Detroit Pistons Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Pistons Acquire Reggie Jackson

February 19th, 2015 at 7:13pm CST by Chuck Myron

7:13pm: The release on the Thunder’s website indicates that the Thunder received Detroit’s unprotected 2019 second-round pick, too.

6:34pm: The Jazz have formally announced that the deal is official. The Pistons and Thunder have also confirmed the trade in press releases. Utah has acquired Jerrett, the rights to Pleiss, Perkins, and a future first-round pick from Oklahoma City, as well as a 2017 second-round pick from the Pistons. The Thunder will receive Kanter and Novak from Utah, and Augustin and Singler from the Pistons, while Detroit garners Jackson.

4:06pm: The Jazz are getting Jerrett, a protected first-round pick from the Thunder and a second-rounder from the Pistons in addition to Kanter and the rights to Pleiss, reports Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

3:49pm: Several picks are changing hands in the deal as well, according to Ken Berger of CBSSports.com, suggesting that a significant chunk of the draft considerations are heading Utah’s way (Twitter link).

3:33pm: The Thunder dealt for Kanter with the intention of re-signing him this summer, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.

3:25pm: Grant Jerrett is headed out in the deal, too, according to Mayberry, though he doesn’t specify which team he’s going to (Twitter link). The Thunder are expected to waive Ish Smith to accommodate all the moves, Mayberry adds.

2:49pm: The Thunder will send the draft rights to center Tibor Pleiss to the Jazz, according to Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman (on Twitter).

2:44pm: Guard D.J. Augustin is headed from the Pistons to OKC in the deal, according to Wojnarowski (on Twitter). The former No. 9 overall pick averaged 10.6 PPG and 4.98 APG in 23.8 minutes per game for the Pistons this season.

2:15pm: Steve Novak is heading from the Jazz to the Thunder in the deal, according to David Aldridge of NBA.com (on Twitter). Jody Genessy of The Deseret News (on Twitter) first reported that Novak would be included in the three-way swap.

1:56pm: It’s now a three-way deal, according to Wojnarowski (via Twitter links). The Jazz will send Enes Kanter to OKC, the Thunder will ship Kendrick Perkins to Utah, and Detroit will send Kyle Singler to OKC.

Talks with the Jazz about Kanter picked up today as OKC weighed the pros and cons of the Nets’ Brook Lopez/Jackson proposal. For his part, Kanter made it clear last week that he’s frustrated with his role and wants a trade. In 49 games this season, Kanter has averaged 13.8 PPG and 7.8 RPG – both career-highs, in 27.1 minutes per contest. For his career, the former No. 3 overall pick has put up 9.3 PPG and 5.9 RPG across four seasons in Utah.

Perkins, 30, is now slated to join the third franchise in his NBA career. The big man has been playing mostly in a reserve role this season, averaging 4.0 PPG and 5.5 RPG in 19.2 minutes per contest. In total, Perkins has put up 5.6 PPG and 6.0 RPG over the course of 12 seasons with the Celtics and Thunder.

1:50pm: The Thunder have traded Jackson to the Pistons, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter).

1:34pm: The Pistons are making a strong run at Reggie Jackson, a league source tells Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link). Jackson appeared to be Brooklyn-bound earlier today, but it’s not clear if that deal will be consummated.

The Thunder and the Nets were discussing the framework of a deal that would involve Brook Lopez going to OKC and Jackson going to Brooklyn. However, the Thunder pumped the breaks a bit on the talks when they started looking at a deal with another team. Given that Detroit is enthusiastic about landing Jackson, the PIstons might be the party putting a spoke in that wheel.

Jackson’s agent, Aaron Mintz, recently requested that the Thunder trade his client, who’s due for restricted free agency this summer. The Kings, Bucks, Heat, Pacers, Rockets and Nuggets also registered their interest in Jackson, while there are conflicting reports about whether the Celtics are pursuing him.

The 24-year-old turned down an extension offer in the neighborhood of four years and $48MM this past fall, according to USA Today’s Sam Amick (Twitter link). That was around the time teams around the league thought he’d end up commanding $13-14MM a year this summer, as Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reported at the time.

