Pistons Rumors

Pistons Sign Quincy Miller To Second 10-Day

March 3rd, 2015 at 9:11am CST by Chuck Myron

9:11am: The deal is official, the team announced via press release.

8:40am: The Pistons and Quincy Miller have reached agreement on a second 10-day pact, league sources tell Shams Charania of RealGM (Twitter link). His first deal with the team expired last night. Pistons coach/executive Stan Van Gundy said Friday that he was leaning toward bringing the forward back for a second 10-day stint, though Friday was the same day the team sent him on D-League assignment.

The former 38th overall pick didn’t appear in an NBA game for Detroit on his first 10-day contract with the club. He displayed strong rebounding while in the D-League over the weekend, grabbing 18 rebounds in 39.5 total minutes across two games. However, he didn’t hit the boards at nearly that rate in 15 games with Sacramento’s affiliate before he signed with the Pistons, grabbing 7.6 rebounds in 28.9 minutes per contest, and he’s averaged just 6.6 rebounds per 36 minutes for his NBA career.

Detroit has 14 other players signed through the end of the season, so the roster spot the team has earmarked for Miller is its only vacancy. The 22-year-old was reportedly set to discuss a deal for the rest of the season with the Kings after inking a pair of 10-day contracts with Sacramento earlier this year, but no such deal materialized. The Pistons would have to sign Miller for at least the balance of the season if they’re to renew their relationship once his second 10-day deal expires.

Western Notes: Green, Stockton, Grizzlies

March 2nd, 2015 at 5:00pm CST by Chuck Myron

Draymond Green offered an ominous comment for Warriors fans to Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe, saying he wants to savor the feeling of being a part of a fun, winning team while it lasts. Green, who’s set for restricted free agency this summer, is the only member of the team’s core who isn’t signed through at least next season, as Washburn points out.

“I’ve said it multiple times this year, we know how good we are,” Green said. “We’re having so much fun. It’s a fun group to be around. It’s easy to capitalize on this, when you enjoy being around the people you’re around every day. This is a special group, a special bond, so let’s make the best of it, because this team will probably never be together again. That’s just the nature of this business. One addition, one subtraction, and the team isn’t together no more. So take advantage of it while you’ve got it because I’m sure this team will never be together again. It’s a fun time. One of the funnest times of my life. Live in the moment.”

Golden State executives have given plenty of signals that they intend to match any offer for Green, who reportedly has interest in signing an offer sheet with the Pistons. So, it’s ultimately up to the Warriors to decide if he comes back, though his price may prompt the team to let someone else go. Here’s more from around the Western Conference:

The Kings have decided against signing David Stockton to another 10-day contract, tweets James Ham of Cowbell Kingdom. Sacramento’s deal with Stockton, son of Hall-of-Famer John Stockton, expired Sunday.
The three-year contract that JaMychal Green reportedly agreed to sign with the Grizzlies will include partially guaranteed salary that extends beyond this season, a source tells Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link).
Nuggets players didn’t seem to give coach Brian Shaw much of an endorsement when they broke a huddle with a “six weeks” chant Friday, but Shaw today told reporters, including Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post, that it wasn’t a reference to the time left in the season. They were instead talking about the weeks that had elapsed since the team’s last win at home, Shaw said.

Eastern Notes: McGee, Pistons, Wittman

March 2nd, 2015 at 2:34pm CST by Chuck Myron

A third of the league is showing interest in JaVale McGee, whom the Sixers waived late Sunday, reports Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link). Most of those 10 teams are playoff contenders, Spears adds, though their identities remain shrouded in mystery. The Clippers don’t appear to be one of them, as Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times hears they’re “not very” interested in the 27-year-old center (Twitter link). The teams that are in the mix for him envision him as a third-string center and wouldn’t shell out more than the minimum, a league source told John Gonzalez of CSNPhilly.com. There’s more from Gonzalez on McGee’s Sixers tenure amid the latest from around the Eastern Conference:

