they return from injuries.
Pistons Notes: Duren, LeVert, Thompson, Stewart
Pistons center Jalen Duren didn’t come to a rookie scale extension agreement with the front office prior to last month’s deadline, which means he’ll be a restricted free agent after the season. Duren has pumped up his value in the early going, including a career high 33-point outing in Mexico City on Saturday against Dallas.
He shot 13-of-16 from the field and added 10 rebounds, two assists and a block vs. the Mavericks and is now averaging 17.8 points and 10.0 rebounds per contest.
“I mean, he’s such a beast. He makes me look good,” Cade Cunningham said of Duren, per Hunter Patterson of The Athletic. “He makes my job easy.”
“Domination,” coach J.B. Bickerstaff added. “He was phenomenal at putting pressure on the rim. He ran the floor; he scored in a bunch of different ways. (He was) working the offensive boards. He dominated the interior.”
Here’s more on the Pistons:
- Caris LeVert is still trying to get into a groove after missing most of the preseason due to a hamstring injury. LeVert, who signed a two-year contract as a free agent during the summer, has only averaged 5.7 points in 18.3 minutes while appearing in three of the team’s six games. However, Bickerstaff is enthusiastic about the veteran’s potential impact going forward. “He takes a lot of pressure off me. It’s more about the type of person Caris is,” the coach said, per Keith Langlois of Pistons.com. “Because he’s always been so adaptable, it makes it easier on me to kind of put him in a place and he can fit any place we decide to put him and he’s the type of guy who doesn’t take away from others’ growth and development. He just wants to compete and play with his teammates.”
- In a post on ThePlayersTribune.com, Ausar Thompson discusses his first two seasons in the league. Blood clotting issues marred his rookie season and his offseason routine last summer but he was able to come into this season without any restrictions. “It was my first full healthy offseason, so I put in a lot of work this summer. I felt a lot more freedom,” he wrote. “I could go harder. And I got to sharpen my mentality, just thinking about how I want to feel after games. Basically, I always want to feel like I gave it my all. Like I didn’t hold anything back and was aggressive every chance I got. I have even more drive as a player, now. I want to take it further.”
- Rim protection has been a key to the Pistons’ 4-2 start entering Monday’s contest at Memphis. They lead the NBA with 7.0 blocks per game and Isaiah Stewart is tied for fourth in the league with 12 blocks. Stewart is sixth in the NBA with 47 contested two-point shot attempts and second with opponents shooting just 41.7% at the rim against him, according to the team’s PR staff.
Pistons Notes: Ivey, Cunningham, Thompson, LeVert, Roster
Pistons guard Jaden Ivey is fully healthy after being limited to 30 games last season due to a fractured left fibula, according to Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press (subscriber link). Ivey described his rehab as an arduous process.
“The journey has been definitely a grind to get back, to get healed, to get stronger,” Ivey said. “It’s definitely been a grind. I’m definitely thankful to be in this position right now, be able to be back healthy and to do what I’ve been working for my whole life, to be able to play this game. I’m healed now and looking forward to this next season.”
Head of basketball operations Trajan Langdon says the team is glad to have Ivey back, though he acknowledged there might be some rough periods as the former Purdue star gets accustomed to playing again. Ivey will be eligible for a rookie scale extension through October 20.
“There’s no restrictions on him,” Langdon said. “He’s looking really good, obviously. It will take him some time, he hasn’t played five-on-five NBA basketball in 10 months. By the time he gets going with that I think there’s going to be a rhythm component and even a game conditioning component that he’ll have to get up to speed. We look forward to having him back and he’s going to be a huge part of this team.”
Here’s more on the Pistons:
- All-Star guard Cade Cunningham has high expectations for the Pistons after they made the playoffs last season, per Hunter Patterson of The Athletic. “We all want a championship out of this, you know? (Last season) was a great stepping stone for that,” Cunningham said. “We have no chance of going to get a championship without a year like last year. But there are more steps to be taken after that. I think our minds are just onto the next step, honestly. We’re not into celebrating last year anymore.”
- Several players mentioned Ausar Thompson as a player who made noteworthy strides this offseason, Patterson adds. Thompson, who missed the start of last season with a blood clot issue, was fully healthy over the summer appears to have bulked up. “Being healthy for him was huge,” head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “Being able to work on his skill set, work on his craft, play more basketball over the summer, more one-on-one and those types of things were huge for him. … Coming into camp in just better shape will allow him to let his talents run. Conditioning is the ultimate cheat code. If you can play at your highest level longer than your opponent can, it’s going to give you an advantage. If Ausar can play at his highest level with his freak-of-nature abilities that come along with him, just imagine what he will be capable of.”
