Detroit Pistons Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Central Notes: George, Miller, Jackson

March 13th, 2015 at 6:15pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Pacers fans may have to wait a bit longer than anticipated for Paul George to make his return to the court, Matthew Glenesk of USA Today writes. The swingman has been increasingly hesitant to discuss when or if he’ll be playing this season, Glenesk notes. The 24-year-old has been experiencing increased soreness in his injured leg as he attempts to work his way into game shape. George also worries about disrupting Indiana’s team chemistry, the USA Today scribe adds. “I’m on the fence,” George said. “Part of me is, they’re playing so well, they’ve come together, to shake up the chemistry and add another body, another player in there. I don’t want to be that guy that destroys what these guys have going.”

Here’s more from the Central Division:

The Pistons wouldn’t have made the Reggie Jackson trade if Brandon Jennings hadn’t torn his Achilles tendon, and the team would likely match an offer of $13-14MM a year to Jackson when he’s a restricted free agent this summer, as MLive’s David Mayo writes in his mailbag column. Mayo also figures the team will target Paul Millsap this summer.
Quincy Miller showed the Pistons enough potential in practice that the team inked him to a deal that includes the remainder of this season, the summer league, and training camp next season, Keith Langlois of NBA.com writes. “We’ve seen a couple of practices and we know what we had before,” Detroit coach/executive Stan Van Gundy said of Miller. “He’s a guy with size and length and athletic ability and can shoot the ball. He’s somebody that we want to see.“
Van Gundy noted that inking Miller wasn’t a high-risk move on the team’s part, Langlois adds. “It’s not a huge investment for us,” Van Gundy said. “We’re getting it set up so we have him through the summer and through training camp next year, so we get a good, long look at him. He’s a guy that’s got great potential to develop. He’s a really, really hard worker, so we’ll see where it goes.“

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Pacers, Rodney Stuckey Interested In New Deal

March 13th, 2015 at 9:27am CST by Chuck Myron

Pacers coach Frank Vogel said Thursday that the team’s plan all along has been to keep Rodney Stuckey for the long term, and the 28-year-old combo guard is enthusiastic about returning to Indiana next season, reports Mark Montieth of Pacers.com. Stuckey signed a one-year deal for the minimum salary with the Pacers this past summer.

“I love it here, man,” Stuckey said. “I’m staying in the city, close to everything. I love it here. My family loves it here. I love the people in this organization. Definitely, I want to come back. That’s a no-brainer. Having a guy like Paul George here, of course I want to come play with an All-Star. Who doesn’t? Definitely want to be back here.”

The eighth-year veteran started 36 games for the Pacers this season but lately, he’s embraced a sixth-man role as Indiana has won seven in a row. Stuckey is pouring in a career-best 39.8% of his three-point attempts, and his 13.1 points and 26.6 minutes per game are close to his career averages.

Montieth speculates that Stuckey is in line for a raise, but the Pacers only have his Non-Bird rights, meaning they’d have to use another exception or open cap space to pay him more than 120% of the minimum salary he’s making this season. Indiana has only about $36MM in guaranteed salary on the books against a projected $68MM salary cap for next season, but that figure for the Pacers doesn’t include a total of more than $28MM in player options for Roy Hibbert and David West. If they opt in, it’ll be difficult for the Pacers to dip below the cap, so it would seem the biannual and mid-level exceptions are the team’s likeliest avenues for giving Stuckey a significant raise.

Stuckey is in his first pro season away from the Pistons, who drafted him 15th overall in 2007, but he harbors resentment about his parting from the team, as Montieth details. Stuckey believes someone in the Pistons organization was spreading the idea that he was a poor teammate, had character problems and wouldn’t be a fit on a winning team, according to Montieth. No team offered him more than the minimum last summer, Montieth writes, linking the dearth of more lucrative offers to the defamation that Stuckey alleges.

“It’s just unfortunate,” Stuckey said. “I’m not going to say names, but I know who it was. It’s just unfortunate for that person to throw me under the bus.”

Central Notes: Sanders, J.R. Smith, Pistons

March 13th, 2015 at 8:59am CST by Chuck Myron

Kyrie Irving exploded for 57 points in an overtime win for the Cavs against the Spurs on Thursday. Even before that, it was clear that Irving has maintained his value as the talent around him has improved, as Bradford Doolittle of ESPN.com wrote in an insider-only piece before Thursday’s game. Cleveland signed Irving to a five-year maximum-salary extension this past summer. Here’s more from the Central Division:

There’s been a ton of conflicting information about the precise amount of Larry Sanders‘ buyout and whether the Bucks used the stretch provision, but Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders confirms that Milwaukee indeed spread the remainder of his deal over seven years (Twitter link). The Bucks will pay him $1,865,546 a year from 2015/16 all the way through 2021/22, which jibes with what Gery Woelfel of The Journal Times reported last week when he said Sanders would receive approximately $1.9MM. That means the Bucks have only about $2.266MM on the books for 2016/17, vaulting them into third place for the most cap flexibility for the summer of 2016, when the cap is set to spike to about $90MM. Sanders is getting $9,005,882 this season, as Pincus shows on the Basketball Insiders Bucks salary page. So, he gave up precisely $21,935,296 of his $44MM contract.
J.R. Smith has a player option worth nearly $6.4MM for next season, and while he hasn’t decided on whether to exercise that, he seems to want a long-term future with the Cavs, as Joe Vardon of the Northeast Ohio Media Group details. “I am enjoying myself more here than anywhere I’ve been,” Smith said. “I want to be here, hopefully we can have the same team next year if everything goes well.”
Pistons owner Tom Gores isn’t dismayed even as his team once more slips from playoff contention, as MLive’s David Mayo relays. “The thing is, Stan [Van Gundy] has a plan,” Gores said. “The guys we lost at the All-Star break, it was hard to lose them. They were part of the culture. But we’re trying to build for the future now and we believe in everything that’s going on.”
K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune delves into Tom Thibodeau‘s relationship with Bulls management, among other Bulls-related issues, in a mailbag column.

Eastern Notes: Knicks, Jackson, Robinson III

March 12th, 2015 at 9:30pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Even though the Pistons have dropped eight of the nine games that they have played since acquiring Reggie Jackson, the point guard is optimistic about the team’s future and loves the young talent that’s around him, Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders writes. Jackson is also a fan of playing for coach/executive Stan Van Gundy, Kennedy adds. “Playing for Stan has been a change,” Jackson said in an interview with Pistons.com (video link). “He’s a great basketball mind, he sees a lot of what’s going on in the game and how to take advantage of things. He knows what it takes to get everyone involved and going, and we constantly talk about what we see on the court. I think he can only help my game expand that much further and help me on this journey to be one of the best point guards ever.”

Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:

Given the advancing age of Carmelo Anthony and a lottery pick not being guaranteed to turn into a star player, Knicks president Phil Jackson would be wise to try and deal away the team’s first-rounder this year for an established star, Howard Beck of Bleacher Report writes.
An Eastern Conference scout gave Beck another reason the Knicks should consider dealing their first round pick — the lack of a true superstar player in this draft. “I’m not sure either guy [Jahlil Okafor or Karl-Anthony Towns] is a franchise player,” the scout said. “Is it LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant, Tim Duncan? I’m not sure about that. But they should be very good players. The downside would be above-average starters, just based on [their] talent. And they’re only 19. You’d think they’re going to get better.“
The Sixers are in no hurry to play Glenn Robinson III, whom they claimed off of waivers from the Wolves last week, Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer writes. “I got a gut feel to what we are going to do,” coach Brett Brown said, “and I don’t see Glenn being a part of it tomorrow. As I said right when we got him, my plan is to get him a little bit more comfortable. I don’t feel the need [to play him], because I do have an abundance of wings.”

Stan Van Gundy Hints At Interest In Green

March 12th, 2015 at 2:34pm CST by Chuck Myron

Stan Van Gundy appeared careful to say that he simply liked the type of player that Draymond Green is when he spoke with reporters before Wednesday’s Pistons-Warriors game, but it’s clear that Van Gundy would like to have Green on his team, writes Jimmy Durkin of the Bay Area News Group. The native of Saginaw, Michigan, has “significant interest” in signing an offer sheet with the Pistons this summer, as Adrian Wojnarowski reported last month, though Green downplayed the notion Wednesday, as Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press relays.

“Everybody needs that kind of guy,” Van Gundy said in response to a question about whether the Pistons need a tough guy like Green. “Yeah, absolutely. Everybody needs those guys.”

“When you’re talking about a tough guy who can also shoot the ball, there’s your ideal,” Van Gundy also said.

It would be no surprise if the Pistons indeed have at least some level of interest in the former Michigan State standout who’s having a breakthrough season in his third NBA campaign. He’s on a minimum-salary contract, but he’s in line for a significant raise. The Warriors have more than $77.5MM in guaranteed salary against a projected $81MM tax line for next season, yet Golden State has given every indication it will match any offer for Green, as Tim Kawakami of the Bay Area News Group wrote in response to Wojnarowski’s report.

Signing a max offer sheet with another team could allow Green to make more than Klay Thompson without the deal having come directly from the Warriors, who are hesitant about making such an offer, according to Wojnarowski. The Warriors capped Thompson’s starting salary at $15.5MM, the projected maximum at the time, when they signed him to an extension this past fall, but if the max winds up exceeding that amount, Golden State is wary of internal politics coming into play, as Wojnarowski explained. If Green signs a max offer sheet with the Pistons, that would mean Detroit would have set the price point, and it would be easier for Thompson and his supporters to swallow if the Warriors simply matched the offer, Wojnarowski suggested.

