Detroit Pistons Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Pistons Have Interest In Naz Reid, Myles Turner

May 31st, 2025 at 2:46pm CST by Luke Adams

The Pistons are “known to covet” a big man who can space the floor, according to Marc Stein of The Stein Line, who reports in his latest Substack article (subscription required) that the team is said to have interest in both Naz Reid and Myles Turner.

Reid followed up his Sixth Man of the Year campaign in 2023/24 with another strong season for the Timberwolves in ’24/25, averaging 14.2 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 2.3 assists in 27.5 minutes per game across 80 outings (17 starts). He has made 39.5% of 5.4 three-point attempts per game over the past two seasons.

Turner, who was drafted 11th overall by the Pacers in 2015 and has been the team’s starting center for the last decade, averaged 15.6 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks in 30.2 minutes per contest across 72 games this season. The 29-year-old knocked down a career-high 39.6% of 5.5 three-pointers per night and has played a key role in getting the Pacers within one game of an NBA Finals appearance.

It remains to be seen whether the Pistons have a viable chance to land either player, Stein acknowledges.

Reid holds a $15MM player option for next season and the Timberwolves have made it known they’d have strong interest in working out a new deal with him if he declines that option, Stein writes.

As for Turner, multiple reports have indicated that Indiana is well positioned to re-sign the longtime Pacer in unrestricted free agency this summer, and Stein confirms that the team has conveyed a willingness to go into the tax next season to keep its roster together.

As we detailed earlier this week, the Pistons could potentially create nearly $17MM in cap room without making any cost-cutting moves, but it would mean renouncing their rights to key free agents like Malik Beasley, Tim Hardaway Jr., and Dennis Schröder. If the club operates over the cap, it could offer the full mid-level exception, worth a projected $14.1MM, to a free agent, but wouldn’t be able to exceed that figure without a sign-and-trade.

Jalen Duren, Isaiah Stewart, and Paul Reed handled big-man duties for Detroit in 2024/25. While that trio was effective, none of the three is a threat from beyond the arc — they made a combined 25 three-pointers on the season, with Duren not attempting a single one.

How Salary Bumps For Cunningham, Mobley Affect Pistons’, Cavs’ Cap Situations

May 30th, 2025 at 9:00am CST by Luke Adams

A year ago, four players signed maximum-salary rookie scale extensions that included Rose Rule language, putting each player in position to earn a starting salary worth 30% of the 2025/26 salary cap – rather than 25% – on his new deal if he met certain performance criteria.

Magic forward Franz Wagner and Raptors forward Scottie Barnes weren’t able to cash in and earn that extra 5%, but Cavaliers big man Evan Mobley did so when he won this season’s Defensive Player of the Year award, and Pistons guard Cade Cunningham followed suit by claiming a spot on the All-NBA Third Team.

As our maximum-salary projections show, Mobley and Cunningham are now in line to earn $269,085,780 over the next five seasons instead of the $224,238,150 they would have made if they hadn’t received those end-of-season awards. Those figures, which are based on a projected cap increase of 10%, include a $46,394,100 starting salary for 2025/26, up from $38,661,750.

While it’s great news for the Pistons and the Cavaliers that Cunningham and Mobley played well enough this season to warrant All-NBA and Defensive Player of the Year recognition, that extra $7.7MM+ in salary that each team will have to account for could affect how Detroit and Cleveland operate this summer.

Let’s take a look at the Pistons first. If Cunningham had earned his standard 25% of the cap, Detroit could theoretically have created about $24.6MM in cap room by renouncing all their free agents. Depending on Malik Beasley‘s asking price following a season than nearly earned him Sixth Man of the Year honors, that cap room might’ve come in handy, since they only hold Beasley’s Non-Bird rights.

Operating under the cap in that scenario would’ve given the Pistons the ability to offer Beasley more than the non-taxpayer mid-level exception while likely leaving some room left over, along with the $8.8MM room exception.

But with Cunningham’s extra $7.7MM+ on the books, the Pistons’ maximum projected cap room in that scenario dips to just $16.9MM. Renouncing their other free agents to offer Beasley that full $16.9MM would still be an option, but it would leave Detroit with no remaining cap room, rendering the team unlikely to be able to re-sign both Dennis Schröder and Tim Hardaway Jr. (or one of the two, and a replacement for the other) using the room exception.