The Sixers were reluctant to waive McGee immediately after trading for him last month because they wanted to have a first-hand look to see if they would come away with a more positive impression of him than other teams have, a league source told Gonzalez for the same piece.
The Pistons recalled Quincy Miller from the D-League, the team announced (Twitter link). He averaged 11.5 points and 9.0 rebounds in just 19.7 minutes per contest during two games on his D-League stint, which began Friday. That was the day Pistons coach/executive Stan Van Gundy said he and his staff were leaning toward re-signing him to a second 10-day contract, notes Dave Pemberton of the Oakland Press (on Twitter). Today is the final day of his first 10-day pact.
There’s increasing pressure on Randy Wittman and others involved with the Wizards amid the team’s slump, as Marc Stein of ESPN.com writes in his weekly power rankings. Still, Wittman is in no immediate jeopardy, Stein cautions, and the team isn’t thinking about a coaching change, as J. Michael of CSNWashington.com wrote this weekend.
Lou Amundson hopes his stay with the Knicks will be “somewhat permanent,” in the words of Fred Kerber of the New York Post, who examines the positive effect the midseason addition has had. The pact he signed with New York after inking a pair of 10-day contracts runs only through the end of the season.

Central Notes: Monroe, Pistons, Rose

March 1st, 2015 at 8:42pm CST by Zachary Links

After getting kicked below the belt by James Harden, LeBron James is predictably none too pleased with the Rockets guard. “Obviously that’s not a basketball play,” the Cavs star said, according to Joe Vardon of The Plain Dealer. “Obviously the league will probably take a look at it. I have no idea why he would do that, but you know, just two competitors trying to go at it and he won this one.” Ultimately, it was the Rockets that won the game, 105-103 in overtime. Here’s more from the Central Division..

When asked if client Greg Monroe will consider the Pistons in free agency, agent David Falk responded, “absolutely, absolutely,” David Mayo of MLive.com writes. Meanwhile, he says that he hasn’t talked free agency with Monroe and only knows that finding the best fit will be the highest consideration. “Only the media discuss this kind of stuff during the season,” he said. “I don’t ever sit down game to game and take his temperature. It’s like the playoffs — the only thing that matters is where is his head at on July 1? We’ve got a long ways to go before we get there. It’s all speculation and he can change his mind 20 times between now and then. So I leave him alone. There’ll be a time for discussion and that time is not now.”
Pistons coach/exec Stan Van Gundy believes in stats and wants to beef up the team’s analytics staff, Keith Langlois of Pistons.com writes. The Pistons were represented by four front-office members at the weekend’s Sloan Sports Analytics Conference and SVG was a guest in previous years when he was between coaching jobs.
Just one day after having a meniscectomy to repair a torn medial meniscus in his right knee, Derrick Rose was back at the Bulls‘ training facility on Saturday beginning his rehab process, Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com writes. Rose is expected back on the floor within four-to-six weeks.

Atlantic Notes: Celtics, Robinson, Jackson

March 1st, 2015 at 7:30pm CST by Zachary Links

Isaiah Thomas has opened eyes with his three point shooting, but there is another aspect of his game that has impressed the Celtics, according to Steve Bulpett of The Boston Herald. The newly acquired guard, who came to Boston from Phoenix in a deadline-day deal, has eight three-pointers in his first three games as a Celtic. Coach Brad Stevens said his ability to space the floor is just as valuable. “We started the season playing very skilled at the 4 and the 5,” Stevens said, “but I think the ability to get in the paint, again, off of his (Thomas’) creation — but then the next guy getting into the paint because of it — is probably the key.” More from the Atlantic Division..

