Pistons Rumors

Central Notes: Drummond, Jackson, Vaughn

October 21st, 2015 at 9:21pm CST by Eddie Scarito

It’s a credit to the relationship formed between Pistons owner Tom Gores, coach/executive Stan Van Gundy, and center Andre Drummond that all parties would agree to hold off on signing an extension to allow the team to retain more cap space heading into next offseason, Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press writes. “I will tell you I’ve learned from conversations that we had we’re really giving ourselves the flexibility to build this team up and do the right things to get us where we need to be,” Drummond told reporters. “I’m just ready to prepare for the season, and whenever that time comes again, I’ll be prepared for it.”

Drummond’s willingness to put his future payday on hold impressed Van Gundy, Ellis notes. “As much as Andre wants to be here, he desperately wants to win and wants to be part of a contender and wants us to have the flexibility to continue to add people to this team,” Van Gundy said. “He has a great relationship with Tom — a very open, honest, trusting relationship. They spend a lot of time talking about this. I think it shows Andre’s maturity and leadership that he would step forward and put the team ahead of himself.”

Here’s more from the Central Division:

Reggie Jackson, who re-signed with the Pistons this summer for five years and $80MM, has a stake in whether or not Drummond remains in Detroit, Aaron McMann of MLive.com writes. “He’s a big reason, reason 1A-1B, I went solely into staying here,” Jackson said. “He was always on me about making sure I signed. So I’m just trying to make sure everything’s going in the right direction to still be here and try and make a lot of memories.“
Jackson also relayed that he and Drummond spoke privately about the center’s decision, and the point guard called it a big one for the big man’s future, McMann adds in the same piece. “It’s a mature move either way,” Jackson said. “Whatever he decides is what he decides. I just would love to know that I have this guy with me during my tenure being here, wearing this red and blue. I just want what’s best for Andre. I want what’s best for his career. I definitely want him to be here and I want to make a lot of memories and a lot of highlights in the Palace and bring back this city.“
Bucks rookie shooting guard Rashad Vaughn has been turning heads with his stellar preseason play, and he may turn out to be the steal of the 2015 NBA Draft, writes Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders. “He plays with a great demeanor,” coach Jason Kidd said. “He doesn’t get up too high and doesn’t get too down in the things that he’s done. He is showing that he deserves time to play and he’ll get it. … At 19 years old, he’s very mature. He acts a lot older on the court and off the court.”
The Cavs finally struck a deal with Tristan Thompson today, as we passed along earlier. See the details here.

Pistons, Andre Drummond Not Planning Extension

October 20th, 2015 at 12:14pm CST by Chuck Myron

Andre Drummond wants to wait until next summer to talk contract with the Pistons instead of signing an extension before the November 2nd deadline, Pistons coach/executive Stan Van Gundy told reporters today, including Keith Langlois of Pistons.com and Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press (Twitter links). The lack of an extension will give the Pistons more than $12MM in additional cap flexibility for next summer, Langlois notes (Twitter link). Regardless, Drummond has been likely to get a new max deal with the Pistons, whether through an extension this fall or a new contract in restricted free agency next summer, as Ellis recently explained to Hoops Rumors.

“Andre wants to be here long term,” Van Gundy said, according to Langlois (Twitter link). “He … wants us to have the flexibility to continue to add people to this team.”

Pistons owner Tom Gores referred to Drummond this past spring as a “max player,” so it’s clear how much the team values the Jeff Schwartz client. At issue is the size of his cap hold, which will remain at $8,180,228 until he signs a new deal. The projected maximum salary for a player with Drummond’s years of experience for next season is $20.4MM, and if Drummond were to sign an extension this fall, that number would count again the cap for the Pistons, limiting their flexibility. Keeping him unsigned allows the Pistons to sign others and then follow up and sign Drummond, or match any offer sheet he signs with another team, via Bird rights. The Spurs pursued a similar path with Kawhi Leonard this summer, allowing them to sign LaMarcus Aldridge. Leonard re-signed with the Spurs for five years at the max after Aldridge signed his contract with San Antonio.