With Cunningham set to make over $46MM, the Pistons’ most likely path now is probably operating over the cap, which would allow them to retain Schröder’s Early Bird rights, Hardaway’s Bird rights, and the bi-annual exception while using the mid-level exception to try to re-sign Beasley. As long as Beasley is willing to accept a deal in that range, taking that route should work out fine for the Pistons.

The Cavaliers, meanwhile, were projected to operate well into tax apron territory regardless of where Mobley’s new deal came in, but his $7.7MM+ raise will push them far beyond the second apron, significantly increasing their tax bill and making it more challenging to re-sign key free agents like Ty Jerome and Sam Merrill.

Let’s assume Cleveland simply retains its players currently under contract without re-signing any free agents and fills out its roster using its two second-round picks and minimum-salary free agent deals. The increase in the team’s projected tax bill as a result of Mobley’s raise, based on my math, is nearly $46MM. That number would increase further if the team brings back Jerome and/or Merrill.

Again, as long as Cunningham and Mobley continue to play at an All-NBA level, the Pistons and Cavaliers will be happy to pay them the mega-deals they earned with their performances in 2024/25. But those raises will make life a little more complicated for the cap strategists in the two teams’ front offices.

Central Notes: Cavs, Omoruyi, Pistons, Holland, Bucks

May 30th, 2025 at 7:52am CST by Luke Adams

While it would be a no-brainer for the Cavaliers to re-sign Ty Jerome if their cap situation allowed for it, he may be a luxury the team can’t afford, according to Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron (Substack link). Previewing Cleveland’s major offseason decisions, Gozlan notes that the club likely didn’t expect Jerome to break out to the extent he did in 2024/25 and probably can’t realistically pay him mid-level money while also carrying two other guards on maximum-salary contracts.

Elsewhere in his preview, Gozlan outlines why re-signing free agent sharpshooter Sam Merrill will also be difficult and suggests that Isaac Okoro looks like the Cavaliers’ most expendable player earning an eight-figure salary if the front office wants to shed some salary.

Here’s more from around the Central Division;

The Cavaliers brought in Alabama big man Clifford Omoruyi for a pre-draft workout earlier this week, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (Twitter link). Omoruyi, who ranks 80th on ESPN’s big board of 2025 draft prospects, could be a target for the Cavs at No. 49, at No. 58, or as an undrafted free agent.
With Boston believed to be looking to shed salary this offseason, Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press (subscription required) explores whether the Pistons might make a good trade partner for the Celtics. Sankofa’s proposals include a hypothetical deal for Derrick White, one for Jrue Holiday, and one that would swap the No. 37 overall pick for Sam Hauser.
Pistons forward Ron Holland didn’t make an All-Rookie team in 2024/25, but few first-year players had more significant roles on playoff teams, according to Keith Langlois of Pistons.com, who looks back on Holland’s rookie year and considers what’s next for the No. 5 overall pick. As Langlois details, head coach J.B. Bickerstaff likes the defensive impact Holland and Ausar Thompson can make when they play together, but Holland may need to improve his three-point shot for that combination to work offensively.
In his latest mailbag, Eric Nehm of The Athletic fields a series of Bucks-related questions on the team’s potential “gap year,” the disabled player exception that might be available due to Damian Lillard‘s Achilles injury, and Brook Lopez‘s upcoming free agency, among other topics.

International Notes: Thompson Twins, Micic, Brown, McCollum

May 25th, 2025 at 2:03pm CST by Arthur Hill

Amen Thompson and Ausar Thompson may represent Jamaica in FIBA competitions and possibly the Summer Olympics, according to Daniel Blake of The Jamaica Observer (Twitter link). Blake states that they have begun the process of applying for citizenship, which they’re eligible to do because their father, Troy, is from Jamaica.

Amen, a first-team All-Defensive selection, became a full-time starter for the Rockets midway through the season and gained a reputation as one of the NBA’s most versatile and athletic players. Ausar overcame a health issue that cut short his rookie year and solidified a starting spot with a Pistons team that produced one of the largest single-season improvements in NBA history.

