Pistons Notes: 60-Win Season, Playoffs, Pick Swap, Smith
The Pistons secured the third 60-win season in franchise history by defeating the lottery-bound Pacers on Sunday. They’ll now await their first-round opponent in a series that begins on Sunday night.
“It’s a sign of the work that’s been done by everybody who’s a part of this,” Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff said, per Hunter Patterson of The Athletic. “Front office, coaching staff, players, medical staff — everybody that’s touched these guys and helped them with that consistency, with that effort. It’s a group thing. Everybody who’s been part of it should be celebrated for it. But again, our work’s not done. That’s the mentality that we have, but there is an appreciation and respect for all of the work that everybody’s put in to help us get here.”
Veteran forward Tobias Harris, a free agent after the season, has been impressed by his teammates’ even keel approach.
“I think we’ve done a great job of handling success this season,” Harris said. “Just being able to weather the storm, really lock in with one another, communicate and just pull for one another in whatever we’re doing. We had guys, including myself, in and out of the lineup with injuries earlier in the year. Everybody just stepped up and has been super supportive of the next guy getting ready. The guy who is up takes on the challenge of being their best. We’ve had great moments from different guys excelling, playing and showing who they are in this league. Some amazing stories have come about from our group. So we just embrace all of it.”
Here’s more on the Pistons:
- On the heels of the worst season in franchise history in 2023/24, Detroit lost in the first round to the Knicks last spring. While ’24/25 was considered a success based on their 30-win jump during the regular season, the Pistons certainly won’t just be happy to make the postseason this time around. They’re coming in as the No. 1 seed in the East with their sights set on the Finals. “Playoffs, man. We’re excited about it. Playoffs are on the mind,” Cade Cunningham said, per Patterson. “It’s been a great regular season. Now it’s time for the real fun.”
- The three-team trade that sent Jaden Ivey to the Bulls produced additional dividends for the franchise, Christian Romo of the Detroit Free Press notes. Not only did the Pistons acquire another key reserve in Kevin Huerter, they also wound up with a higher first-round pick this season. As part of the deal, Detroit received a pick swap from the Timberwolves that was top-19 protected, so the team will now have the No. 21 overall pick while Minnesota moves down to the No. 28 slot.
- Big man Tolu Smith received a promotion last week, getting his two-way deal converted to a standard contract. Bickerstaff told Coty Davis of the Detroit News that Smith earned his way onto the 15-man roster. “He’s competed at a high level when given an opportunity, but he’s continued to work and work and work and improve and get better and establish an NBA skill set in a way that he can impact the game,” Bickerstaff said. “There have been stretches this year where we’ve had him on the floor, whether it’s here or Motor City, where he’s just been dominant. His ability to rebound the basketball, protect the paint, and finish around the rim. He just adds a different dynamic. He can move his feet; he’s physical. He fits right in with the identity of this team and the rest of our big guys.”
Pistons Notes: Cunningham, Duren, T. Smith, M. Williams
The 65-game rule has been a hot topic of conversation in recent weeks amid injuries to Cade Cunningham, Anthony Edwards and Luka Doncic, all of whom would have been shoo-ins for All-NBA spots prior to getting hurt. Pistons star Cunningham reflected on the rule after Wednesday’s win over Milwaukee, his first game back from a collapsed lung, writes Hunter Patterson of The Athletic.
“I feel a lot of different ways about it,” Cunningham said. “What they were trying to do with it is have superstars play and not sit out just to rest, because fans pay a lot of money to come watch us play games. I have a lot of respect for that; I know fans come to watch me play. I want to make sure I’m available and I give them a show whenever they come out. So in that way, I respect the rule. I think it’s a good rule.
“It’s tough for me right now, this year, because I think I did a lot of work to be in consideration for awards and All-NBA. I’m in a tough spot, but I think it’ll all play out how it’s supposed to play out. I’m just trying to do my best to help my team win. I’m hearing all this stuff about exceptions … I don’t know how all that works. I just keep doing my job day by day. Whatever comes will come, whatever is meant to be will be.”
Here’s more from Detroit:
- While Cunningham may not qualify for major postseason awards, All-Star center Jalen Duren met the minimum requirement on Wednesday, Patterson notes. Duren, who will be a restricted free agent this summer, offered some insight into Cunningham’s mentality while he was recovering from the injury. “Time away for him, probably personally, was needed,” Duren said. “It sucks that he was injured, but I think it gave him a mental break, obviously a physical break. He was able to kind of shake back and get his body right going into the playoffs. In terms of the team, I don’t think we really missed a beat because he wasn’t away. We were still around him, he would still be talking, he was still in the facility, still in the group chat, still giving his opinion on games. So it wasn’t really like he was away and today was the first time we’d seen him. His presence was always around.”
