Detroit Pistons Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Central Notes: Love, George, Sanders, Jackson

March 7th, 2015 at 6:48pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Cavaliers‘ Kevin Love is shooting a higher rate of threes lately, but he doesn’t take kindly to the label of stretch-four, according to Chris Haynes of the Northeast Ohio Media Group. Love didn’t have any post-up opportunities in the game, and 10 of his 11 shot attempts were from three-point range. “I heard some people calling me that but I know I’m not a stretch-four,” Love said. “I’m a post player who can shoot. Right now I’m just doing what I’m called to do. For good, bad or indifferent, I’m playing my role and doing what’s asked of me.” With Love entering free agency this offseason, any hint of unhappiness has to cause concern in Cleveland.

There’s more from the Central Division:

Many in Indiana are hoping Paul George can return to help the Pacers‘ playoff charge, but Candace Buckner of The Indianapolis Star tweets that coach Frank Vogel isn’t thinking that way. “Honestly, we’re not even thinking about Paul George,” Vogel said of his star, who hasn’t played since breaking his leg during an exhibition game with Team USA last summer. “Our whole approach has been he’s not going to play for us this year,” Vogel added, “even right now we’re just trying to become the best possible team without him.” (Twitter link). At 27-34, the Pacers are tied with the Heat for the final playoff spot entering Saturday’s action.
The Bucks plan to stretch Larry Sanders‘ contract over the full allotment of years, reports Gery Woelfel of The Journal Times. That means Milwaukee can pay its departed center $1.9MM a year over the next seven years, affecting the team’s salary cap through the 2021/22 season. Sanders, who was in the middle of a four-year, $44MM deal, was waived Feb. 21.
The Pistons have long-term plans for Reggie Jackson, according to Brendan Savage of MLive.com. Jackson came to Detroit in a deadline-day trade from the Thunder in exchange for Kyle Singler and D.J. Augustin. Team president and coach Stan Van Gundy plans to sign the free-agent-to-be to a lengthy contract this summer. “We’re committed to him,” Van Gundy said. “It’s a long-term thing. This isn’t a tryout.”

Western Notes: Ellis, Smith, Lee

March 7th, 2015 at 5:25pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Monta Ellis has no regrets about his relationship with the Warriors, the team he spent his first seven seasons with, Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com writes. “I don’t live in the past,” the Mavs guard said. “I mean, the situation was best for both of us. Me being in Dallas is a great situation for me. Them going with him to be with the face of the team and franchise worked out good for them. And it’s working out good for me. I don’t live in the past. I always go ahead.” There is some belief that Ellis will reportedly opt-out of the third year of his team-friendly deal given his level of play this season.

Here’s more from the Western Conference:

Josh Smith insisted he has moved on from his tenure with the Pistons before he had eight points and seven rebounds for the Rockets Friday night in his second game facing the team that released him, Brendan Savage of MLive writes. “It’s water under the bridge,” Smith said. The veteran forward who’ll be a free agent this summer, signed a one-year deal with the Rockets after the Pistons surprisingly waived him.
Pistons coach/executive Stan Van Gundy has been impressed with how well Smith has played with the Rockets, Jenny Dial Creech of the Houston Chronicle writes. Smith is hitting 44.1% of his shots since arriving in Houston, compared to the 39.1% he logged this season in Detroit. “I think when they moved him to the bench, he has played very well in that role for them,” Van Gundy said. “Coming off the bench, he is helping them offensively and rebounding the ball. His shooting percentage has gone up.”
It’s been easy for David Lee to accept his role as a reserve because the Warriors are winning and his replacement Draymond Green is playing well, writes Joel Brigham of Basketball Insiders. “It’s not frustrating at all. It’s just a role change,” said Lee, who missed 24 of the Warriors’ first 25 games due to injury. “If we were losing a bunch of games I probably would be saying to Coach [Steve Kerr], ‘Hey maybe we should try something different.’ But the way we are playing as a group and the way Draymond is specifically playing, this is the way it’s supposed to be right now.”

Will Joseph contributed to this post.

Southwest Notes: Rondo, Smith, White

March 7th, 2015 at 8:59am CST by Eddie Scarito

The Rajon Rondo–Mavericks relationship isn’t working and the poor fit is responsible for tension, opines Amin Elhassan of ESPN.com (Insider subscription required). Before acquiring Rondo, Dallas’ offense was scoring almost 114 points per 100 possessions, because it operated with plenty of ball and player movement where a system created shots for players, Elhassan added. Since January 1st, however, Dallas has allowed 102 points per 100 possessions defensively, while the offense has scored 103 points per 100 possessions, Elhassan notes. Dallas acquired Rondo on December 18th.