Blake adds (via Twitter) that Jamaica is making a serious upgrade to its basketball program, with Clippers guard Norman Powell already committed to playing in pre-qualifiers for the 2027 FIBA World Cup this summer. Blake states that other targets include Suns center Nick Richards, Pistons big man Isaiah Stewart and Timberwolves forward Josh Minott.

There’s more international news to pass along:

Olympiacos in Greece is expressing interest in Suns point guard Vasilije Micic, per Kevin Martorano of Sportando. Phoenix holds an $8.1MM team option on Micic for next season, but that’s unlikely to be exercised because he only got into five games after being acquired from Charlotte at the trade deadline.
Former NBA guard Lorenzo Brown may be looking to change teams next season with T.J. Shorts expected to join Panathinaikos, writes Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews. Brown was disappointed with his role in his first season with the Greek powerhouse and wants to find a spot where he can play regularly. “I think I’ve proven myself in this league a bunch of times,” he said. “I just want to play, man, and finish strong. I’ll be 35 in August, but I still have a lot of game left. I can still dunk, still windmill—whatever you need me to do. I just want to play and compete. I think I was a little out of the loop this year. It was a little weird. My brothers fought for me all year. That brotherhood—that’s what matters most.”
Errick McCollum, currently with Fenerbahce in Turkey, told Antonis Stroggylakis of Eurohoops that he received NBA offers earlier in his career, but he opted for the security of playing overseas. The 37-year-old point guard is the older brother of the Pelicans’ CJ McCollum. “I had some opportunities. But the role wasn’t right,” he said. “Sometimes it was third point guard. Not many minutes, minimum contract. It just wasn’t right in my career. For other people, it may be good. But I’m a guy who wants to play. I want to have an impact. Be out there on the court making a difference.”

Pistons Notes: Cunningham, Ivey, Duren, Celtics Trade Targets

May 24th, 2025 at 8:37pm CST by Arthur Hill

Cade Cunningham earned a significant raise by landing a spot on the All-NBA team, but the extra money will limit the Pistons‘ options in building around him, writes Hunter Patterson of The Athletic. Cunningham’s salary for next season will now be worth 30% of the cap rather than 25%, pushing the value of his five-year extension to $269MM instead of $224MM.

As Patterson notes, Detroit is left with about $17MM in cap room to work with this offseason. Considering the non-taxpayer mid-level exception is projected at $14.1MM, it’s less likely that any cap space will be used to add or re-sign players, as the Pistons may simply operate as an over-the-cap team.

Patterson states that the Pistons are still in position to bring back free agents Malik Beasley, Dennis Schröder, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Paul Reed without exceeding the second apron. However, with Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren both eligible for rookie-scale extensions, the organization will have to consider its long-term financial obligations when deciding how to handle its free agents.

Cunningham finished seventh in the Most Valuable Player voting, Patterson adds, and owner Tom Gores believes he might be able to capture that award as the Pistons continue to improve.

“I am focused on MVP for him,” Gores said. “He has that. Everyone saw it this year that he is a superstar in the making. His ability. His poise. I’ve talked to Cade throughout the season to remind him that so much of the character of this team revolves around his ability to stay strong.”

There’s more from Detroit:

Ivey’s return from a broken fibula might be the equivalent of a major free agent signing for next season’s team, observes Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press (subscription required). The last medical update from the Pistons, issued April 26, said Ivey was engaged in shooting and skill work, along with strength and conditioning, in preparation for a return to five-on-five competition.
It may be advantageous for Ivey and Duren to wait for restricted free agency in 2026 rather than negotiate extensions this summer, Sankofa states in a mailbag column. Ivey can improve his bargaining position by bouncing back strong from the injury, while Duren excelled during the playoffs and can become more valuable by playing an entire season at that level.
The Celtics are expected to make several players available in trade as they try to reduce salary, but it’s too much of a risk for the Pistons to take on the contract of Jrue Holiday or Kristaps Porzingis, Sankofa adds in the same piece. He views Sam Hauser, who’s about to start a four-year, $45MM extension, as a more reasonable target.

