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Western Notes: Lakers, Parsons, Honeycutt

June 29th, 2014 at 8:59am CST by Eddie Scarito

If they are unable to land Carmelo Anthony or LeBron James, the Lakers are also expected to have a strong interest in Wizards free-agent forward Trevor Ariza, Raptors guard Kyle Lowry, Pistons center Greg Monroe, and Suns forward Channing Frye, according to Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com.

Eastern Rumors: Caboclo, Gortat, Bulls

June 28th, 2014 at 9:35pm CST by Cray Allred

With word of Joel Embiid‘s injury putting him on the shelf for longer than previously reported, and Dario Saric’s contract keeping him overseas for at least another year, both the Sixers first round draft picks might not play for Philadelphia in the 2014/15 season. Coach Brett Brown told reporters including Jason Wolf of USA Today Sports that he isn’t disappointed facing another season where the Sixers will likely finish at the bottom of the standings. “It is not even close to being demoralizing,” Brown said. “It just reconfirms in a more profound way that our words about trying to rebuild and being disciplined and patient went to a far greater level last night.” More from the Eastern Conference:

The Raptors had promised Bruno Caboclo that they would draft the off-the-radar Brazilian at No. 37 in December, and chose him with pick No. 20 when they discovered the Jazz and Suns were poised to snatch him before that, reports Ryan Wolstat of The Toronto Sun.
Multiple teams are preparing to make a run at free agent Trevor Ariza, tweets Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders. Kennedy says the small forward’s stock is very high following a strong 2013/14 campaign.
Zach Lowe of Grantland suggests (on Twitter) Marcin Gortat is a player other than Kyle Lowry that could join the Heat if Miami gains cap flexibility.
The Cavs weren’t torn on whether to select Andrew Wiggins or Jabari Parker with the No. 1 pick in the draft, reports Terry Pluto of The Plain Dealer. The actual conflict in Cleveland was whether or not to trade away the pick, writes Pluto.
Pistons president Stan Van Gundy tells Keith Langlois of Pistons.com that Detroit will target around 10 players when free agency begins on July 1, with a priority given to players on the wing, where Van Gundy believes Detroit to be thinnest (Twitter links).
Anthony Randolph was absorbed by the Bulls from their trade with the Nuggets via the trade exception they received from moving Luol Deng earlier this season, tweets Eric Pincus of The Los Angeles Times.
Scottie Pippen is now listed as a special advisor to the Bulls president and COO (H/T Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv). Pippen had previously discussed working for the Knicks with Phil Jackson.

Draft Grades: Central Division

June 27th, 2014 at 11:02pm CST by Eddie Scarito

With the 2014 NBA Draft officially in the books, it’s time to take a look back and see how each team used the draft to make improvements and fill needs. I’ve already ran down the picks for the Atlantic and Pacific Divisions. We’ll continue on with a look at the Central Division:

Chicago Bulls

Team Needs: Scoring, Power Forward, Point Guard

Draft Picks:

No. 11 Doug McDermott (Small Forward)*
No. 49 Cameron Bairstow (Power Forward/Center)

*Pick obtained via trade with Nuggets for the No. 16 & 19 picks, plus a 2015 second rounder.

The Bulls gave up two first rounders to move up and select “McBuckets.” They had need of a scorer — badly, and McDermott certainly fits that bill. Scouts were divided about his potential, as he’s seen as a bit of a tweener, and might not possess enough quickness to be an effective defender, one thing that coach Tom Thibodeau places a high priority on.

The trade also makes their pursuit of Carmelo Anthony a bit more difficult, as the trade added approximately $1MM onto their cap above what they would have spent if they had kept their two picks as they were, thanks to Anthony Randolph‘s inclusion. If the Bulls can get ‘Melo, McDermott also becomes redundant, and would be relegated to the sixth man role, which is one he ultimately might be better suited for long-term anyway.

Bairstow is a tough player with little athleticism. He seems destined to play overseas or in the D-League. I don’t see him ever cracking the Bulls rotation.

Overall Draft Grade: B+ —The Bulls get their desired player, and one who fits their biggest need. I’m not so sure they wouldn’t have been better served keeping picks 16 and 19 and adding more depth. They could have had their choice of Adreian Payne, James Young, Tyler Ennis, Rodney Hood, and Gary Harris. Two of them seem like a better value to me than McDermott.