Nets, Thunder Close To Lopez, Jackson Deal

February 19th, 2015 at 1:21pm CST by Chuck Myron

1:21pm: Stan Van Gundy says the Pistons aren’t moving on Jarrett Jack or Heat guard Norris Cole today, according to David Mayo of MLive.com (on Twitter).

1:01pm: The Thunder are looking at a deal with another team, according to Wojnarowski, who indicates that’s the holdup on the Jackson-Lopez front (on Twitter).

12:47pm: Garnett’s decision regarding his no-trade clause won’t affect the Lopez-Jackson deal, sources tell Chris Mannix of SI.com (Twitter link). The Nets are ready to make it happen and are waiting on the Thunder, Mannix says. That would seem to suggest a two-teamer is most likely, but that’s just my speculation.

12:24pm: Jackson is enthusiastic about a potential deal to the Nets, league sources tell Wojnarowski, who hints that Brooklyn’s apparent willingness to unload Jack and sign Jackson to a lucrative deal this summer are major components to that. Jackson is indeed willing to sign long-term in Brooklyn, according to Chris Mannix of SI.com (on Twitter), and that was key to Brooklyn’s pursuit of the would-be trade, as Wojnarowski reported earlier (below). Both Wojnarowski, in his full piece, and Sam Amick of USA Today (Twitter link) have the would-be two-teamer as Lopez to the Thunder for Perkins and Jones, though Wojnarowski says a broader structure of the deal involving other teams remains in play.

12:08pm: The Pistons are a possible landing spot for Jack, sources tell Windhorst (Twitter link). It’s unclear if Detroit would be a part of the Lopez-Jackson deal.

11:42am: The Nets could send Jack to the Wizards as part of a larger deal, a league source tells Wojnarowski (Twitter link)

11:09am: Jackson’s relationship with his teammates on the Thunder has deteriorated quite a bit, according to Royce Young of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

10:43am: The fate of a Nets-Thunder deal involving Jackson and Lopez rests with the Thunder, and for now it would be just a two team arrangement, reports Howard Beck of Bleacher Report (Twitter link).

10:40am: The Nets are one of multiple options the Thunder are looking at regarding Jackson, but a deal between Brooklyn and Oklahoma City remains close, Broussard tweets.

10:20am: Jackson’s camp believes a deal will likely get done, Amick tweets. The Timberwolves and Sixers could be included, perhaps with the Thaddeus Young-for-Kevin Garnett possibility lumped in, according to Wojnarowski (Twitter link). The Nets are again looking to flip Perkins or have him conveyed elsewhere, Windhorst tweets.

10:15am: A deal is close, but not done, as Marc Stein of ESPN.com hears (Twitter link). The teams are talking about deal that would see Oklahoma City relinquish Jackson, Perry Jones III and Perkins as Nets feel out Jackson’s willingness to re-sign, as Wojnarowski writes in a full story. Brooklyn is prepared to part with Jack, and the team would make Jackson the starter of Deron Williams, Wojnarowski adds. League sources once more tell Wojnarowski that it’s believed Jackson will command between $13MM and $14MM this summer. Oklahoma City and Brooklyn are exploring potential third teams to add to the deal, reports Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

10:04am: Brooklyn “needs to” include Jarrett Jack in any Jackson-Lopez deal, a source tells Ken Berger of CBSSports.com (Twitter link). A deal might involve Perkins and Ish Smith heading Brooklyn’s way in addition to Jackson, tweets Mike Mazzeo of ESPNNewYork.com.

9:49am: The Nets and Thunder are having serious talks about a deal involving Brook Lopez and Reggie Jackson, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link). Wojnarowski reported minutes earlier that there was a decent chance the Nets and Thunder would regather momentum toward a trade involving Lopez if the Nets become convinced they can re-sign Jackson this summer (Twitter link). The Nets and Thunder went deep into discussions on Lopez last month, but those conversations didn’t involve Jackson. The Thunder appear to have been the party with interest in striking up the Lopez talks again while the Nets have seemed hesitant.