Fischer’s Latest: Irving, Mavs, Harden, Clippers, Point Guards

May 24th, 2025 at 2:02pm CST by Luke Adams

Before suffering a torn ACL in early March, Kyrie Irving was widely expected to sign an extension or a new free agent contract with the Mavericks this offseason, according to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link), who says that perception hasn’t changed since Irving’s injury. However, the veteran point guard’s ACL recovery, which figures to extend well into next season, may complicate those negotiations to some extent.

According to Fischer, there have been rumblings all season that the Mavericks would like to lock up Irving for the next three seasons for approximately $40MM per year. In other words, they’d be comfortable essentially making the same three-year, $120MM offer that Irving signed as a free agent in 2023.

Irving was coming off a tumultuous stint in Brooklyn and had only been a Maverick for a half-season when he agreed to that contract in 2023. He has since established himself as a cornerstone player for the franchise, helping to lead Dallas to an NBA Finals appearance a year ago.

As Fischer writes, if he had stayed healthy, Irving could have sought a higher annual salary based on his production and leadership over the past two seasons — especially given the leverage he would’ve had as the team’s primary backcourt play-maker following the February trade of Luka Doncic. Now that he’s recovering from a major knee injury at age 33, a massive payday that exceeds his previous deal may be less realistic for Irving.

Here’s more from Fischer, whose latest Substack article focuses on a few of this year’s top free agent point guards:

“The whole league knows” the Mavericks want to add ball-handling and play-making to their backcourt after trading Doncic and seeing Irving go down with an ACL tear, Fischer writes. Sources tell The Stein Line that Dallas’ goal will be to add a player who can fill in as a starter with Irving sidelined and then transition to a complementary role once Kyrie returns. While the Mavs’ cap flexibility will be very limited, there’s optimism that they might be able to convince a solid player to accept the veteran’s minimum with the promise of a starting role, like Phoenix did with Tyus Jones a year ago.
Multiple sources who have spoken to Fischer have suggested that Irving’s new deal with Dallas could “serve as a barometer” for what James Harden does with the Clippers this summer. Like Irving, Harden isn’t expected to leave his current team, and like Irving, he’d have the ability to exercise his player option (worth $36.3MM) and negotiate an extension or opt out to sign a new contract. Whichever direction he and the team go, there’s an expectation that the Clippers will be looking to line up Harden’s new contract with Kawhi Leonard‘s, which runs through 2026/27, Fischer notes. That would mean no more than two guaranteed years for the former MVP.
Fischer adds that multiple rival teams view the Clippers as a club to watch on the trade market this offseason once they get the Harden situation resolved.
Front offices around the league consider Fred VanVleet (Rockets) and Josh Giddey (Bulls) likely to return to their respective teams, according to Fischer. Dennis Schröder might end up being one of the top point guards available on the open market, though the Pistons are known to have interest in bringing him back, Fischer says.

Cade Cunningham Earns Salary Bump With All-NBA Nod

May 23rd, 2025 at 6:20pm CST by Luke Adams

As a result of earning a spot on the All-NBA Third Team on Friday, Pistons guard Cade Cunningham will see the value of the five-year, maximum-salary rookie scale extension he signed last summer increase by a projected total of nearly $45MM.

Cunningham’s contract included Rose Rule language. The Rose Rule allow players coming off their rookie scale contracts to receive salaries worth more than 25% of the cap in year five if they make an All-NBA team during the season (or two of the three seasons) before their extension goes into effect. Players can also qualify by being named Most Valuable Player or Defensive Player of the Year.

Cunningham’s 2025/26 salary will now be worth 30% of the cap instead of 25%. Based on the NBA’s latest cap projections, that means his five-year deal will be worth $269,085,780 instead of $224,238,150.

Cunningham was one of four players to sign a rookie scale extension that included Rose Rule language last summer. Cavaliers big man Evan Mobley, who was named to the All-NBA Second Team on Friday, had already earned a bump to 30% as a result of winning the Defensive Player of the Year award. His five-year deal will look identical to Cunningham’s.