- Bickerstaff was happy to reunite with veteran wing Caris LeVert, Sankofa writes in another subscriber-only story. Bickerstaff coached LeVert, who signed a two-year deal with Detroit in free agency, while the two were members of the Cavaliers. “His versatility is going to be key,” Bickerstaff said. “There’s so many different things you can do with him. … He can initiate offense and he’s really good as a second-side attacker. We’re going to use his versatility, but he can do so many different things and not just for himself. Having spent so much time with him, he’s a really good play-maker and passer. So he can help his teammates, also.”
- As Keith Langlois of Pistons.com writes, Detroit lost some volume three-point shooters from last season’s roster, which ranked just 22nd in the league in three-point attempts. Bickerstaff is fine with shooting fewer threes if it means the team is benefiting in other areas. He also praised the group’s positional versatility. “We don’t need to have guys that are just one position,” Bickerstaff said. “We feel we have a bunch of guys that can play position-less basketball and it helps their skill set out. So what we’ll do is we’ll put the combinations that we see that work best for us. We’re not worried about having a backup one or a backup two. We’re trying to get talent on the floor.”
Caris LeVert Poised To Play Big Role For Pistons
New Pistons guard Caris LeVert credited former Cavaliers and current Detroit head coach J.B. Bickerstaff for his growth on the defensive end as a player and expressed excitement about returning to form under him, Hunter Patterson of The Athletic writes.
“J.B. brought out a different part of my game, and I’ve always said that. Once I went to Cleveland, I was asked to play defense,” LeVert said. “Before then, I wasn’t really asked to play defense, and I think that’s one of the stronger parts of my game now. Those things really helped me take my game to the next level.
“Before I went to Cleveland and played under J.B., I was a different player, and I think he challenged me to be the more well-rounded player I am today, so I’m definitely looking forward to this time around.”
LeVert, a Michigan product, will also reunite with former Wolverine Duncan Robinson on the Pistons. Detroit will lean heavily on LeVert after losing Tim Hardaway Jr. to free agency and with Malik Beasley‘s NBA future up in the air.
“I’m a big fan of the culture here,” LeVert said. “I played for J.B. for three years. I’m a big fan of a lot of the guys on the team. [I’m] a fan of how they work, how they play, how competitive they are. I think they’ve got a lot of high-character guys in the organization. … I’m super excited to be playing back here in the state of Michigan and playing for this team.”
Hardaway was another teammate of LeVert’s during their time at Michigan. Within a story by The Detroit Free Press’s Omari Sankofa II, LeVert explained that the now-Nuggets wing was crucial to him signing with Detroit.
“I talked to Tim probably the morning before I signed,” LeVert said. “We talked on FaceTime for a while. He was just telling me how great everybody was here, just reassuring me, letting me know that it’s a great organization, great people, obviously great players. He was definitely someone who I leaned on for this decision.“
Eastern Notes: Robinson, Richardson, Embiid, Dadiet
The Pistons defeated the Heat three times last season in hotly contested games and that made a strong impression on Duncan Robinson, who was acquired from Miami by Detroit in a sign-and-trade.
“Heat versus Pistons, it feels like every single one had some sort of crazy finish,” he told Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press. “The thing that sticks out about this group is the physicality, the toughness and how hard they play. And honestly how they share the ball. That’s the type of system you want to play in, those are the types of guys you want to be around.”
Robinson will be joining forces with Caris LeVert, who was signed to a two-year deal as a free agent. They were teammates at the University of Michigan.
“Caris and I were really good friends in college and we’ve kept up that way pretty much across our entire careers,” Robinson said. “He’s an incredible player obviously. One of the best people I’ve ever been around in terms of a teammate. I’m excited to be back with him. Outside of competing against him I didn’t really know any of these guys too well and they’ve been super welcoming. It is nice to have somebody joining me who also will be new who I do know really well. So that’ll be good.”
Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:
- Jase Richardson is making his presence felt in Summer League competition. The Magic rookie guard has averaged 16.5 points, 2.5 assists and 1.5 rebounds in two games. Richardson slipped to the No. 25 pick after some believed he might go in the lottery. “I can do a lot of things in that [position],” Richardson said about driving downhill, per Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel. “I can score for myself, I can get my teammates involved and a lot of different ways I can get a bucket for the team.”
- The Sixers‘ roster is being built with the notion that the team will have to overcome inevitable absences of superstar center Joel Embiid, Tony Jones of The Athletic writes. That includes the drafting of VJ Edgecombe in the lottery, the addition of free agent power forward Trendon Watford and the injury return of Jared McCain. Those additions should provide additional offensive versatility to complement star guard Tyrese Maxey.