Van Gundy cited $12.7MM as the amount of extra cap flexibility the Pistons will reap from delaying a deal with Drummond, Langlois notes (Twitter link). That’s perhaps an indication that either the Pistons, the league or both foresee a slightly higher than projected cap for 2016/17, since the difference between Drummond’s cap hold and the current projected max is only about $12.2MM.

In any case, the Pistons were willing to let Drummond decide whether to do an extension, as Ellis wrote this summer. Initially, it appeared that he wanted to go ahead with a deal this fall, and that seemed the likeliest outcome, as Dana Gauruder of Hoops Rumors wrote when he looked at Drummond’s extension candidacy. Vincent Goodwill of CSN Chicago, a former Pistons beat writer, hears that ex-agent Arn Tellem, who joined the Pistons organization as an executive this summer, worked to convince Drummond to delay his signing (Twitter link).

The danger, as Grantland’s Zach Lowe points out, is that Drummond signs a short-term offer sheet that would allow him to hit free agency sooner than the Pistons would like (Twitter link). Still, Van Gundy cited Drummond’s trust in Gores, Langlois notes (on Twitter). The team has consulted Drummond on almost every major move, and Gores and Drummond see themselves as partners, Ellis tweets.

The Pistons already have about $42MM in salary commitments for 2016/17, and that number will rise to more than $48MM if they pick up their team options on Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Reggie Bullock. The salary cap is projected to rise to $89MM next season.

Do you think waiting until next summer to do a deal is a wise choice for both sides? Leave a comment to share your thoughts.

Central Notes: Pistons, Bulls, Butler

October 18th, 2015 at 8:00pm CST by Will Joseph

While center Andre Drummond, shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and point guard Reggie Jackson are guaranteed starting spots, Marcus Morris, Ersan Ilyasova and Stanley Johnson are still fighting for the other two starting roles with the Pistons, Terry Foster of The Detroit News details. Each player has skills that make for a compelling argument, Foster writes, and no one seems to have the edge yet. Ilyasova can stretch the floor with his 3-point shot, Morris provides toughness and Johnson is quick in transition, Foster adds.

Here’s more out of the Central Division:

Bulls rookie Bobby Portis is standing out early because of his confidence, rebounding ability and scoring touch, Nick Friedell of ESPN.com writes. Bulls head coach Fred Hoiberg acknowledged it would be hard to envision a scenario where Portis isn’t given rotational minutes early in the season, Friedell adds. “I just think it’s his energy,” Hoiberg said. “Anybody that goes out and plays that hard every possession, good things generally happen and that’s exactly what Bobby has done.”
Look for Jimmy Butler, who re-signed with the Bulls over the summer, to pick up his intensity on the court as the regular season draws near, K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune writes. Butler, according to first-year coach Hoiberg, has been focused on getting his teammates more involved in a new system, Johnson adds.

Northwest Notes: Presti, Malone, Gobert

October 18th, 2015 at 1:03pm CST by Arthur Hill

Thunder GM Sam Presti is looking to a fresh start in Oklahoma City with Billy Donovan taking over the coaching reins, writes Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. The Thunder were overwhelmed by injuries last season, particularly to star Kevin Durant, and narrowly missed the Western Conference playoffs. A revival is seen as key this year with Durant becoming an unrestricted free agent next summer. “The combination of the transition to a new coaching staff, a healthy team with the benefit of seven years of experience together that is now entering its prime years, and some additions to our roster that fit our age horizon also help fortify the existing culture,” Presti said, “and has created an organizational momentum that has everyone excited about the present but also very optimistic about the future.”

