Caldwell-Pope In No Rush To Ink Extension
Pistons shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is eligible to ink a rookie-scale contract extension this summer, but he says his focus is on improving his game and not on his next deal, David Mayo of MLive relays. “Yeah, I mean, why do it now? It’s not in my mind. I mean, it could happen. If it does happen, it happens. But right now I’m going to stay focused and get better,” Caldwell-Pope said. “Right now, I’m just going to let my agent handle all that. If you have any questions about that, I really can’t answer them. I let my agent answer for me. I don’t know. We haven’t really talked about it.” If Caldwell-Pope and Detroit are unable to reach an agreement by October’s deadline, he would be eligible to become a restricted free agent in the summer of 2017.
Team owner Tom Gores, one of the principals who will be involved in the Pistons’ future decisions regarding Caldwell-Pope, is involved in a bid to bring a Major League Soccer franchise to Detroit, Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press relays. Gores is partnering with Cavs owner Dan Gilbert on the venture, Ellis notes. “I’ve always believed a sports franchise is a community asset with the power to unite and inspire people,” Gores said in his official statement. “I’m excited to partner with Dan and help in Detroit’s resurgence. Together we have all the tools we need to make a new team successful.”
Steve Blake, Anthony Tolliver Express Desire To Return
- Pistons owner Tom Gores reaffirmed the team’s intent to re-sign center Andre Drummond this summer despite his well-chronicled free throw issues, David Mayo of MLive notes. “We’ll talk about it this summer, but we want Andre,” Gores said. “So to me, I don’t think there’s a lot of question about it. Honestly, it’s how we feel about it.” The owner lauded what the 22-year-old center provided for the team rather than harp on Drummond’s anemic 35.5% mark from the charity stripe this season, Mayo adds. “I think he’s had a great year, an All-Star, more double-doubles [than anyone else in the NBA], and when you look at the other centers in the league — everybody’s got something [a weakness], but I’m proud of the 22-year-old man,” Gores said of Drummond. The big man is set to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason, provided Detroit submits a qualifying offer worth $4,433,683, a move that is all but assured judging by Gores’ remarks.
- Veteran point guard Steve Blake isn’t ready to retire just yet, having indicated that he would like to play in 2016/17, as Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press relays (via Twitter). Fellow unrestricted free agent Anthony Tolliver also said that he wants to return to the Pistons and “put down roots” in Detroit, Ellis adds.
Playoff Problems Expose Offseason Needs
- Cleveland’s 3-0 lead over the Pistons in their playoff series has helped expose some of the changes that need to be made this offseason, according to David Mayo of MLive. The team could use another player who can create off the dribble, Mayo writes, along with more shooters and a reliable backup point guard. The Pistons will also look at what Tobias Harris has brought to the team since he was acquired in February and see how to compensate for the weaknesses in Andre Drummond‘s game.
Stanley Johnson Not Backing Down In 1st Playoff Series
- Pistons rookie swingman Stanley Johnson has embraced the challenge of guarding LeBron James in his first-ever playoff series, which is in line with the competitive fire that made the team enamored with him in the first place, Nick Friedell of ESPN.com writes. “Stanley’s toughness and competitiveness and the fact that he’ll never back down, that’s not been a concern all year,” coach/executive Stan Van Gundy said. “What he’s got to do is play smarter, make better decisions and continue to work on his skills. I never have a doubt about his competitiveness. If you’re not a competitor, a great competitor at 19, my guess is at 22 you’re not going to be a great competitor, either. That to me is just sort of part of the personality. Now you’ll learn to play situations better, you maybe won’t make the mistakes about being nervous, you’ll have seen things more. All of those things will change, but the competitiveness to go out and play the best player in the world and not be afraid and all of that. If he didn’t have that now, I don’t think he’d have it in three years, quite honestly.”
Pistons Notes: Van Gundy, Harris, Playoffs
The Pistons will take on the Cavs later today in their first playoff appearance since 2009, when they were swept by Cleveland. While the team prepares for the highly anticipated playoff game, let’s take a look at some notes from Detroit:
- Executive/coach Stan Van Gundy believes coach David Blatt, whom the Cavs fired during the season, deserves another shot in the league, David Mayo of MLive writes. Van Gundy added that there are plenty of good candidates on the market. “It’s also why it’s hard for a lot of these assistants to get their chance. [Detroit assistant coach] Bob Beyer’s more than ready, [Charlotte assistant coach] Patrick Ewing‘s more than ready. That’s just the guys I know. But it’s hard for those guys to get an opportunity because there aren’t enough jobs for guys who have a proven head-coaching record,” Van Gundy said.
- Van Gundy said he’s been perplexed for a while that Pacers assistant coach Nate McMillan hasn’t received an opportunity to be a head coach again, Mayo passes along in the same piece.