Jackson’s agent, Aaron Mintz, recently requested that the Thunder trade his client, who’s due for restricted free agency this summer. The Kings, Bucks, Heat, Pacers, Rockets and Nuggets all appear interested in swapping for Jackson, while there are conflicting reports about whether the Celtics are pursuing him. The 24-year-old turned down an extension offer in the neighborhood of four years and $48MM this past fall, according to USA Today’s Sam Amick (Twitter link). That was around the time teams around the league thought he’d end up commanding $13-14MM a year this summer, as Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reported at the time.

Lopez is due a player option worth more than $16.744MM for next season, though there are conflicting reports about whether he’d pick it up. Talks between the Nets and Thunder would have sent a package including Kendrick Perkins and Jeremy Lamb to Brooklyn, and the Nets had reportedly spoken to the Wolves about Thaddeus Young and had interest in flipping Perkins to Minnesota for him. Still, Brooklyn remained reluctant to do such a deal with Oklahoma City, apparently because it didn’t want to relinquish Lopez in what would amount to a salary dump with a package centering on Perkins, in spite of the Young discussion.

Western Notes: Lin, Green, Rockets

February 19th, 2015 at 1:10pm CST by Zachary Links

Numerous NBA sources outside of Jeremy Lin’s camp and the Lakers are skeptical either party would want a reunion, Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News writes. Still, Lin isn’t really opening up about his future with anyone and he says that he has declined to discuss his impending free agency even with his family and his agent. More from the Western Conference..

Draymond Green is flattered by talk that connects him to his hometown Pistons, but he told KNBR that he’s focused on winning with the Warriors, Jimmy Durkin of the Mercury News writes.
“I know I am a free agent,” Green told Sean Deveney of the Sporting News. “Everyone knows it. But I can honestly say I don’t spend a lot of time thinking about it.” The Warriors standout is averaging 11.1 PPG and 8.3 RPG this season.
The Rockets sent Nick Johnson and Clint Capela to the D-League, according to Mark Berman of FOX 26 (on Twitter). This marks Capela’s fifth trip to the D-League and Johnson’s fourth.
Blazers GM Neil Olshey gave up very little in exchange for a player he knows and likes in Arron Afflalo, John Canzano of The Oregonian writes. Portland, he writes, added offensive punch in the second unit with very little sacrificed.

Thunder, Others Interested In Norris Cole

February 19th, 2015 at 12:11pm CST by Chuck Myron

12:11pm: The Pistons don’t have much interest in Cole, as Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press hears (Twitter link).

11:50am: Cole could be conveyed through the Suns to the Pistons if the Heat convince the Suns to take him on as part of a deal involving Goran Dragic, Wojnarowski tweets.

THURSDAY, 11:22am: The Thunder are a possible suitor for Cole as well, if they deal Reggie Jackson to the Nets, league sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link).

5:31pm: The Pistons are also interested in acquiring Cole, Marc Stein of ESPN.com reports (Twitter link). The Heat are trying to attach Granger to any deal involving Cole, Stein confirms.

WEDNESDAY, 12:25pm: The Wizards have been in pursuit of Norris Cole, but the Heat have set a high asking price, league sources tell Shams Charania of RealGM. The Wizards have been looking for backcourt help, but they’ve appeared more likely to make a free agent signing than a trade. Still, Washington is reportedly willing to give up a first-round pick in a deal.

Miami reportedly tried to attach Danny Granger to Cole when the Pistons recently offered Jonas Jerebko for Cole. Heat team president Pat Riley denied that he proposed a deal that would have sent Cole to the Nets, but trade rumors have continued to swirl, as the Hornets and Bucks appear to have interest in the soon-to-be restricted free agent. Cole switched agencies this past offseason, hiring Cleveland-based Rich Paul, but he hasn’t been linked to the Cavs and former Heat teammate LeBron James.