- Knicks 2024 first-rounder Pacome Dadiet had an injury scare in Summer League. The 19-year-old wing departed a contest with left foot soreness. It turned out to be a big toe issue but there was no structural damage, Stefan Bondy of the New York Post tweets.
Central Notes: Pistons, Ivey, Nance, Nesmith, Mathurin
Speaking on Tuesday to reporters, including Keith Langlois of Pistons.com, Pistons president of basketball operations Trajan Langdon spoke about the size and shooting that Duncan Robinson will bring to the team and lauded Caris LeVert for his defensive versatility, ball-handling, and “unselfish brand of basketball.” He also pointed out that both newcomers have plenty of postseason experience.
However, Langdon also made it clear that the additions of Robinson and LeVert aren’t the only reasons why he’s enthusiastic about his team’s potential in 2025/26.
“I think the one thing that does get lost in all of this, to be honest with you, is (Jaden Ivey‘s) return,” Langdon said. “A lot of people are saying, who are you filling with these guys that are exiting. I say, well, we have a pretty good free agent pickup in J.I., so I think he’s going to fill a lot of those point guard roles and play-making roles.”
In addition to getting Ivey back, the Pistons also expect young cornerstones like Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren to continue improving.
“We have a chance to compete next year,” Langdon said. “The main thing for us is continuing to let these young guys develop and they’re in the gym working their butt off. Like I said from initially in the summer, if they get better, we’re going to be better. So it was finding pieces to complement our young players and their growth and ability to reach their potential. I think with our two additions, we got bigger and we want to continue to put them around guys who can play-make. That’s going to continue to help Cade grow and develop.”
Here’s more from around the Central:
- After the Pistons generated a $14.1MM traded player exception in their sign-and-trade deal sending Dennis Schröder to Sacramento, Hunter Patterson of The Athletic considers what sort of players it might make sense to target using that TPE. Herb Jones, Goga Bitadze, and Brandon Clarke are among the names he suggests.
- A member of the Cavaliers from 2018-21, Larry Nance Jr. has remained close with the organization since then and spent his summers in Cleveland in the years, writes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (subscription required). That’s one reason why it came as no surprise that the Ohio native signed a deal to return to the Cavs this offseason. “It just made too much sense, you know? I knew I would (be back one day). I didn’t know when,” Nance said. “… This is a team that’s really got a chance to win it all. And that’s the goal. That’s why I came back, and that’s what we’re going to do this year.”
- Aaron Nesmith and Bennedict Mathurin will be extension-eligible ahead of the start of the 2025/26 regular season and the Pacers plan to discuss new deals for them, but president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard is preaching patience, per Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star. “Can I just have like 24 hours please?” Pritchard said when asked on Monday about potential Mathurin and Nesmith extensions. “Literally, guys, we went straight from the Finals to the draft to free agency to Summer League. … We’ll look at all those kinds of things. But I think that’s a little premature. We have all summer and up until next year to do those.” Dopirak views Nesmith (who will be extension-eligible starting in October) as a no-brainer candidate for a new contract but acknowledges that Mathurin’s situation is a little more complicated.
Pistons Add Caris LeVert On Two-Year Contract
July 8: LeVert has officially signed with the Pistons, according to a press release from the team (Twitter link).
June 30: The Pistons are signing free agent wing Caris LeVert to a two-year, $29MM contract, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (via Twitter).
It’s a straight two-year deal with no player or team option for the 2026/27 season, tweets Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press.
The signing could be completed using either the full mid-level exception or cap room, depending on whether the Pistons operate over or under the salary cap.
A nine-year veteran, LeVert split last season between Cleveland and Atlanta after the Cavaliers traded him to the Hawks in February as part of the De’Andre Hunter deal. He made 64 combined appearances in 2024/25, averaging 12.1 points, 3.4 assists and 3.2 rebounds on .467/.373/.710 shooting in 24.9 minutes per game.
LeVert, who played four years of college ball in Michigan with the Wolverines, will be 31 years old in late August.
In addition to his familiarity with Michigan, LeVert also played under Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff for two-plus seasons while they were members of the Cavs.
Grant Afseth first reported that Detroit was viewed as the frontrunner to land LeVert, with The Stein Line later confirming the rumor. The Hawks are reportedly targeting Nickeil Alexander-Walker as their primary free agent addition, though it might take a sign-and-trade to land him.
LeVert will bring versatile offense and play-making to the Pistons and will likely come off the bench behind Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey. He could also slot in as a small forward in certain lineups.
The Pistons pivoted to signing LeVert in the wake of the Malik Beasley gambling allegations.