- The Pistons were really surprised to nab Tobias Harris prior to the deadline this year, writes Rod Beard of The Detroit News. “His name wasn’t even out there for us until two days before we did the deal,” Van Gundy said.
- Harris’ focus since joining to the Pistons has been making the playoffs, which was something he really didn’t come close to in Orlando, Beard passes along in the same piece. “If we didn’t make the playoffs, I don’t know if I’d sleep at night,” Harris said. “I’ve been in situations on the other side for four years and that’s a tough side to be on, when you’re not in the playoff hunt.”
Lorenzo Brown Inked For Practice Depth
- Pistons coach/executive Stan Van Gundy said the team inked Lorenzo Brown in order to have enough bodies to practice heading into the playoffs with Reggie Jackson needing rest to recover from an abdominal injury, tweets Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press.
- Andre Drummond is pleased with how his relationship with Jackson is developing as well as what the point guard has brought to the Pistons franchise, David Aldridge of NBA.com relays. “You know, getting Reggie last season at the trade deadline, I didn’t know what to expect,” Drummond told Aldridge. “He came off the bench for OKC. I didn’t know what he’d be like as a starter. When he came, I spoke him, told him these are the different things that I’m going to need from a point guard. He embraced it. And he’s been playing great for us. He’s building, and we’re working together.”
Harris Trade Came Together Late
- The trade that brought Tobias Harris to the Pistons emerged right before the deadline, according to Rod Beard of The Detroit News. “His name wasn’t even out there for us until two days before we did the deal,” said coach/executive Stan Van Gundy. “We were really surprised.” Harris averaged 16.6 points and 6.2 rebounds per game after arriving from Orlando, helping Detroit secure its first playoff spot since 2009 and the first of Harris’ career.
Gores Credits Van Gundy For Success
Pistons owner Tom Gores credits the decision to unify the position of coach and chief basketball executive and the subsequent hiring of Stan Van Gundy to fill that post as the primary reason the team was able to advance to the playoffs this season, Keith Langlois of NBA.com relays. “I think throughout the league are disconnects between the floor and the front office, but not everybody can do what Stan can do,” Gores said. “Coach and then think big picture, high level and what’s good for the franchise long term. I thought that was a way to accelerate our progress and I had seen enough in terms of how that can be disconnected. Hopefully, it has, and we’re in the playoffs now.”
Pistons Sign Lorenzo Brown To Two-Year Deal
1:29pm: The signing is official, the team announced.
7:53am: The Pistons plan to re-sign point guard Lorenzo Brown to a contract that encompasses tonight’s regular season finale against Cleveland, the playoffs and a team option for next season, league sources tell Shams Charania of The Vertical (Twitter link). It’s a move that hints at some concern regarding an abdominal strain that kept Reggie Jackson from playing in Tuesday’s loss to Miami, since coach/executive Stan Van Gundy said last week that he didn’t plan to re-sign Brown and intended to keep an open roster spot, barring injury. Van Gundy nonetheless said Tuesday that he wasn’t too worried about Jackson’s availability for the start of the playoffs in spite of the ab issue, MLive’s Aaron McMann notes.
Brown didn’t appear in a game for the Pistons on either of the 10-day contracts he signed last month. Van Gundy referred to the first 10-day deal with Brown as an insurance move, as Jackson was dealing with a viral issue while third-stringer Spencer Dinwiddie recovered from a deep bone bruise in his ankle. Brown’s last NBA action came in January, when he was on two 10-days with the Suns. The 25-year-old averaged 2.5 points, 1.4 assists and 1.1 turnovers in 7.6 minutes per game across eight appearances with Phoenix. He spent much of the season with Detroit’s D-League affiliate, putting up 18.3 points, 5.8 assists and 2.9 turnovers in 33.3 minutes per game. The relationship between the Pistons and the former N.C. State standout, who was the 52nd pick in the 2013 draft, dates to the 2014 preseason, when Brown was on Detroit’s NBA roster for training camp.
The latest deal between the Pistons and Brown figures to be worth $5,572 for the balance of this season, plus whatever playoff share Brown receives, assuming it’s a minimum-salary arrangement, as would be standard for this type of signing. Next season’s minimum for Brown is $1,015,696, though a chance exists that it’s a non-guaranteed salary rather than a true team option.
Stan Van Gundy Won Trade Market
- Pistons coach/executive Stan Van Gundy won the trade market this season, with his deals for Marcus Morris, Reggie Bullock and Tobias Harris being clear victories for the franchise, writes Rod Beard of The Detroit News. The scribe also points to the offseason signing of Aron Baynes, who has provided solid minutes as the backup center, as another strong roster move by Van Gundy.