Cleveland Cavaliers

Team Needs: Talent, Shooting, Perimeter Defense

Draft Picks:

No. 1 Andrew Wiggins (Small Forward/Shooting Guard)
No. 33 Joe Harris (Small Forward)
No 45. Dwight Powell (Power Forward)*

*Obtained via trade with the Hornets.

Despite all the rumblings about them trading down, the Cavs stuck it out and landed the player they wanted all along. Joel Embiid‘s injury might have been a blessing in disguise as it removed much of the temptation to draft him and the injury risk he carries.

Wiggins isn’t as sure a thing as the team would prefer. He has a world of upside and has the physical ability to become a top-10 player in the league. He can play and defend multiple positions and is a decent ballhandler and good passer. Wiggins needs to be more assertive and willing to be the “alpha” on the court. If he doesn’t change his mindset and become more of an attack oriented player, he’ll have a difficult time sharing the floor with Kyrie Irving and Dion Waiters, both of whom are ball stoppers. I do like the pick and he should fit in nicely with what Cleveland is building.

Harris is a decent outside shooter and a strong defender. With Cleveland’s roster he has the chance to see some backup minutes this season, though I see some serious minutes being logged by him in the D-League along the way. Powell is a reach, and a player I don’t see making the roster anytime soon.

Overall Draft Grade: A — It’s hard to fault this pick. Wiggins has the most upside in the draft and is a freakish athlete. He’ll be judged alongside Jabari Parker for his entire career, which is par for the course. I see Wiggins taking a little longer to peak, but when he does he should be a more dynamic player than Parker.

Detroit Pistons

Team Needs: Shooting Guard, Backup Center, Stretch Four, Point Guard

Draft Picks:

No. 38 Spencer Dinwiddie (Shooting Guard)

The Pistons were unlucky, losing their first round pick to Charlotte thanks to the Pistons falling out of the top eight on lottery night. That one spot lost them the chance to nab a surefire rotation player. Ending up with Dinwiddie in the second round isn’t the worst possible outcome for the franchise.

Dinwiddie was projected as a mid first round pick, but an ACL injury that cost him the second half of last season caused his slide. Dinwiddie isn’t exceptionally athletic, but he’s a versatile player with a decent basketball IQ. If he can fully recover from his injury, he has the opportunity to be a contributor for a few years. It will most likely take him until the 2015/16 season to be at full-speed, so don’t expect much this year from him.

Overall Draft Grade: C+ —Under the circumstances, nabbing a first round caliber talent in the second round can be considered a small victory. That loss of the top-10 pick really hurts this year.

Indiana Pacers

Team Needs: Shooting Guard, Small Forward, Scoring, Stretch Four

Draft Picks:

No picks.

The Pacers first rounder went to the Suns as part of the Luis Scola trade. So judging Indiana’s draft is a matter of measuring his contributions against the potential of what was available at No. 27. Looking at the list, if the Pacers had kept the pick they would be looking at a draft and stash selection. So Scola’s production is more valuable in this instance, though he’ll rate like the team drafted a reserve player.

Overall Draft Grade: C+ —Scola is more valuable than what they would have picked up at No. 27, but he’s not a star player. A valuable one, but not a long term franchise player.

Milwaukee Bucks

Team Needs: Talent, Point Guard, Shooting

Draft Picks:

No. 2 Jabari Parker (Small Forward)
No. 31 Damien Inglis (Power Forward)
No. 36 Johnny O’Bryant (Power Forward)

I really like the Bucks’ draft. They stayed put and got exactly the player they wanted all along. Parker is probably going to end up as a stretch four, or in a role similar to ‘Melo’s when the Knicks go with one of their smaller lineups. Parker is ready to contribute immediately and though he needs some serious time in the gym, he’ll be a productive player and probable star for many seasons. If the “Greek Freak” continues to develop and Larry Sanders can stay on the court, the future in Milwaukee could be bright.

Inglis has a broken foot that will keep him out of the summer league, but he’s expected to be ready by the time training camp begins. Inglis is well-regarded by scouts, and has been compared to Boris Diaw as far as ability is concerned. His major flaw is that he’s not a good outside shooter. He’s shown flashes of being able to hit three pointers, but his mid range game is almost non-existent. Worth a flier because of his physical upside, but will see more D-League time than NBA time this season.