The 76ers grabbed Thomas Robinson off waivers to spite the Nets, according to Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe. They needed another contract on the books since they’re at the salary floor and wanted to take a closer look at the forward, but GM Sam Hinkie also knew that they playoff-hopeful Nets were interested in his services. Hinkie was at odds with Nets GM Billy King over the handling of Andrei Kirilenko, who was traded from Brooklyn to Philly with the belief that he would be bought out. Instead, the 76ers demanded that he report to the club and then eventually waived him.
One year later, there are still questions about whether Phil Jackson can build the Knicks into a contender, Mike Lupica of the New York Daily News writes. Jason Kidd‘s young and athletic Bucks, less than a year into Kidd’s time in Milwaukee, are closer to being a real contender for the title than the Knicks are, or might be anytime soon. Knicks fans clamored for the Zen Master in 2014, but it’s now unclear if he’s the answer for them or whether Derek Fisher has what it takes to be a successful coach.
In a video interview, new Celtics forward Jonas Jerebko tells A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com that he is enjoying his “fresh start” in Boston. He has averaged 12 points and 5.3 rebounds in three games since being traded from the Pistons. “I appreciate Detroit and all they did for me, but it was time for me to move on,” Jerebko said. “I feel great in this new situation. It’s a great organization and I’m honored to play for the Boston Celtics.”

Arthur Hill contributed to this post.

Hoops Rumors Weekly Mailbag 2/21/15-2/28/15

February 28th, 2015 at 10:29am CST by Eddie Scarito

In addition to our weekly chat, which Chuck Myron facilitates every Wednesday, we have a second opportunity for you to hit us up with your questions in this, our weekly mailbag feature. Have a question regarding player movement, the salary cap, or the NBA draft? Drop us a line at HoopsRumorsMailbag@Gmail.com or @EddieScarito on Twitter. Now for this week’s inquiries:

“What a deadline!! I don’t think I can ever remember a trade deadline that crazy! Anyway, my question was about the Suns’ day. It makes sense that they got rid of Goran Dragic, but they also got rid of two others [point guards] in Tyler Ennis and Isaiah Thomas. Getting Brandon Knight back was a good haul, but they also didn’t address their frontcourt (even weakened it some). What kind of message do you think this is sending? Are they giving up on the season while keeping the core for the future or are they gearing for a run and trying to improve the chemistry?” — Matt E.

The Suns deadline moves told me two things. The first was that Dragic more than likely gave Phoenix the distinct impression that he wasn’t going to re-sign with them this summer. I don’t believe the team wanted to trade Dragic, but only did so to recoup something of value for him. The second message was that the multi-headed point guard experiment wasn’t working out as well on the court, or in the locker room, as the franchise had hoped.

If GM Ryan McDonough didn’t believe that Phoenix had a good shot to retain Dragic beyond this season, which I don’t think it did, flipping him for Knight was an excellent tradeoff. But I’m not as thrilled with the team parting with Ennis, who is a player with quite a bit of upside. I get the Suns wanting to move Dragic and Thomas, but the team dealing away three point guards seems like overkill to me. Keeping Ennis, who is on a team-friendly rookie contract, would have been a wise move for a rebuilding franchise like Phoenix. I also agree that the Suns’ moves failed to improve their frontcourt. This was one of the things McDonough had reportedly wanted to address heading into the deadline, and Knight does nothing to change the team’s needs. This is an area that Phoenix will absolutely need to address this offseason if it hopes to contend in 2015/16.

To be realistic, Phoenix wasn’t likely headed to the conference finals this season, so blowing up its nucleus isn’t necessarily a bad move. The trade will give the Suns a bit more cap flexibility this summer with Thomas’ deal off the books, and now the team doesn’t have to sweat out Dragic’s free agency decision. Knight isn’t going to be cheap to re-sign, but the Suns will be able to match any offer sheet that the guard is offered, which gives the team some more stability. I also really like Knight as a player, and he and Eric Bledsoe should form a dynamic tandem, though defense is going to be a persistent issue for the pair.

“Who are the Pistons more likely to keep–Greg Monroe or Reggie Jackson? Who should they push harder to retain?” — Ozzie

Well, seeing how Monroe declined to work out a long-term deal with the team and has given a number of indications that he intends to depart this summer as a free agent, picking Jackson is the easy answer for who is more likely to remain in Motown. Jackson wasn’t acquired to be just a rental, so the team will likely match any offer sheet the point guard receives as a restricted free agent after the season. Monroe is an unrestricted free agent, so there is no safety net for Detroit in regards to re-signing him. My crystal ball sees Monroe wearing a Knicks jersey next season and Jackson still sporting Detroit’s in 2015/16.