Cole’s outside shot has been off this season, as I noted when I examined his trade candidacy, and proficient shooting has been an asset the Wizards have targeted. That suggests Washington wouldn’t go too far to satisfy Miami’s demands, though that’s just my speculation. Cole is making $2.038MM this season in the final year of his rookie scale contract.

Pistons Contact Nets About Joe Johnson

February 19th, 2015 at 9:22am CST by Chuck Myron

THURSDAY, 9:22am: The Pistons and Nets have found no traction in the talks, a Nets team source told Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News. Both Bondy and the Windrem, who writes in a full piece, hear there’s “nothing” going on.

WEDNESDAY, 9:55pm: Johnson confirmed that the rumors about the Nets making him available via a trade are true, Tim Bontemps of The New York Post tweets.

5:52pm: A league source has informed Robert Windrem of NetsDaily (Twitter links) that the Nets aren’t seriously considering sending Johnson to Detroit. If the Nets wished to simply dump Johnson’s salary, they could have done so back in January, Windrem adds.

4:19pm: Detroit offered the Nets a package consisting of Brandon Jennings and a number of expiring contracts for Johnson, Youngmisuk reports (Twitter link). Jennings is out for the remainder of the season after suffering a torn Achilles tendon.

TUESDAY, 3:15pm: The Pistons have engaged the Nets to ask about trading for Joe Johnson, league sources tell Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPNNewYork.com (Twitter link). The Nets have at the very least been willing to trade Johnson since December, and some reports indicated that they were actively seeking to move him. It’s unclear just how motivated the Pistons are to make a deal, which would require the team to give up a boatload of assets to match Johnson’s $23.181MM salary.

Charlotte has heretofore been most prominently linked to Johnson, with talks that reportedly date back to January, when Brooklyn was discussing a three-way deal with the Hornets and Oklahoma City that involved Brook Lopez. Lance Stephenson was the centerpiece of the proposal that would have sent Johnson to Charlotte, but the Nets apparently aren’t interested in Stephenson at this point. The Nets seem disinclined to make a deal unless it helps them win this year, tweets Tim Bontemps of the New York Post.

Pistons coach/executive Stan Van Gundy has shown little hesitation to make bold moves, as his release of Josh Smith in December demonstrated. Johnson isn’t the superstar his salary suggests, but he’s a productive player and Brooklyn’s leading scorer at 15.5 points per game. He makes nearly $24.895MM next season, but his contract comes off the books after that, in advance of the much anticipated summer of 2016 when the salary cap is set to spike upward to around $90MM.

Eastern Notes: Ross, Blatt, Pistons

February 18th, 2015 at 10:21pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Terrence Ross is unlikely to be dealt by the Raptors before Thursday’s trade deadline, Michael Grange of SportsNet reports. Raptors GM Masai Ujiri tells Grange that it’s too early to give up on Ross, even though Ross’ playing time has dropped from 31.1 minutes in December to 20.9 in January and 22.0 for February. “I would be shocked if we did something with Terrence,” Ujiri said to Grange. “Trust me. I can’t tell you more how I totally don’t think that would happen before Thursday.” Ross has been rumored to be part of a package that could deliver a quality big man such as the Pacers‘ David West.

In other news around the Eastern Conference:

David Blatt’s job security is on firmer ground because LeBron James has gained respect for him, Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today reports. James, who did not give Blatt ringing endorsements earlier in the season, called him “great” and added that Blatt has handled his first season as the Cavs coach “extremely well so far, and I’m happy to be playing for him.“
The Cavs have recalled Joe Harris from the Canton Charge, their D-League affiliate, the team has announced. Harris has played in seven games for Canton this season, averaging 17.0 points, 5.4 rebounds and 3.3 assists in 32.3 minutes per contest.
Pistons president of basketball operations Stan Van Gundy says that things are quiet on the trade front for Detroit, and that it was doubtful the team would make a move prior to the trade deadline, Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press tweets.
Free agent Jamaal Tinsley has turned down 10-day contract offers from the Pistons, Hornets, and Wolves, David Pick of Eurobasket.com reports (Twitter link). Tinsley appeared in eight games for the Jazz last season.
Sixers coach Brett Brown said the team will get another point guard in time for its next game, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets. Pompey did not elaborate on whether that would occur by trade or free agent signing.
Suspended Sixers forward Andrei Kirilenko is a likely buyout candidate, Mike Mazzeo of ESPN.com tweets. Philadelphia would prefer to trade him for assets but it’s expected that won’t happen and the team will wind up buying Kirilenko out, Mazzeo adds.
Brandon Bass made it clear that he has no interest in a buyout, as Jay King of MassLive relays (Twitter link). Bleacher Report’s Howard Beck identified him as a likely buyout candidate last week.