O’Bryant is a possible sleeper at No. 36. He’s not a big rebounder or defender, but he is a very good low post scorer. He’ll never be a starter, but has the makings of a solid rotation contributor.

Overall Draft Grade: A- —They did the smart and obvious thing on draft night and nabbed themselves a future star. The Bucks also took two potential rotation players, though Inglis might have been a reach considering K.J. McDaniels, Cleanthony Early, Jerami Grant, and Glenn Robinson III were still available. The Bucks did better than OK on Thursday, a small victory for fans of the franchise.

Eastern Notes: Embiid, Afflalo, Rondo

June 26th, 2014 at 2:25pm CST by Zachary Links

Joel Embiid is seriously in play for three spots in the top part of the lottery, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter). The 76ers at No. 3, Celtics at No. 6, and the Lakers at No. 7 are all giving serious thought to taking the KU center. Here’s more out of the East..

The Sixers aren’t pursuing deals with the Bucks for their No. 2 pick, tweets Sam Amick of USA Today. That could be an indication that they believe the Cavs are planning to take Andrew Wiggins No. 1 overall.
The week before the Pistons fired Maurice Cheeks, they were looking to acquire Arron Afflalo, tweets Vincent Goodwill of the Free Press. Of course, the Magic agreed to trade Afflalo to the Nuggets this morning.
The Magic‘s continuous losing deeply bothered Afflalo, but Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel (on Twitter) hears that he and his agent did not request a trade.
Rajon Rondo‘s name has once again popped up in trade rumors, but a source close to the situation tells Sean Deveney of the Sporting News that the guard has not been informed of any change of plans when it comes to the Celtics‘ future.
Even though the Afflalo trade freed up a lot of money for the Magic, Robbins (on Twitter) still doesn’t expect them to make a major splash in free agency.
Jameer Nelson should draw interest from teams looking to shed salary for free agency, writes Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel.
In today’s mailbag, a reader asks Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel if it’s LeBron James or Pat Riley making the personnel decisions for the Heat.
The Knicks could flip the newly-acquired Shane Larkin for a first-round choice, writes Marc Berman of the New York Post.

Draft Notes: Cavs, Parker, Wiggins, Embiid

June 25th, 2014 at 11:50pm CST by Chuck Myron

Cavs owner Dan Gilbert wants the team to draft Andrew Wiggins first overall, but the front office prefers Jabari Parker, report Jeff Goodman and Chad Ford of ESPN.com. That’s somewhat surprising, considering that Parker is seemingly the better of the two for Gilbert’s desire to win now. It’s unclear if Gilbert will let GM David Griffin and company take Parker, but after letting his executives make the call on Anthony Bennett at No. 1 last year, Gilbert will at least have a “stronger voice” this time around, Ford tweets. Here’s more on the eve of the draft:

Andrew Wiggins wants to play for the Sixers, reports Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer.
The Sixers would take Wiggins at No. 1 if they were to move up, but the Bucks, Magic, Jazz, and Celtics would all select Jabari Parker if they wound up at the top of the draft, tweets Chad Ford of ESPN.com.
Multiple teams are trying to buy copies of Joel Embiid‘s medical records, a source tells Jake Fischer of The Boston Globe. Other sources tell Fischer that the buying of draftees’ medical records is common practice. (Twitter links)
James Young says his workout with the Sixers went well, and gets the sense that he could be selected by Philadelphia with the No. 10 pick, tweets Pompey.
Julius Randle passed on a second workout with the Celtics, tweets Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe.
Marcus Smart did perform a second workout with the Celtics, and also worked out for the Magic a second time, tweets Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders,
Zach LaVine tells Andrew Perna of RealGM he has worked out for every team holding picks six through 17 (Twitter link). The Sixers, Magic, and Bulls are teams in that range that had not been linked to a workout with LaVine previously.
Thanasis Antetokounmpo worked out for the Knicks, tweets Charles F. Gardner of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The Knicks acquired two second round picks earlier today.
Bogdan Bogdanovic has come stateside to work out for the Spurs and Clippers, and Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress tweets that the Serbian wing is gaining steam as a potential pick late in the first round.
Alec Brown has worked out for the Bulls, Cavs, Mavs, Clippers, Knicks, Sixers, and Raptors, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities.
Tim Bontemps of The New York Post thinks it’s likely that the Nets can pick up a second round pick, and opines that they could even make their way into the late first round, where multiple teams would like to trade out of.