There’s more news from the Northwest Division:

New Nuggets coach Michael Malone has brought an emphasis on defense to Denver, according to Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post. Darrell Arthur said that when he was traded from the Grizzlies to the Nuggets in 2013, he was surprised how rarely defense and communication were taught by former Denver coach Brian Shaw. “It’s the exact same thing, what we did in Memphis to what coach Malone is doing,” Arthur said. “This is the way I was taught to play. I’m pretty sure this is the right way to play basketball.”
Utah’s Rudy Gobert is among the most likely candidates for Most Improved Player honors this season, writes Joel Brigham of Basketball Insiders. The Jazz center finished third in voting for the award last season, but Brigham believes he can still get much better by improving his offensive game. Former Thunder guard Reggie Jackson, now with the Pistons, is also on the list, along with the Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Wizards’ Bradley Beal, the Sixers’ Nerlens Noel, the Magic’s Victor Oladipo and the Raptors’ Jonas Valanciunas.

Heat Rumors: Deng, Roster, Richardson, Bosh

October 18th, 2015 at 10:03am CST by Arthur Hill

Luol Deng is convinced that he made the correct move last summer by choosing Miami over Atlanta in free agency, writes Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel. Deng remains happy with his choice of the Heat, even without considering the alleged race-related comments by former Hawks GM Danny Ferry that led to him taking a buyout deal. Deng could have pursued free agency again this year, but chose to opt in for $10.15MM. “I know I made the right decision,” Deng said of coming to the Heat. “What happened last year was a lot of injuries and ups and downs. I’m happy where I’m at. I love the organization. I love my teammates and I love Miami.”

There’s more Heat-related news this morning:

Several players who spent time on Miami’s roster last year won’t be in the league this season, Winderman notes in the same story. Henry Walker, Shannon Brown and Shawne Williams failed to sign training camp deals, while Justin Hamilton is playing in Spain, Andre Dawkins is in Italy and Michael Beasley is in China. Walker signed with the new Amerileague, becoming the league’s first player who saw regular season NBA action last year. In addition, Danny Granger got permission from the Pistons to stay in Arizona and rehab his knee, and could be released. Walker signed
Josh Richardson is too talented for the Heat to give him extended stays in the D-League, Winderman contends in a separate story. In his “Ask Ira” column, Winderman says Richardson should push Tyler Johnson for playing time, although it appears Miami is giving Johnson the first crack at being the third-string point guard behind Goran Dragic and Mario Chalmers. As the columnist notes, Richardson’s contract is fully guaranteed, while Johnson only carries a partial guarantee.
Chris Bosh understands that he will be judged by the numbers he puts up, even if the balanced Heat lineup isn’t conducive to big numbers, Winderman writes in another story. After receiving a five-year max contract to stay in Miami in the summer of 2014, Bosh had his season cut short by blood clots in his lungs, playing in just 44 games. “I knew what that meant when I signed my name on the dotted line,” Bosh said. “It’s always everybody’s dream, ‘Oh, yeah, I’m going to be the team’s highest-paid player.’ And then, do it, and you expect things that aren’t realistic.”

Central Notes: Bullock, Cunningham, Cavaliers

October 18th, 2015 at 8:59am CST by Arthur Hill

Reggie Bullock is very likely to make the Pistons‘ roster, and the team is considering picking up his option for 2016/17, reports Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press. Detroit has until November 2nd to decide on the option, which is worth $2.2MM. Ellis cites an unidentified source with “firsthand knowledge” who says the move is being considered.

“If they pick this up, I know that I will be here at least still getting paid NBA money,” Bullock said. “I’m just trying to find a place, and Detroit would be the perfect place for me to be able to start my young career and actually be here and actually learn things as part of this system and organization.”

Bullock came to the Pistons in a July 9th deal with Phoenix that also brought Marcus Morris and Danny Granger. He didn’t earn much playing time in his first two NBA seasons with the Clippers and Suns, but has impressed Detroit’s coaches with a strong preseason performance. Bullock is averaging 12.3 points per game and has shot 8-of-16 from three-point range, along with providing a strong defensive presence on the wing.