As for who the team should push harder to keep, I would still say Jackson. That isn’t meant to diminish Monroe’s value, it’s about which player is the best fit for them right now. Monroe and Andre Drummond don’t mesh together very well offensively, and the Pistons need to improve their backcourt production, something Jackson’s presence will certainly help. Having Jackson and Brandon Jennings sharing a backcourt next season isn’t an ideal situation for anyone involved, but with Jennings set to become a free agent after next season, the problem should be short-lived. Jennings’ injury will complicate matters, but look for Detroit to try and deal him this summer. Drummond and Jackson are a nice foundation for Stan Van Gundy to work with, and if the team is able to retain Jackson this summer, this was an excellent trade by the executive.

“Which team won the trade deadline?” — Parker

This one is a tough question since the success of many of the trades can’t be gauged until the playoffs are complete. But with that caveat in place, I’ll say that the Thunder won the deadline this season. Sure, the franchise gave up Reggie Jackson in the deal, but to add Enes Kanter, D.J. Augustin, and Kyle Singler for a player whose role had diminished significantly since the arrival of Dion Waiters was a strong move for GM Sam Presti. OKC added some needed frontcourt scoring in Kanter, and two solid rotation players in Singler and Augustin. I really like what the team accomplished at the deadline. This is a much better trade for the franchise than swapping for Brook Lopez would have been. Now if the Thunder could only remain healthy…

I would also like to give Heat president Pat Riley credit for making the second best deal of the trade deadline, acquiring Dragic was a solid move by the executive. But it is also one that will unfortunately be tarnished a bit by Chris Bosh being lost for the season. With Bosh and Dragic on the court, the Heat would have had a very real shot to go deep into the playoffs in the East and this deal looks like a master stroke as a result. Without Bosh, Miami will play out the string and hope to make a favorable enough impression on Dragic, with the hope that he’ll re-sign with Miami this summer.

“With the issues Rajon Rondo is having with [coach] Rick Carlisle, does this mean Rondo’s gone at the end of the season?” — Clyde S.

The recent difficulties between Rondo and Carlisle won’t be the determining factor in Rondo’s free agent decision. They certainly don’t help, but Rondo should be used to having clashes with coaches by now, and the one game suspension he received as a result shouldn’t drive an irreparable wedge between Rondo and the team.

What Dallas should be more concerned about is how poorly Rondo has fit in with the team thus far. The Mavs seem to play more effectively as a squad when Rondo has been seated, which shouldn’t be the case when talking about an elite point guard like him. There will likely be more than a few teams that will pursue Rondo when he becomes a free agent this summer, and the point guard may find a fit he prefers to the one he has in Dallas. In the end, I think Rondo will end up leaving Dallas this summer, but for a multitude of reasons beyond a simple tiff with his coach.

“Which trade was the worst one of the season?” — Roberto N.

I’m going to cheat a bit on this one and pick a deal that happened prior to the season beginning — the Knicks’ trade of Tyson Chandler and Raymond Felton to the Mavs for Jose Calderon, Samuel Dalembert, Shane Larkin, Wayne Ellington, and two second rounders. It’s an understatement to say that this deal didn’t work out on the court, with the Knicks currently owning the worst overall record in the league. But the bigger loss is what New York potentially missed out on at the trade deadline as a result of this previous transaction.

If the Knicks had held onto Chandler last offseason, it’s quite possible that Reggie Jackson would be wearing a Knicks jersey right now instead of a Pistons one, and New York would have the inside track on re-signing him this summer. With the Thunder’s reported pursuit of Brook Lopez, it’s more than likely that OKC would have had some level of interest in acquiring Chandler at the trade deadline. At the very least, the Knicks would have had a better than average shot at flipping Chandler for a major upgrade at the point, instead of having to watch helplessly on the sidelines thanks to a lack of assets. Knicks fans had to settle for the Zen Master unloading Pablo Prigioni to the Rockets as the team’s biggest splash of the trade deadline.

