Pistons Acquire Cameron Bairstow
The Pistons have agreed to a trade with the Bulls that sends power forward Cameron Bairstow to Detroit in exchange for combo guard Spencer Dinwiddie, the team announced. The deal is official, per the press release. Chicago has confirmed the trade with a press release of its own.
Bairstow, 25, appeared in 18 games with Chicago last season, averaging 1.9 points, 1.6 rebounds in 5.7 minutes per outing. The two-year veteran was drafted out of the New Mexico with the No. 49 overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft. As a senior for the Lobos, he averaged a Mountain West Conference-high 20.4 points, 7.4 rebounds and 32.9 minutes in 34 games. Bairstow holds career averages of 1.2 points, 1.0 rebounds and 4.6 minutes in 36 NBA games with the Bulls. His 2016/17 salary of $980,431 is non-guaranteed.
Dinwiddie, 23, completed his second NBA season with averages of 4.8 points, 1.8 assists, 1.4 rebounds and 13.3 minutes over 12 contests. He was drafted by the Pistons with the No. 38 overall selection in the 2014 NBA Draft. Dinwiddie owns career averages of 4.4 points, 2.7 assists, 1.4 rebounds and 13.3 minutes in NBA 46 games. The player is also set to earn $980,431 next season, an amount that is non-guaranteed.
Unsigned Draft Picks: Central Division
As the 2016 NBA draft rapidly approaches the term draft-and-stash will be mentioned quite often in regard to international players and late second-rounders. While some of these athletes will eventually sign with an NBA team, it seems like the majority of them stay overseas and never make it to the league. Those players in the latter category aren’t without value as they become trade assets for the teams holding their rights.
While many players fail to work out the way teams expect them to, they can at least become tradeable assets for teams that don’t want to part with a future second-round pick in a deal. Each team must give up something in a trade, which is why many swaps include top-55 protected second-round picks. Older draft rights held players who clearly will never come over to the NBA are essentially the same as flipping those heavily protected second-rounders, for all intents and purposes.
Listed below are the current unsigned draftees for the teams of the Central Division:
Chicago Bulls
- Tadija Dragicevic — Selected No. 53 overall in 2008.
- Milovan Rakovic — Selected No. 60 overall in 2007.
- Vladimir Veremeenko — Selected No. 48 overall in 2006.
Cleveland Cavaliers
- Edin Bavcic — Selected No. 56 overall in 2006.
- Ilkan Karaman — Selected No. 57 overall in 2012.
- Milan Macvan — Selected No. 54 overall in 2011.
- Cedi Osman — Selected No. 31 overall in 2015.
- Sir’Dominic Pointer — Selected No. 53 overall in 2015.
- Ejike Ugboaja — Selected No. 55 overall in 2006.
Detroit Pistons
- None
Indiana Pacers
- Stanko Barac — Selected No. 39 overall in 2007.
- Andrew Betts — Selected No. 50 overall in 1998.
Milwaukee Bucks
- Andrei Fetisov — Selected No. 36 overall in 1994.
- Albert Miralles — Selected No. 39 overall in 2004.
- Eurelijus Zukauskas — Selected No. 54 overall in 1995.
Pistons Restructure Front Office
The Pistons have restructured their front office and have announced a number of promotions via press release. Pat Garrity has been promoted to assistant general manager, Andrew Loomis to chief of staff and Bob Beyer to associate head coach. Otis Smith is joining Detroit’s coaching staff as director of player development/assistant coach, assistant coach Brendan Malone will transition to a special assignment scout, residing in New York, and Quentin Richardson is leaving the organization for personal reasons.
- The Pistons held a group pre-draft workout today that included Kay Felder (Oakland), Trey Freeman (Old Dominion), Alex Hamilton (Louisiana Tech), Patrick McCaw (UNLV), Robert Carter (Maryland) and Ben Bentil (Providence), Keith Langlois of NBA.com relays (via Twitter).
Elgin Cook To Work Out For Pistons
- In addition to his previously reported workouts, Oregon’s Elgin Cook has gotten a look from the Hawks and Warriors, and still has workouts on tap with the Jazz, Mavericks, Kings, and Pistons, per Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link).