The 25-year-old had a forceful response when asked if he longs to return to his home state, as Ellis observes.

“Home is always home,” Green said. “But honestly I don’t really even think about it because trying to win a championship is enough to think about on a daily basis. … So I don’t have time to sit and think, ‘Man, it would be great for me to go back home and play in Detroit, play in my home state.’ I don’t have time for that because I got one goal and that’s to try to win a championship with the team that I’m on.”

The Pistons have less than $28MM committed for next season. However, that doesn’t include any money for Reggie Jackson, who’s also set for restricted free agency, nor a contract for Greg Monroe, who will be an unrestricted free agent.

And-Ones: NBPA, Smith, Orton

March 11th, 2015 at 10:29pm CST by Eddie Scarito

With the NBPA voting against the league’s cap smoothing proposal the salary cap is expected to increase significantly for the 2016/17 season, Sean Deveney of The Sporting News writes. The owners had hoped smoothing would appeal to the players because it would allow a bigger portion of the new television money to be spread to a wider group of players, Deveney notes. But now there will be nothing preventing the owners from using all the extra space next summer, which won’t benefit players becoming free agents in 2017 and beyond as much as the NBPA expects, Deveney adds.

A source with knowledge of the thinking of NBPA head Michele Roberts told Deveney, “The union should not have to police how much the owners spend. That’s not the job of the union. All of the caps that are on salaries now, the max deals and the shorter lengths and all of that, it’s all stuff that has been done to protect owners from themselves. Michele has been pretty strong on saying, hey, it’s not the job of the players to protect owners from other owners. Why should that fall on the players?”

Here’s more from around the league:

Thunder GM Sam Presti said it was ludicrous to think that the team would consider trading Kevin Durant, Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman tweets. It was posited earlier by ESPN’s Tom Penn that OKC would likely trade Durant next season rather than risk losing him in free agency for nothing.
J.R. Smith is happy be a member of the Cavaliers and playing alongside his friend LeBron James, and the guard has indicated that he’d like to remain in Cleveland past this season, Joe Vardon of The Northeast Ohio Media Group writes. Smith, who has a player option for 2015/16 worth $6,399,750, could be leaning toward opting in for next season with an eye on a larger contract come 2016 when the salary cap is expected to increase significantly, Vardon adds.
The NBA is projecting that the 2016/17 salary cap will be set at $78MM, a figure that many cap analysts believe is a very conservative estimate, Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders tweets.
The Grand Rapids Drive, the Pistons‘ D-League affiliate, have acquired center Daniel Orton, Keith Langlois of NBA.com reports (Twitter link). Orton appeared in 22 games for the Sixers last season and averaged 3.0 points and 2.8 rebounds in 11.4 minutes per contest. The big man was in training camp with the Wizards this season.
Wesley Matthews underwent successful surgery today to repair his torn Achilles, the Trail Blazers announced.

And-Ones: Franklin, Draft, Matthews

March 10th, 2015 at 10:38pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Based strictly on his skills on offense, Jahlil Okafor is likely to be the No. 1 overall pick in June’s NBA draft, Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com writes. The Duke freshman doesn’t project as a good enough defender to become an impact pro on both sides of the ball, and he isn’t a good enough athlete to have an extremely high ceiling, Howard-Cooper adds. “His offensive ability on the box,” one NBA executive said of the draft appeal of Okafor. “I’m not a huge Okafor guy. But I think the general consensus is that he’s the best player in college basketball.” Both ESPN and DraftExpress have Okafor projected to be the first player selected in this year’s draft.

Here’s more from around the league:

Jamaal Franklin, who currently plays for the Los Angeles D-Fenders, the Lakers’ D-League affiliate, is likely to receive an NBA callup soon, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reports (Twitter link). Franklin appeared in 21 games for the Grizzlies last season, averaging 1.9 points in 7.7 minutes per game.
Karl-Anthony Towns has overtaken Okafor for the top spot in Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com‘s (Insider subscription required) latest mock draft.
Pistons coach/executive Stan Van Gundy said that he likes Quincy Miller, who is inked to a 10-day pact, and the team is considering signing him for the remainder of the season, Vincent Ellis of The Detroit Free Press tweets.
Wesley Matthews is scheduled to undergo surgery to repair his torn left Achilles on Wednesday, the Blazers announced. Matthews, who is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, is out for the season courtesy of the injury.