There’s more this morning from the Central Division:

Jared Cunningham is making a strong push for a Cavaliers roster spot, according to Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. He has been Cleveland’s leading scorer during the preseason, averaging 13.6 points per game. Cunningham has bounced around the league since being drafted in the first round in 2012, spending time with the Mavericks, Hawks, Kings and Clippers. Washburn notes that the 24-year-old would give the Cavs an athletic presence in the backcourt.
Kevin Love is expected to make his preseason debut today, but that only offers a little relief for the Cavaliers‘ injury woes, writes Jason Lloyd of The Akron Beacon Journal. Love will return to the court for the first time since having surgery to fix a dislocated left shoulder. Five Cleveland rotation players have undergone surgical procedures in the past 10 months.
The Bucks are being cautious with Jabari Parker as he comes back from a torn ACL that ended his rookie season after 25 games, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com. “If you were able to watch practice, I’m sure you guys would probably question why he’s not playing,” said coach Jason Kidd. “Because he’s done everything. He looks great. But again, he hasn’t been cleared by the doctors.”

Central Notes: Jennings, Monroe, Bulls, Williams

October 17th, 2015 at 6:49pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Pistons hope to have Brandon Jennings back by Christmas, according to Vincent Ellis of The Detroit Free Press. The point guard hasn’t played since rupturing his left Achilles in January, but coach/executive Stan Van Gundy said he is “doing about everything” in practice, which includes step-back jumpers, running hard forward and backward and making moves before shooting. However, Jennings hasn’t been in a competitive situation or done any defensive drills. “They’ve given us sort of Christmastime, sort of tentative, very general, though, before or after so I think there’s a reasonable chance he could play in a game before the first of the year,” Van Gundy said.

There’s more from the Central Division:

Several former Pistons teammates who also played for Milwaukee helped convince Greg Monroe to sign with the Bucks this summer, writes Michael Lee of Yahoo Sports. Assisting Monroe in making his decision were Jennings, Caron Butler, Brandon Knight and Khris Middleton, whom Monroe had Thanksgiving dinner with last year. Middleton joked that he called or texted Monroe “every five minutes” to recruit him for Milwaukee.
If the Bulls decide to go with a full roster of 15 players, Cristiano Felicio is a good bet to grab the final spot over Jordan Crawford, speculates K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune. The Brazilian center played on Chicago’s summer league team and is in camp on a non-guaranteed contract. Johnson believes he would be good insurance with Joakim Noah and maybe Pau Gasol becoming unrestricted free agents next summer.
The offseason addition of Mo Williams, combined with J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert, gives the Cavaliers three of the toughest players in the NBA, according to Chris Haynes of The Northeast Ohio Media Group. “Nobody is going to punk me,” Williams said. “Nobody’s going to punk anybody who I stand with, so that’s just a motto that I have and I feel like my teammates should have that same motto.”

Pistons Rumors: Bullock, Hilliard, Bachynski, Baynes

October 17th, 2015 at 1:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

Reggie Bullock, acquired in a July trade with Phoenix, has been “the pleasant surprise of preseason,” writes David Mayo of MLive. In his “Ask David” column, Mayo acknowledges that Bullock is still battling with Adonis Thomas for a roster spot, but says the 6’7″ forward has helped himself with a productive preseason. Bullock is averaging 12.3 points and 20.6 minutes of playing time in three preseason games. Mayo notes that Bullock is finally getting an opportunity, which didn’t happen after the Suns picked him up in a trade with the Clippers midway through last season. He played just 75 minutes in 11 games with Phoenix after the deal and made several trips to the D-League.