- According to Jessica Camerato of CSNPhilly.com (Twitter link), Michigan State guard Bryn Forbes has also been busy in recent weeks, having worked out for the Celtics, Magic, Hawks, Bulls, Wizards, and Lakers in addition to four more teams that were previously reported. Forbes still has workouts with the Pistons and Spurs on his schedule.
Pistons To Name Rex Walters D-League Coach
- The Pistons are expected to name Rex Walters as head coach of their D-League affiliate, the Grand Rapids Drive, Adam Johnson of D-League Digest relays. Walters previously served as the head coach at the University of San Francisco from 2008-16, compiling a record of 126-125 during his tenure. Otis Smith, the current coach of the Drive, is expected to be promoted to a front office position with the Pistons, Johnson tweets.
Demetrius Jackson, Five Others Work Out
- The Pistons worked out six players on Monday, the most prominent being Notre Dame point guard Demetrius Jackson, according to Rod Beard of the Detroit News (Twitter links). The Pistons, who hold the No. 18 pick, need a backup point gaurd and Jackson is ranked No. 26 by Ford and No. 16 by Givony. Washington point guard Andrew Andrews and a quartet of big men — Greece native Georgios Papagiannis, Clemson’s Landry Nnoko, Purdue’s A.J. Hammons and Maryland’s Diamond Stone — also participated in the workout, Beard adds.
Pistons Sign GM Jeff Bower To Extension
MONDAY, 9:27am: The Pistons have officially announced their new deal with Bower.
“We couldn’t be more pleased with the job Jeff has done for our organization,” Van Gundy said in a press release. “He’s been at the forefront of all the moves we’ve made over the last two seasons and has implemented much of the strategy and structure throughout our basketball operations department. The confidence I have in his ability allows me to go out and coach during the season knowing that he’s always looking to make our team better.”
SUNDAY, 11:25 am: The extension is for one year, meaning that Bower is under contract until June 30, 2018, Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press tweets.
10:55 am: The Pistons have reached a multiyear contract extension with GM Jeff Bower, league sources told The Vertical’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Bower has been Stan Van Gundy‘s right-hand man since Van Gundy was named head coach and president of basketball operations in the summer of 2014. Bower was entering the final year of a three-year contract.
Bower, 55, has negotiated several trades that have transformed the Pistons’ roster, including the acquisitions of forwards Tobias Harris and Marcus Morris and point guard Reggie Jackson. The Pistons made the Eastern Conference playoffs as the N0. 8 seed after a six-year absence and lost to the Cavaliers in the first round.
Bower was the GM for the New Orleans Hornets from 2001-03 and 2005-10, and was the head coach of Marist College from 2013-14 before Van Gundy hired him. Van Gundy has deflected credit for the team’s deals to Bower and other members of the front office, indicating that he simply rubber stamps or nixes the trade proposals that Bower and his staff negotiate.
Van Gundy praised Bower’s roster-building skills in an interview with Detroit Free Press columnist Jeff Seidel this spring.
“I think that’s where Jeff Bower is really at his best,” Van Gundy told Seidel. “It’s not just one big splash. He really understands how to put a team together. I think we have a lot of good people in our organization, but he is the one who has run a team before, and he is a guy who understands team building and how to put it together.”
Pistons May Focus On Power Forwards In Draft
- The Pistons may concentrate on power forwards with the 18th pick in the draft, writes David Mayo of MLive. Detroit traded that pick to Houston for Donatas Motiejunas in a February deal that was later rescinded, so it’s clear that Pistons management recognizes the need for help at the four spot. Mayo lists Michigan State’s Deyonta Davis, Gonzaga’s Domantas Sabonis, Marquette’s Henry Ellenson and Kansas’ Perry Ellis as four possibilities.
Pistons Hold Free Agent Workouts
- The Pistons are holding free agent workouts this week and some notable attendees include Phil Pressey, Jordan Crawford, Greg Whittington and Chris Douglas-Roberts, Rod Beard of The Detroit News tweets.
Georgios Papagiannis To Work Out For Pistons
- Greek big man Georgios Papagiannis, who worked out for Phoenix on Tuesday, has upcoming workouts with the Celtics, Bulls, and Pistons, tweets Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated. The 7’2″ center currently ranks 50th on Jonathan Givony’s big board at DraftExpress.com.