Eddie Scarito and Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Draymond Green Interested In Pistons

February 17th, 2015 at 3:46pm CST by Chuck Myron

3:46pm: Warriors executives have given every indication that they’ll match any offer for Green, according to Tim Kawakami of the Bay Area News Group (Twitter link).

2:34pm: Saginaw, Michigan native Draymond Green has “significant interest” in signing an offer sheet with the Pistons this summer, when he’s set for restricted free agency, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Green loves playing with the Warriors, Wojnarowski cautions, adding that Golden State is intent on keeping him, which jibes with recent statements from Warriors co-owner Joe Lacob. Lacob also signaled a willingness to pay the tax, but Wojnarowski says that for the team to retain Green, “they’ll have to” move David Lee, a point seemingly based on the idea that the Warriors won’t be taxpayers.

Team politics at play are liable to prompt Green to sign an offer sheet with the Pistons rather than an outright deal with the Warriors, even if the Warriors plan to match, as Wojnarowski explains. The Warriors are hesitant to pay Green more than Klay Thompson will make next season, Wojnarowski writes. Thompson won’t earn more than $15.5MM, the projected 2015/16 maximum salary for a player of his experience at the time when Thompson signed his extension in the fall. If the max salary exceeds that amount, the Pistons or another team could float Green an offer sheet that would give him more than Thompson will make.

It would be easier for the Warriors to match an offer sheet for that kind of money than to come to Green directly with a deal that would give him more than the All-Star shooting guard, according to Wojnarowski. Green, who played at Michigan State, still spends much of his off-time in Michigan, but for the Pistons to have a legitimate shot at him, they’ll need to make an offer at or near the max, Wojnarowski writes.

The Warriors don’t want to deal Lee at the deadline and upset their chemistry, though there are teams with interest in acquiring Lee if he were attached to other assets, likely draft picks, Wojnarowski hears. The big man is set to make nearly $15.494MM next season, with the Warriors already at more than $77.5MM in commitments for next season. The luxury tax line is projected to come in at around $81MM, which means Golden State would likely go deep into the tax if it retained Green and Lee and didn’t make other significant changes.

Josh Harrellson To Play In Puerto Rico

February 14th, 2015 at 3:33pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Three-year NBA veteran Josh Harrellson has signed a deal to play in Puerto Rico with Brujos de Guayama, Emiliano Carchia of Sportando reports (Twitter link). Harrellson had played briefly in China for the Chongqing Flying Dragons earlier this season, but he was released back in December.

The 25-year-old Harrellson didn’t generate much interest around the NBA after the Pistons had waived him last July in order to avoid guaranteeing his minimum salary for the 2014/15 season. The big man has also played for the Knicks and the Heat since being selected with the No. 45 overall pick in the 2011 NBA draft.

In 75 career NBA games the 6’10” forward has averaged 3.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 0.5 blocks per contest. His career slash line is .438/.347/.629.

Central Notes: Monroe, LeBron, Haywood, Allen

February 13th, 2015 at 2:29pm CST by Chuck Myron

Stan Van Gundy insists that the Pistons won’t trade Greg Monroe, citing his hope that the big man will re-sign this summer as well as the team’s playoff chase, as Bob Wojnowski of The Detroit News observes. Monroe has a de facto no-trade clause and agent David Falk has said he doesn’t want to be dealt.