The Knicks also managed to make this trade look even worse by declining Shane Larkin’s team option. As a result, New York is unable to offer Larkin more than the $1,675,320 value of his option if they wish to re-sign him, which could prove problematic in retaining his services if the team so desires. The young point guard hasn’t set the world on fire this season, but Larkin does have the potential to develop into a valuable role-player, and that’s something the Knicks could certainly use more of.

That’s all the space I have for this week. Thanks for all of the submissions. Keep sending in your questions, and I’ll see you back here next Saturday with more responses.

Central Notes: Sanders, Perkins, Pistons

February 27th, 2015 at 4:10pm CST by Chuck Myron

Larry Sanders had a clause in his contract that would have allowed him to continue to be paid if he didn’t play for the Bucks as long as he received mental health treatment, according to Kevin Arnovitz of ESPN.com. Sanders this week acknowledged checking into a hospital to take part in a program for anxiety, depression and mood disorders, but Arnovitz indicates that he’s no longer in that facility, having departed shortly before he arranged his buyout from the Bucks. Before that, Sanders had broken off contact with the team, which nearly suspended him before the league did last month, Arnovitz also hears. One source who spoke with Arnovitz backed up a December report that Sanders was considering retirement, one Sanders quickly denied, though the center this week hinted that he might not play again. While we wait to see if Sanders can overcome his troubles and return to the NBA, here’s more from the Central Division:

Clippers coach/executive Doc Rivers pursued Kendrick Perkins even after he’d already committed to the Cavs, as Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com said today in an appearance on ESPN Cleveland radio (audio link at 32:10 mark).
It’s doubtful that Brandon Jennings and Reggie Jackson both remain Pistons long-term, tweets Keith Langlois of Pistons.com, who nonetheless believes it’s a distinct possibility that the two of them are still on the team next season.
The Pistons lavished more money on Jodie Meeks than they did with any of the team’s other free agent signees last summer in large measure for his outside shooting, but the slumping Meeks is knocking down a career-worst 30.1% of his three-point attempts, MLive’s David Mayo notes. Coach/executive Stan Van Gundy doesn’t regret failing to hire a shooting coach this summer but said he’ll consider it for next season, according to Mayo.

Knicks Notes: Draft, Jackson, Shved, Larkin

February 27th, 2015 at 1:44pm CST by Chuck Myron

Knicks team president Phil Jackson called Ohio State combo guard D’Angelo Russell a “great prospect” when he spoke to Doug Lesmerises of Cleveland.com upon his visit to Ohio State amid a scouting trip, and while it’s no surprise he would say that, the comment sparked trouble nonetheless. The NBA doesn’t allow team officials to talk about college underclassmen, so the league has begun an investigation into Jackson’s comments and is likely to fine him for the remarks about Russell, a freshman, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. The Knicks top the Reverse Standings, and Russell is No. 3 in Eddie Scarito’s Hoops Rumors Prospect Power Rankings. Here’s more on the Knicks:

The Knicks indeed made another push to deal for Reggie Jackson at the trade deadline, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post. They were reportedly likely to make a renewed effort after coming up short in an attempt to trade for him last month. New York lacked the assets for the future to snag Jackson at the deadline, Berman writes, but the team is reportedly planning to target him again when he hits restricted free agency this summer. The Knicks have the potential recruiting advantage of employing coach Derek Fisher, a former Jackson teammate, as Berman examines.
The Knicks took on salary to trade for Alexey Shved because they view him as a fit for the triangle, Berman observes in the same story. “We definitely see the potential and his ability to play with our team and operate well within our format,’’ Fisher said. “He’s a good ballhandler and good passer and he can get to the rim and he’s pretty capable shooting.”
Shane Larkin would rather re-sign with the Knicks than play elsewhere in the NBA next season, Berman notes in a separate piece. However, the point guard can seek better offers than the $1,675,320 that New York is limited to paying him next season since the team declined his option for that same amount. “The league is watching at all times,’’ Larkin said. “If I go out there and play well the last 25 games, the Knicks could want me or someone else could want me. It’s not that I’m set on one team. They didn’t pick up my option. I can go wherever, but of course I want to stay in New York.’’