There’s more from the Motor City:

Recent comments from Van Gundy indicate that rookie Darrun Hilliard has a secure spot on the team, according to Keith Langlois of Pistons.com. The 6’6″ swingman from Villanova signed a three-year deal — with the first season fully guaranteed and a $500K guarantee for the second season — after being selected 38th in June’s draft. “We have a good feel for Darrun, maybe more so than the other guys,” Van Gundy said. “I don’t really feel the need to get him 18 or 20 minutes in a game. We pretty much know what we have there as a staff and even as a front office.”
Jordan Bachynski is trying not to be intimidated by the long odds he faces in making the Pistons’ roster, writes Aaron McMann of MLive. The 7’2″ center was signed to a non-guaranteed contract two weeks before training camp opened. He went undrafted in 2014, spending part of last season with the Knicks’ D-League affiliate and another part in the Turkish Basketball League. ” I’m not thinking, ‘Oh, I’m going to get cut,'” Bachynski said. “Because if you start thinking like that, you’re not going to continue to work hard. I’m going to be in here every day, showing them that I want to be here. I’m not going to be one of the guys who dogs it, who sits on the sideline, who doesn’t show up every day.”
Free agent addition Aron Baynes surprised the Pistons’ coaching staff with his play in his preseason debut, according to Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press. It was the first action since offseason ankle surgery for Baynes, who signed a three-year, $20MM deal in July.

The Beat: Vince Ellis On The Pistons

October 16th, 2015 at 11:30am CST by Chuck Myron

Vince Ellis

Nobody knows NBA teams better than beat writers, save for those who draw paychecks with an NBA owner’s signature on them. The reporters who are with the teams they cover every day gain an intimate knowledge of the players, coaches and executives they write about and develop sources who help them break news and stay on top of rumors.

We at Hoops Rumors will be chatting with beat writers from around the league and sharing their responses to give you a better perspective on how and why teams make some of their most significant moves. Last time, we spoke with Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune about the Timberwolves. Click here to see all the previous editions of this series.

Today, we gain insight on the Pistons from Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press. You can follow Vince on Twitter at @Vincent_Ellis56, and check out his stories right here.

Hoops Rumors: Where do the Pistons and Andre Drummond stand as the deadline for an extension approaches?

Vince Ellis: Stan Van Gundy told reporters in Chicago on Wednesday night that they would have something soon, but he didn’t specify details. I’ve heard that it’s something the Pistons are still working through. Remember this isn’t a negotiation in a traditional sense. Drummond will eventually sign a five-year, $120MM contract extension off his rookie deal. It’s just a matter of when he signs it. If he signs it next offseason, the Pistons will have roughly $12MM more in cap space to chase free agents or facilitate trades — although with the rising cap it’s debatable how much that extra space would help the Pistons. But Drummond has to feel comfortable knowing that if he doesn’t sign now — he will still get the deal if for some reason things don’t go well this year. But the Pistons may decide to just do the deal to give Drummond peace of mind.

Hoops Rumors: Last week, you reported that the Pistons are keeping an eye on the relationship between Markieff Morris and the Suns. However, the Pistons traded for a starting stretch four in June when they acquired Ersan Ilyasova. Why do you think the Pistons are interested in Morris?

Vince Ellis: Simple, they think he is a good player. Grantland had a recent piece on the value of the assist and continued telling us the foolishness of the midrange jump shot. The article points out that Markieff is one of the guys who actually can do work from midrange area. Guys with a heat map that covers the three-point circle are valuable. Also he is locked up for four more years at $8MM per. With the escalating salaries the contract is a bargain. The Pistons will have competition IF the Suns decide to make a move.

Hoops Rumors: What does Reggie Jackson have to do on the court to make a convincing case that he’s truly worthy of the five-year, $80MM deal he signed this summer?

Vince Ellis: After a subpar game in the first preseason game, Jackson has been more than solid, shooting 50% from the field and 40% from three-point range in the next three games. If he can have those numbers be 45% and 35% in the regular season, you have a guy living up to his contract – at least by today’s standards when a lot of guys have got eye-opening numbers.

Hoops Rumors: Van Gundy seemed to make backup big men a priority, committing $9MM in combined salaries this season to Aron Baynes and Joel Anthony. Why do you think he found it so important to pour resources into that part of the roster?