Earlier updates

Dan Gilbert tweeted out his insistence that he and the Cavs front office are not split (hat tip to Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel).
An opposing GM told Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio that the Cavs are entertaining “everything,” because they are in the driver’s seat (Twitter link).
It’s still unknown if Dante Exum will work out for the Cavs at their request, but Andy Katz of ESPN.com reports that the guard is unlikely to cooperate without an assurance that there is a deal in place for Cleveland to move down and select him.
The Hornets have shown sporadic interest in dealing away their No. 24 pick, but those talks have cooled recently, tweets Chris Mannix of SI.com.
The Celtics face tough odds of moving up in the draft because “lots” of other teams with better players to offer are trying to do the same, tweets A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com.
One such team could be the Kings, who sources tell Ken Berger of CSBSports.com are trying to move up from No. 8 to have a chance at landing Joel Embiid.
Rival GMs believe that Nuggets GM Tim Connelly is in “deal-making mode” with Denver’s No. 11 pick, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. The Nuggets have been reportedly shopping the pick for some time now.
Noah Vonleh is expected to be selected first of the power forward grouping including Vonleh, Aaron Gordon, and Julius Randle, a source tells Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports.
Gordon is not expected to drop any lower than the eighth selection, per Spears’ source.
Nets GM Billy King told Rod Boone of Newsday that the asking price to acquire a first round draft pick is likely too high for Brooklyn, and that a second round pick seems more possible (Twitter link).
Jusuf Nurkic has a buyout to leave his international club and join the NBA this season, tweets Wojnarowski. There was some confusion as to Nurkic’s willingness and ability to join an NBA team immediately before this revelation, tweets Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.
Joel Embiid is in “strong consideration” for the Sixers at No. 3, and it’s highly unlikely he slides past the Lakers at No. 7, according to Chris Mannix of SI.com (Twitter link). The Sixers have obtained Embiid’s medical information, as Dei Lynam of CSNPhilly.com reports.
The NBA buyout in the extension that Walter Tavares signed with his Spanish team is $600K, agent Andy Miller tells Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv, and that’s precisely the amount NBA teams can pay without it counting against the cap. There were representatives from 11 NBA teams at a private workout Tavares held on Tuesday, and Raptors GM Masai Ujiri and executives from the Knicks and Nets were among them, Zagoria reports. Zagoria also adds the Spurs to the list of teams that have brought the 22-year-old center in for an audition.
Fellow European prospect Vasilije Micic prefers to stay overseas regardless of whether he’s drafted on Thursday, as he told Rigas Dardalis of Eurohoops.net.
The Hawks were the last of a dozen teams to work out Zach LaVine, observes Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today (Twitter link).
Andre Dawkins auditioned for the Kings, as Jared Zwerling of Bleacher Report notes within his broader look at the draft. Dawkins tells Zwerling that the Cavs, Pistons and Wizards have expressed interest in him.
Jordan Adams wasn’t able to get to Memphis in time as the Grizzlies scrambled to put together a last-minute audition, so Michael Dixon is taking his place in the four-man workout group, tweets Ronald Tillery of The Commercial Appeal.

Jonas Jerebko Opts In, Will Remain With Pistons

June 25th, 2014 at 11:20am CST by Chuck Myron

JUNE 25TH: Jerebko has officially opted in, reports Mark Deeks of ShamSports (Twitter link).

MAY 28TH: Jonas Jerebko will exercise his $4.5MM player option to remain with the Pistons next season, as he tells Oskar Pålsson of the Swedish newspaper Borås Tidning (translation via Vincent Goodwill of The Detroit News). The news is no real surprise, given the forward’s lack of playing time this past season, but it appeared as though the identity of the team’s next coach would weigh heavily on Jerebko’s decision regarding the option. He expressed pleasure with Detroit’s hiring of Stan Van Gundy, Goodwill notes, and perhaps Jerebko’s comfort with him was the determining factor for the former second-round pick.