And-Ones: Jennings, Wizards, Jerebko

February 26th, 2015 at 10:12pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Brandon Jennings might not have been thrilled the Pistons traded for another point guard but after meeting with coach and president of basketball operations Stan Van Gundy, he understands why the move was made, according to David Mayo of MLive.com. Jennings, who suffered a season-ending torn left Achilles tendon January 24th at Milwaukee, could wind up sharing time with recently-acquired Reggie Jackson next season if Jackson signs with the club as a restricted free agent, Mayo continues. Jennings, who has one year and approximately $8.34MM remaining on his contract, will be tough to trade this summer as he tries to return from the injury, Mayo adds.

In other news around the league:

The Wizards indeed used part of their Trevor Ariza trade exception to absorb Ramon Sessions‘ salary in last week’s trade, allowing them to create a new $4.625MM trade exception equivalent to Andre Miller‘s salary, reports Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link). There had been conflicting estimates about how the Wizards handled the exceptions, as I noted earlier this week. The Ariza exception is now worth $2,252,089.
The Pacers, Knicks and Lakers are eyeing 28-year-old Lithuanian shooting guard Mantas Kalnietis, with Indiana showing the most interest, agent Tadas Bulotas tells Lithuania’s Sport 1 (YouTube link; transcription via TalkBasket.net). Kalnietis went undrafted in 2008, so no NBA team holds his rights.
Jonas Jerebko, who is in the final year of a four-year, $18MM deal he signed with the Pistons in December 2011, believes his time with the Celtics is an opportunity to showcase his true potential, reports Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com. After spending his first five-plus NBA seasons with the Pistons, Jerebko was traded with Luigi Datome to Boston last week in exchange for Tayshaun Prince.
Monty Williams is acting like a coach with his job on the line even though he has a year left on his contract, John Reid of the New Orleans Times-Picayune reveals. The Pelicans coach has been forced to deal with injuries to his star player, Anthony Davis, but he is still under heavy pressure to win because of a frustrated fan base, Reid adds.

Will Joseph and Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Central Notes: Jackson, Perkins, Bulls

February 26th, 2015 at 6:24pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Reggie Jackson has embraced his new role as the Pistons’ floor leader but he’s not ready to become the leader in the locker room, according to David Mayo of MLive.com. Jackson, who becomes a restricted free agent after the season, was acquired by Detroit from the Thunder at the trade deadline. “It’s hard, it’s really hard,” Pistons president of basketball operations and coach Stan Van Gundy said in the story. “You don’t have a relationship with guys yet. That’s why I think it’s tough for point guards. And yet, as a point guard, you’re expected to organize and lead and everything else. I think it’s a major challenge when you haven’t been with the team all year.” Jackson has already been organizing post-game restaurant outings with teammates, according to Mayo, which is perhaps an indication that he would welcome the opportunity to sign with the club long-term.

In other news around the Central Division:

The contract that Kendrick Perkins signed with the Cavs is a minimum-salary affair that runs only until season’s end, as Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders reveals on his Cavs salary page (Twitter link).
The Pistons created two traded player exceptions in the deal for Jackson, Pincus tweets. Along with one worth $1.09MM for Kyle Singler, they also created a $796K exception for D.J. Augustin, according to Pincus. That will give the Pistons more flexibility to make trades this offseason.
The mood around the Bulls is glum in the wake of Derrick Rose‘s latest knee surgery, and there’s concern he may not recover mentally after undergoing three knee operations since the 2011/12 playoffs, Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times writes. His teammates took the news particularly hard. “Very tough news, unexpected,’’ Pau Gasol said to Chicago beat reporters. “Heartbreaking in a way because of how much he has been through the last couple of years. Difficult to deal with; we feel for him. He’s definitely a key player for us, as well.’’ Even if Rose is able to return this season, it might difficult for him to be effective because of the intensity level of the postseason, Cowley adds.
The Bulls could add another player to the roster depending upon the timetable for Rose’s return, K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune tweets. The decision on whether to sign a free agent will hinge on whether Rose is out for the season or not, according to Johnson.

Will Joseph contributed to this post.

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