The other two players who signed Rose Rule rookie scale extensions – Magic forward Franz Wagner and Raptors forward Scottie Barnes – didn’t receive any end-of-season awards, so their new contracts will begin at 25% of the cap and will be worth $224,238,150 across the next five seasons.

Meanwhile, Grizzlies big man Jaren Jackson Jr. would have qualified for a designated veteran extension – also known as a super-max contract – if he had earned a spot on any of this year’s three All-NBA teams. However, he finished 17th in total voting, with 55 points, falling a little short of the required threshold. Clippers guard James Harden beat him out for the final Third Team spot with 68 points (Twitter link).

As a result, Jackson won’t be super-max eligible this offseason. That means in order to extend him, Memphis will likely need to give him a raise on his 2025/26 salary of $23,413,395 via renegotiation.

Without a pay bump, Jackson’s maximum extension would be worth $146,848,813 over four years, which may not be enough to convince him to sign. If the Grizzlies renegotiate next season’s salary to give him a raise, they would be able to offer up to 140% of his new ’25/26 salary in that first year of an extension.

2024/25 All-NBA Teams Announced

May 23rd, 2025 at 6:09pm CST by Eli Cohen

The 2024/25 All-NBA teams have been officially announced by the league (Twitter link).

A total of 100 media members voted on the All-NBA teams, with First Team votes counting for five points, Second Team votes counting for three points, and Third Team votes counting for one point.

This year’s All-NBA teams are as follows:

First Team

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Thunder (500 points)
Nikola Jokic, Nuggets (500)
Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks (500)
Jayson Tatum, Celtics (500)
Donovan Mitchell, Cavaliers (414)

Second Team

Anthony Edwards, Timberwolves (318)
LeBron James, Lakers (289)
Stephen Curry, Warriors (244)
Evan Mobley, Cavaliers (238)
Jalen Brunson, Knicks (232)

Third Team

Cade Cunningham, Pistons (223)
Karl-Anthony Towns, Knicks (172)
Tyrese Haliburton, Pacers (79)
Jalen Williams, Thunder (73)
James Harden, Clippers (68)

The top four vote-getters, Antetounmpo, Gilgeous-Alexander, Jokic, and Tatum, were all unanimous selections to the First Team. James led the Second Team with 17 First Team votes, compared to Mitchell’s 61. Cunningham was the only member of the Third Team to receive First Team votes (six) — he also earned 10 more Second Team votes than the next closest vote-getter, as Towns had 40.

This announcement marks the first All-NBA selections for Cunningham, Mobley, and Williams, and – on the other side of the coin – the 21st consecutive selection for James. No other player in NBA history has been named to more than 15 All-NBA teams.

Curry set a franchise record with his 11th All-NBA selection. Edwards became just the fourth Timberwolves player to be named to multiple All-NBA teams, joining Kevin Garnett, Kevin Love, and Towns.

Other players who received votes, along with their respective point totals, were the Rockets‘ Alperen Sengun (58), the Grizzlies‘ Jaren Jackson Jr. (55), the Clippers‘ Ivica Zubac (15), the Cavaliers‘ Darius Garland (6), the Kings‘ Domantas Sabonis (4), the Pacers‘ Pascal Siakam (4), the Heat‘s Bam Adebayo (3), the Hawks‘ Trae Young (3), and the Suns‘ Devin Booker (2).

The Cavs, Knicks, and Thunder were the only teams to feature multiple All-NBA players. Both the Thunder and Knicks are currently playing in the conference finals for a shot at advancing to the NBA finals.

This is the second year that All-NBA teams have been positionless and have required players to meet a 65-game minimum to qualify for consideration.

Several players, starting with Cunningham, gained or lost eligibility for salary increases due to the All-NBA results. We have more details here.

Central Notes: Haliburton, Nesmith, Giannis, Sasser

May 23rd, 2025 at 11:44am CST by Luke Adams

On the night that he was traded from Sacramento to Indiana in February 2022, Tyrese Haliburton went out for dinner with his new head coach Rick Carlisle, who outlined the Pacers‘ plan to have him run their offense, writes Jamal Collier of ESPN. Since then, Indiana has made an increased effort to complement Haliburton with players who will fit into his up-tempo playing style, notes Joe Vardon of The Athletic.