The Bill Duffy client‘s choice to opt in pushes Detroit’s commitments to about $38MM for nine players next season, though that still leaves plenty of room for the team to strike new deals with Greg Monroe and Rodney Stuckey or pursue free agents from other clubs. Van Gundy nonetheless would probably prefer not to have to shell out significant money to the 27-year-old Jerebko, whose playing time and production have tumbled each year he’s played since his rookie campaign. He averaged just 4.2 points in 11.6 minutes per game this past season.

Still, Jerebko shot 41.9% from behind the arc this year for a team that otherwise suffered from a lack of outside shooting, and he started 73 games for the Pistons as a rookie before tearing his right Achilles tendon and missing all of 2010/11. Former Pistons president of basketball operations Joe Dumars signed him to a four-year, $18MM contract after that missed season, but Jerebko never returned to the role he had as a rookie, and he clashed with then-coaches Lawrence Frank and Maurice Cheeks.

Draft Notes: Payton, Embiid, Knicks

June 24th, 2014 at 11:12pm CST by Ryan Raroque

In Jeff Goodman’s latest mock draft for ESPN (Insiders only), Elfrid Payton gets selected by the Timberwolves at No. 13. In response to that projection, Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN said that Minnesota doesn’t have any interest in drafting the former Louisiana Lafayette guard with that pick. It probably won’t matter anyway, as Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe hears that Payton has been greatly impressive in workouts and won’t slip past the top 10 on draft night (Twitter links).

With that aside, we’ll keep tabs on this evening’s draft-related news here:

Add Sweden’s Viktor Gaddefors to the list of players that Memphis is bringing in for a second workout on Wednesday, notes Ronald Tillery of The Commercial Appeal.
The Hornets appear primed to add at least one big man with either the 24th or 45th pick in this year’s draft, and Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer lists Mitch McGary and Johnny O’Bryant as potential targets.
Former Florida big man Patric Young is on Phil Jackson’s draft wish list, writes Marc Berman of the New York Post. Berman also points out that the Knicks worked out Jahii Carson recently.
Following up Andy Katz’s earlier ESPN report that the Kings have three deals in place regarding their No. 8 pick, ESPN’s Marc Stein identified the Celtics, Suns, and 76ers as the potential trading partners.

Earlier updates:

The Pelicans are making a concerted effort to acquire a first-round pick, tweets NBA.com’s David Aldridge.
According to Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress, Joel Embiid is strongly in play for the 76ers at No. 3 and the Magic at No. 4; the worst-case scenario is that Embiid won’t fall past the Kings at No. 8 (Twitter link).
The Knicks remain confident that they’ll land a first-round pick and/or a second-round pick in Thursday’s draft, tweets Frank Isola of the New York Daily News.
The Pistons are without a first-round pick this year, but team president/head coach Stan Van Gundy says that one team picking between No. 26 and No. 30 is open to shedding their pick for the best offer. “There’s one team that’s saying “give us your best deal for (our) pick” (Twitter link via Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News).
The Bucks made an unsuccessful attempt to bring in Cleanthony Early for a workout, tweets Gery Woelfel of The Journal Times.
In another piece, Woelfel notes that the Spurs, Pacers, and Pistons are among the list of teams that brought second-round hopeful Jamil Wilson in for a workout.
The Grizzlies are trying to put together a last minute workout for Glenn Robinson III, Jordan Adams, Joe Harris, and Geron Johnson tomorrow, tweets Chad Ford of ESPN.
Former Duke swingman Rodney Hood participated in a second workout for the Suns, notes Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer (Twitter link).

Eastern Notes: Allen, Wade, Pistons

June 24th, 2014 at 10:14pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Ray Allen is leaning toward returning for a 19th season in the NBA and has a desire to continue playing alongside LeBron James, sources told Brian Windhorst of ESPN. Back in February, the sharpshooting veteran said that he wouldn’t be retiring this summer, and today’s report echoes a similar sentiment passed along last week. Allen just completed the second of a two-year, $6.32MM deal with the Heat and will be an unrestricted free agent this summer.

As for Dwyane Wade‘s contract status and whether or not he’ll decide to opt out, the 32-year-old guard didn’t have any updates today. “No news here yet.”