Central Notes: Pistons, Varejao, Butler

March 10th, 2015 at 9:55pm CST by Eddie Scarito

While the Pistons have had to adjust their playing style a number of times this season due to trades and injuries, the one constant has been the team’s focus on the defensive end, David Mayo of MLive.com writes. But it’s Detroit’s defense that has been letting the team down during its current six game losing streak, Mayo adds. The lack of stops, turnovers, and rebounds have led to a dearth of fast break chances, which is hampering the Pistons on the offensive end, Mayo notes.

Here’s more from the Central Division:

Jimmy Butler is one of the biggest breakout success stories of the NBA season, and it’s a testament to the swingman’s work ethic that he is in line for a big payday when he hits restricted free agency this summer, Ben Golliver of SI.com writes. The Bulls have indicated that they plan to match any offer sheets that Butler receives this offseason.
Cavs coach David Blatt confirmed that center Anderson Varejao is out for the remainder of the season and the playoffs, but he added that the team is very pleased with Varejao’s rehab progress, Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com tweets. Varejao tore his left Achilles tendon back in December.
Derrick Rose‘s quiet demeanor isn’t helping him with Bulls fans, who have grown wary of the star point guard due to his numerous injuries, David Haugh of The Chicago Tribune writes. Though Rose recently sounded optimistic about playing again this season, Chicago fans need a bolder statement regarding his return to action from the player instead of his seeming nonchalance about the matter, Haugh opines.

Eastern Notes: Whiteside, Wizards, Teague

March 10th, 2015 at 7:57pm CST by Eddie Scarito

There is growing concern within the Heat organization about center Hassan Whiteside‘s maturity and self-control, Jason Lieser of The Palm Beach Post writes. Whiteside was ejected from Monday night’s game, which was the second time in the last five games the big man was tossed from a contest, and it resulted in a one game suspension. When asked if he was disappointed in Whiteside, Dwyane Wade said, “Very. We all are. As a Heat fan you are. In this locker room we are. Everybody. He’s gonna have to learn and he’s gonna learn the hard way. He’s doing it his own way. Hopefully he changes his mentality pretty quick. Players gotta understand how important they are to an organization and continue to understand that moment when you finally got that call-up, how you felt. You would’ve done anything to get that, just to be here. Sometimes you start feeling yourself a little too much. A lot of us are guilty of that. You’ve gotta humble yourself. Hopefully Hassan gets it.”

Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:

With Garrett Temple expected to miss at least a week due to a hamstring injury, the Wizards are likely to fill their final roster spot, Jorge Castillo of The Washington Post tweets. The team is currently weighing its options on available players, but no signing appears imminent, Castillo adds.
Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer was the driving force behind Atlanta matching the four-year, $32MM offer sheet that the Bucks had signed Jeff Teague to back in 2013, Lee Jenkins of SI.com writes. Teague is certainly rewarding his coach’s faith this season, averaging 16.8 points and 7.2 assists in 31.2 minutes per contest.
The trade for Reggie Jackson cost the Pistons two starting players, but the long-term benefits of the trade should outweigh the short-term setback, Keith Langlois of NBA.com writes. “It’s not like we didn’t think about [the present] this year,” Detroit coach/executive Stan Van Gundy said. “We knew as far as for this year that it was a gamble. Just because of continuity, we would’ve been better off not making moves. We knew that. We thought we could make those moves and still stay right in the playoff race and we were willing to take that gamble because of what we thought it did for the future.“

Eastern Notes: Jennings, Knicks, Antetokounmpo

March 8th, 2015 at 7:56pm CST by Zachary Links

Pistons guard Brandon Jennings says he’s three weeks ahead of his recovery schedule and expects to be able to walk without a boot in two weeks, David Mayo of MLive.com tweets. Jennings suffered a torn Achilles tendon in January and will miss the remainder of the season. Jennings is set to earn ~$8.34MM in 2015/16 before hitting the open market. More from the East..

Knicks coach Derek Fisher says the team is considering filling their open roster spot with unsigned second-round pick Thanasis Antetokounmpo, Marc Berman of the New York Post writes. The shooting guard is playing for the Westchester Knicks of the D-League after declining a deal from an Italian team. Fisher hinted that he’d like to see the roster spot filled, but said that it’s a decision that’s up to front office brass.
Keith Schlosser of SNY.tv is worried that Knicks president Phil Jackson won’t be able to add talent to his roster this summer. The Knicks have a good deal of flexibility, but top free agents Marc Gasol and Goran Dragic appear to be unlikely options at this point. LaMarcus Aldridge is a possibility, but how likely such a union is remains to be seen.
Since being traded to the Celtics in February, Isaiah Thomas has averaged 8.7 points scored in the fourth quarter and has taken on the role of a go-to guy, A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com writes.
Khris Middleton, a pending restricted free agent, is going to see a healthy payday this summer, Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders tweets. The 23-year-old (24 in August) is averaging 12.4 PPG and 4.6 RPG in 28.2 minutes per contest for the Bucks this season.