“It’s not gonna happen,” Van Gundy said. “I don’t know where Greg’s head will be in the offseason, but we’re still hopeful of Greg Monroe for the long term. And with him going into free agency, you won’t get a lot, maybe a pick. I’m not gonna walk in that locker room and give up a piece like that and then tell the guys we’re trying to make the playoffs. They deserve the chance to ride this out. You never say never to anything, but I can tell you about 99.9%, Greg Monroe’s not going anywhere.”

The Lakers reportedly asked the Pistons about Monroe earlier this month, but it seems like their chance to nab him won’t come until the summer, when he’ll be an unrestricted free agent. There’s more on the Pistons amid the latest from around the Central Division:

Van Gundy also said that he won’t trade a first-round pick but is willing to take on a short-term salary dump from another team, Wojnowski notes in the same piece.
LeBron James expressed fondness for Madison Square Garden today while speaking to reporters for All-Star weekend, as Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com relays (Twitter link). Still, it’d be a stretch to suggest that the Cavs star, who has a player option for next season, has any interest in playing for the Knicks. “If I could have 82 regular season games anywhere they’d be at Madison Square Garden, because it’s the mecca of basketball,” James said.
The Cavs believe Brendan Haywood is “done” as an on-court contributor, as Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal writes in his Final Thoughts column. Of course, Haywood continues to have value thanks to his unique contract, and the Cavs are reportedly shopping him in advance of the deadline.
The Bulls seem like a less likely contender for Ray Allen than they had been, as Sam Smith of Bulls.com opines in his latest mailbag column.

Kings Interested In Jackson, Jerebko, Nuggets

February 13th, 2015 at 10:30am CST by Chuck Myron

The Kings have turned their focus to trades this week now that George Karl has agreed to take over as coach, and they’ve spoken with the Nuggets and held preliminary talks with the Thunder about Reggie Jackson and Pistons about Jonas Jerebko, reports Sean Deveney of The Sporting News. Deveney’s report suggests the Kings and Nuggets have talked about Arron Afflalo and Wilson Chandler, which, in the case of Afflalo, would affirm a report from earlier this week via Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com. Sacramento is shopping Nik Stauskas, Derrick Williams and Jason Thompson, Deveney writes, which jibes with a report from Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders on Williams but changes the narrative on Stauskas and Thompson, whom the team previously seemed only to have made available.

In any case, the Nuggets would like athletic players who fit Karl’s up-tempo style, and have been “as active as anyone” and are “pushing hard” to do a deal, one GM tells Deveney. Specifically, the Kings continue to seek an upgrade at power forward who can shoot from the outside, and they’d also like to add more shooting at other positions, Deveney writes. The Sporting News scribe speculates that the team might have interest in Ersan Ilyasova and suggests the Bucks would like to deal the stretch four, given his deal, which gives him $7.9MM this season, another $7.9MM next year, and is partially guaranteed for $400K the following season.

Denver is reportedly seeking first-round picks for Afflalo and Chandler, though Marc Stein of ESPN.com wrote Thursday that the Nuggets are apparently looking for a better return for Chandler than for Afflalo and that some believe Chandler is one of the few Nuggets the team isn’t shopping. The two have similar salaries for this season and next, but while Afflalo has a player option on his $7.5MM for 2015/16, Chandler’s nearly $7.172MM for next year is only partially guaranteed for $2MM.

Stein’s report also noted that GMs around the league believe Jackson is one of the three biggest names likely to be dealt before the deadline, and the Heat have apparently joined the Knicks among the teams with interest. The Pistons would like to deal Jerebko for a point guard, as Deveney wrote recently, but the Heat’s insistence that Detroit take Danny Granger after the Pistons offered Jerebko for Norris Cole stopped a potential deal there, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.

Stauskas, the eighth overall pick in the 2014 draft, is seeing only 13.6 minutes per game this season behind Ben McLemore, a lottery pick from 2013. Thompson is the incumbent starter at power forward for Sacramento, but he’s struggled to live up to a deal that pays him between $6MM and $7MM each season through 2016/17, when his salary is partially guaranteed for $2.65MM. He doesn’t fit the mold of the stretch four the Kings want, as Deveney points out.