You can find more of tonight’s rumblings out of the Eastern Conference below:

Pistons president/head coach Stan Van Gundy said that he’s open to signing Greg Monroe to a one-year qualifying offer and letting the big man hit unrestricted free agency next summer, according to Larry Lage of the Associated Press. Van Gundy said that Monroe’s contract situation is the “most important thing on (the Pistons’) plate this offseason.”
Van Gundy added that the team would be willing to trade a future second-round pick and cash in order to land a late first round pick, especially if someone they ranked in the teens falls to the end of the first round.
Jim Boeheim – Carmelo Anthony‘s former college coach at Syracuse – believes that Anthony would take less money to sign with a contender this summer, writes Nick Friedell of ESPN Chicago.
Chauncey Billups is considering retirement, writes Aaron Matas of 9News.com. When Matas mentioned rumors of the Timberwolves approaching the 37-year-old guard about an assistant coaching job, Billups declined comment; however, Billups did say that he’d generally consider a television or front office position first before dipping into coaching when he does decide to retire from playing.
The Celtics hired Benas Matkevicius – a former scout of CSKA Moscow – to be the team’s international scout, tweets Baxter Holmes of the Boston Globe (h/t to CSKABasket.com).

Pistons End Josh Smith Talks With Kings

June 24th, 2014 at 4:20pm CST by Chuck Myron

4:19pm: The talks are “dead,” a source tells Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress, who hears the Pistons put an end to them this morning (Twitter link).

2:29pm: The Pistons and Kings have spoken about a trade that would ship Josh Smith to Sacramento, reports Marc Stein of ESPN.com. One version would involve Derrick Williams and Jason Thompson heading to Detroit, while Jason Terry is a part of other scenarios, Stein adds (Twitter links). No deal is imminent, but Stein suggests that Sacramento has Rajon Rondo in mind as it pursues a deal for Smith, who’s friends with the Celtics point guard (Twitter link).

Pistons president of basketball operations Stan Van Gundy expressed confidence this afternoon in the team’s direction regarding soon-to-be restricted free agent Greg Monroe, and a trade of Smith would help resolve the Pistons’ shooting deficiencies if Monroe remains. The new deal at or near the max that Monroe and agent David Falk are likely to command this summer would mean Monroe would join Smith on lucrative long-term contracts that would make it difficult for the Pistons to make changes along the front line without parting with Andre Drummond.

The Kings under GM Pete D’Alessandro have been perhaps the most aggressive team on the trade market, and a deal involving either Williams or Terry would represent a quick flip of players he acquired via trades just this past season. Thompson was frequently in trade rumors toward the deadline, but talks involving the Cavs never came to fruition.

Sacramento appears focused for now on proposals for the No. 8 pick, according to Stein (on Twitter), who echoes an earlier report that the team is more likely to trade it than keep it. The Kings apparently have three deals in the works involving that selection, and the Bulls and Hawks have been linked to the pick.

Pistons Notes: Monroe, Stuckey, Draft

June 24th, 2014 at 2:03pm CST by Chuck Myron

Pistons coach and president of basketball operations Stan Van Gundy says he’s spent more than half of his time since taking the job on Greg Monroe‘s impending free agency, tweets Keith Langlois of Pistons.com. There’s been plenty of uncertainty surrounding the future of the 24-year-old big man, but it seems as though Van Gundy has found some clarity, saying, “We know exactly where we’re headed on that,” as Langlois also passes along (on Twitter). Here’s more from the Pistons boss, with all links going to Langlois’ Twitter account:

Van Gundy identified Monroe, Andre Drummond, Josh Smith, Brandon Jennings, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Kyle Singler and Jonas Jerebko as the team’s core players. Conspicuous by his absence from that list is soon-to-be free agent Rodney Stuckey,
The Pistons probably won’t trade into the first-round, according to Van Gundy, who said he wouldn’t make a trade for a pick in the 25-30 range unless he’s certain a prospect of interest will be there for the taking. Even if an intriguing prospect does emerge within those picks, Detroit won’t give up a current player or a future No. 1 pick in a deal to trade into that range, Van Gundy added.
The team is unlikely to make a splashy move in the offseason, Van Gundy said.