Here’s more from the Southwest Division:

Houston legend Hakeem OIajuwon was surprised to see Josh Smith get released by the Pistons, but he’s very glad to see him with the Rockets and he believes that Smith came to the right team, according to Mark Berman of FOX 26 (via Twitter links).
Former Rockets first-round pick Royce White took to Twitter recently to make it known that he is not through playing basketball. White has been out of the NBA since he went through a pair of 10-day deals with the Kings in 2013/14.
The Grand Rapids Drive, the Pistons’ affiliate, has acquired the rights to Nate Wolters via the D-League’s waiver process, but the team may decide to trade him, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reports (Twitter link). Wolters makes his return to the D-League after the Pelicans declined to sign him for the remainder of the season after Wolters’ second 10-day contract ended.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Central Notes: Carter-Williams, Jackson, Monroe

March 6th, 2015 at 6:00pm CST by Zachary Links

Greg Monroe is expected to garner max salary contract offers this summer when he becomes an unrestricted free agent, but that doesn’t mean the Pistons‘ big man will ink a long-term deal David Mayo of MLive.com writes. With the salary cap expected to jump significantly in 2016, courtesy of the league’s new television deal, Monroe could elect to sign a deal with an opt-out clause for the second year, which would allow him to sign a much more lucrative deal, Mayo notes.

Here’s more from the Central Division:

David Thorpe of ESPN.com (Insider subscription required) wonders if newly-acquired Bucks guard Michael Carter-Williams has enough upside to turn into a guard similar to his head coach Jason Kidd. Like Kidd, MCW brings a lot to the table, but leaves a lot to be desired when it comes to his shooting. Kidd didn’t have much of a jumper to start his career, but he went on to have 12 seasons of shooting 34% or better from downtown. The Sixers, he writes, clearly didn’t see Carter-Williams figuring out his shot.
While Pistons coach/exec Stan Van Gundy is certain that having Reggie Jackson for the long haul makes his team better, he’s also optimistic that the February deal will pay dividends in the short term, Keith Langlois of NBA.com writes. SVG also explained that even though he was high on Jackson, he was prepared to walk away if the bidding got out of hand. “We were aware of (other teams involved), but it didn’t matter to us. We knew what our interest was in him. That’s what mattered. And we knew what the parameters of a deal would be,” Van Gundy explained. “As much as we liked him, we weren’t going to give up a first-round pick – that was our sticking point. As much as we liked him, we wouldn’t have done that.”
The Bucks‘ playoff hopes are in jeopardy after their deadline shakeup, Charles F. Gardner of the Journal-Sentinel writes. Milwaukee went 0-4 on their West Coast trip and they’ll try to get back in the win column against the Wizards on Saturday night.

Eddie Scarito contributed to this post.

Kyler’s Latest: Love, Monroe, Gasol, Leonard

March 3rd, 2015 at 10:58am CST by Chuck Myron

The trade deadline is in the past and the focus is shifting to the draft and this year’s class of free agents. Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders takes a broad look at free agency for the summer ahead, passing along a number of noteworthy tidbits from his conversations around the league. His entire NBA AM piece is worth a read as he examines the outlook for several teams, and we’ll hit the highlights here:

The Celtics are planning to target marquee free agents this summer, with Kevin Love atop their list, followed by Greg Monroe, Kyler writes. Marc Gasol and restricted free agents Kawhi Leonard and Jimmy Butler are others in Boston’s sights, sources tell Kyler. It appears the Celtics will look to re-sign Brandon Bass to a salary lower than the $6.9MM he’s making this season, Kyler suggests, also indicating a likelihood that the Celtics renounce Jonas Jerebko‘s rights. That wouldn’t preclude a new deal with Jerebko, something that Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald reported earlier that the Celtics would like, though it does indicate that the C’s aim to open cap space. That’s a path of questionable merit, as I examined.
There’s a “sense” that the Sixers will make a play for Monroe, too, as well as Butler, Tobias Harris and Reggie Jackson, according to Kyler.
Monroe, Love and Rajon Rondo are at least willing to meet with the Lakers this summer, Kyler hears, though Gasol and LaMarcus Aldridge are long shots for the team, the Basketball Insiders scribe cautions. Still, chatter is connecting the Lakers to just about every would-be free agent, including Jackson and Brandon Knight.
It’s unlikely that Rondo gets a full maximum-salary deal in free agency this summer, league sources tell Kyler, who surmises that teams would float short-term max offers instead. A full max from the Mavs would entail a five-year deal with 7.5% raises, while other teams can offer four years and 4.5% raises.
Sources also tell Kyler that they believe Monta Ellis will opt out this summer, which is no surprise given his level of play and the $8.72MM value of his player option.
Kyler also gets the sense that Paul Millsap is content with the Hawks and would like to stay for the long term, though it appears Atlanta is eyeing an upgrade at DeMarre Carroll‘s small forward position.
The Spurs will make Gasol their top free agent priority this summer, Kyler writes, though the team will have trouble signing him if Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili return at salaries comparable to the ones they’re making. In any case, San Antonio was believed to be the team with the most interest in Monroe last summer, Kyler adds.

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.