“As we’ve put this group together around Tyrese, we’ve had to make adjustments to develop a style that was effective for us,” Carlisle said. “It’s a difficult style, you know, it’s demanding, physically demanding, takes a tremendous amount of wherewithal as an athlete and then you got to be super unselfish.”

Nearly two years after acquiring Haliburton, the Pacers traded for Pascal Siakam, a three-time All-Star and two-time All-NBA forward who has a championship on his résumé. But Haliburton is still Indiana’s leader and the player the team trusts to take big shots with the game on the line, as he has done multiple times throughout this postseason.

“My group wants me to take those shots,” Haliburton said, per Collier. “My coaching staff wants me to take those shots. Our organization wants me to take those shots. I think now we’re at the point where our fans want me to take that shot. Everybody’s living and dying with it at that point. That gives me a lot of confidence.”

Here’s more from around the Central:

Shakeia Taylor and Jay King of The Athletic spoke to Aaron Nesmith‘s high school coach, John “JP” Pearson, about one of the heroes of Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, whose 8-of-9 performance from beyond the arc helped the Pacers steal a win in New York. “I’m over there telling him, ‘I’m not quite sure what I just saw, Aaron,'” Pearson said of a phone call he had with Nesmith late on Wednesday night. “And Aaron was like, ‘Yeah, we won the game.’ And I told him, ‘No, Aaron, I was living when Reggie Miller did all that and it’s being compared right now.’ And he goes, ‘I don’t think I was born.'”
While there has been no indication at this point that Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo plans to request a trade, multiple agents who spoke to Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report at the draft combine think it will happen. With that in mind, Pincus explores the top five most logical landing spots for Antetokounmpo in the event of a deal, identifying San Antonio, Houston, Brooklyn, Atlanta, and Oklahoma City as the best fits.
Marcus Sasser saw his minutes cut back in his second NBA season, but that was more about the Pistons‘ increased depth than any sort of decline in the second-year guard’s production, writes Keith Langlois of Pistons.com. Detroit will have to make a decision by October 31 on whether to exercise Sasser’s $5.2MM team option for 2026/27. Assuming that option is picked up, he’d become extension-eligible during the 2026 offseason.

Details On NBA’s Playoff Bonus Money For 2024/25

May 23rd, 2025 at 9:14am CST by Luke Adams

The pool of bonus money for NBA playoff teams this season is worth approximately $34.7MM, according to Kurt Badenhausen and Lev Akabas of Sportico.

The top six teams in each conference earn bonuses based on their regular season records, while the 16 playoff teams also receive a chunk of money from the playoff pool, increasing the value of their payout with each series win. That bonus money is divvied up among the players on each club’s 15-man roster.

Teams eliminated in the play-in tournament aren’t entitled to any of the playoff bonus money, even if they had the seventh- or eighth-best regular season record in their conference.

The breakdown for 2025’s playoff pool money is as follows (rounded to the nearest thousand), per Sportico:

Regular season achievements:

Best record in NBA (Thunder): $869K
No. 1 seeds in each conference (Cavaliers, Thunder): $761K per team
No. 2 seeds (Celtics, Rockets): $609K per team
No. 3 seeds (Knicks, Lakers): $456K per team
No. 4 seeds (Pacers, Nuggets): $372K per team
No. 5 seeds (Bucks, Clippers): $288K per team
No. 6 seeds (Pistons, Timberwolves): $204K per team

Postseason achievements:

Teams participating in first round (all 16 playoff teams — the 12 listed above, plus the Magic, Heat, Warriors, and Grizzlies): $466K per team
Teams participating in conference semifinals (eight teams): $568K per team
Teams participating in conference finals (four teams): $951K per team
Losing team in NBA Finals: $3,803,000
Winning team in NBA Finals: $8,805,000

A team that makes a deep playoff run will cash in on more than one of the bonuses listed above.

For example, if the Thunder win the championship, their payout from the playoff pool would be worth more than $12.4MM in total — that amount would include their bonuses for posting the NBA’s best record, claiming the West’s No. 1 seed, making the first round, making the conference semifinals, making the conference finals, and winning the NBA Finals.