Vince Ellis: I’m assuming you are referring to why he did this when the trend is small ball. I really don’t think $9MM is that much of a $70MM payroll. They have four guys (Ersan Ilyasova, Marcus Morris, Anthony Tolliver and human utility belt Stanley Johnson) more than capable of playing the stretch-four position. Van Gundy is stressing the need to play all styles. There are good teams with traditional starting fives (San Antonio, Chicago Bulls and Memphis Grizzlies). It’s simply a matter of wanting to match up against those teams.

Hoops Rumors: The Pistons have 17 fully guaranteed salaries and 15 regular season roster spots to go around. How do you think the Pistons resolve this logjam? Who is most likely to go?

Vince Ellis: Getting rid of two — Danny Granger and Cartier Martin — will probably be easy. There were indications Granger would be waived or traded as soon as he was acquired from the Suns. Health is an issue and he has been allowed to stay away from the team during camp to rehab. Martin was a disappointment in his first season with the Pistons and an issue with his right hand has prevented him from getting time during the preseason. The last roster spot appears to come down to Reggie Bullock and camp invite Adonis Thomas. But Bullock has been a revelation and Thomas has been hampered by a sore Achilles.

Hoops Rumors: What do you think Van Gundy learned in his first season balancing the duties of both coach and executive that he can take into this season?

Vince Ellis: Really hard to compare the two. He took over in May and spent the summer on the sidelines for the most part except for a couple of free agent signings because he didn’t feel comfortable making major personnel decisions without the apparatus in place. But he was stunning the NBA by Christmas with the waiving of Josh Smith and wound up moving to get Reggie Jackson at the trade deadline. I think most of the lessons he will take into this season will come at the coaching end. He was probably caught off guard with just how much teams have come to rely on the three-point shot. He is adjusting his defense there and also on how the team guards the pick-and-roll.

Central Notes: Jefferson, Vaughn, Pistons, Pacers

October 13th, 2015 at 12:15pm CST by Chuck Myron

Richard Jefferson felt uncomfortable with the prospect of playing for the Mavericks once DeAndre Jordan turned his back on the team, and the veteran small forward took agent Jeff Schwartz’s advice to take a delicate approach to undoing his own verbal commitment to Dallas, as Jefferson details to Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com. The 35-year-old signed a guaranteed one-year, minimum-salary contract with the Cavs after asking Mark Cuban’s permission to break off their deal.

“And so, [Schwartz] was like: ‘Well, Rich, I can call, but we should probably tell the Mavs first. And let’s see. Because I don’t want to call the Cavs and all of the sudden the Cavs call the Mavs about what’s going on and it comes back on me and it looks like I’m trying to do stuff behind their back,'” Jefferson said. “And so, we talked to Mark first and I asked him for permission, and he said, ‘That’s fine.’ And then there was some interest here [in Cleveland] and it was pretty much a no brainer.”

See more from the Central Division:

Rashad Vaughn‘s mature demeanor impressed Bucks coach Jason Kidd before Milwaukee drafted him 17th overall this June, and the rookie is making waves on the court, too, as Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel examines. “The Vaughn kid put on a show in the fourth quarter, as he did in Chicago the other night,” Pistons coach/executive Stan Van Gundy said after his team’s game against the Bucks Saturday. “We’re going to be dealing with him for a long time in the league. He’s got a quick release and can really, really shoot the ball.”
Detroit has experienced a whirlwind of player movement under Van Gundy, so in spite of their apparent interest in Markieff Morris, the Pistons would be well-served to consider the benefits of roster stability over yet another change, opines Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press.
The commitment to a traditional lineup that the Pacers made in the past seemed aimed at beating the Heat, but now that president of basketball operations Larry Bird has shifted the team’s roster and on-court philosophy, Paul George isn’t the only one who must fit in, argues RealGM’s Andrew Perna. Coach Frank Vogel, who’s under contract through 2016/17, must also prove he can lead a more potent attack on offense.

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