- Second-year big man Tolu Smith was converted from a two-way deal to a two-year standard contract earlier this week. The former Mississippi State star said his family was emotional when he FaceTimed them to inform them of the news, according to Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press (Twitter video link). Head coach J.B. Bickerstaff told reporters that the 25-year-old earned the promotion, Sankofa adds (via Twitter). “He’s been great. Over the past couple of years he’s done everything we’ve asked him to and more,” Bickerstaff said. “He plays a similar brand we play … we’ve seen stretches this year where he’s just dominated the painted area and dominated the offensive and defensive boards.”
- In an interesting interview with Marc J. Spears of Andscape, former Pistons head coach Monty Williams said he still follows the team and remains in contact with members of the organization. “Yeah, I do. I was talking to [Pistons assistant coach] Fred Vinson today, actually,” Williams told Spears. “Those guys have done an unreal job there. … I’ve been on teams that won. I’ve been on teams that didn’t win, and that was a failure for me — Detroit was. And I don’t shy away from that. What J.B. [Bickerstaff] and that staff have been able to do there should be applauded. Those guys are knocking it out of the park, and Cade is exactly what I thought he was. I couldn’t bring it out of him like J.B. has. And Jalen is knocking it out of the park, and Ausar [Thompson] and all those kids, man, they’re awesome. Would I have loved to have been a part of that? Absolutely. … But man, I’m cool with where I am and happy for those guys. I still talk to a number of people up there. … But yeah, I don’t shy away from that. I failed and that’s only going to make me better as a coach. And I’ve been able to share my failures with other people so that they can be better. I think that’s what life is about — or part of living — is to be able to talk about your shortcomings and failures so that you can help another person not go down that road. And that’s how I view it.” Williams has spent the past two seasons coaching his sons in Texas — his older son Elijah Williams, who has committed to Baylor, could be a one-and-done prospect in the 2027 draft, Spears writes. Williams added that he hasn’t ruled out a potential NBA return down the line, but he’s not actively seeking out head coaching jobs.
Pistons Promote Tolu Smith, Waive Bobi Klintman
5:00 pm: The Pistons have officially converted Smith to a standard deal and waived Klintman, per NBA.com’s transaction log.
2:07 pm: Confirming that the Pistons are waiving Klintman to open up a 15-man roster spot, Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press adds (via Twitter) that Smith’s new contract will be non-guaranteed in 2026/27.
1:41 pm: The Pistons are promoting two-way player to Tolu Smith to their 15-man roster and will sign him to a new standard two-year contract, agent Corey Marcum tells Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).
Smith, who went undrafted out of Mississippi State in 2024, signed a two-year, two-way contract with the Pistons in January of 2025 and has been on that deal since then. He played just once for Detroit last season and has made only 13 NBA appearances in 2025/26, but several of those appearances have come in recent weeks. He had eight points and three rebounds in 13 minutes of action in Orlando on Monday.
Smith has had a more significant role in the G League this season, averaging 19.5 points, 11.0 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.5 blocks in 28.7 minutes per game across 26 outings for the Motor City Cruise.
Adding the 6’11” forward to their standard roster will allow the Pistons to use Smith in the postseason if they need to, giving them a little more frontcourt depth. He wouldn’t have been playoff-eligible if he had remained on his two-way contract.
The Pistons’ 15-man roster is currently full, so someone will need to be waived in order to create an opening for Smith. Based on usage and contract situations, second-year forward Bobi Klintman may be the odd man out. The 23-year-old has made just 20 NBA appearances since being drafted 37th overall in 2024, including 12 this season, and isn’t owed any guaranteed money beyond 2025/26.
Central Notes: Thomas, Rivers, Harden, Cavs, T. Smith
Cam Thomas scored just four points on 1-of-5 shooting in his first game with the Bucks on Monday, but he showed on Wednesday and Thursday why Milwaukee were eager to bring him in after he was waived by Brooklyn last week. In those two road wins over Orlando and Oklahoma City, Thomas racked up 46 points in 45 total minutes of action, making 17-of-33 shots from the floor.
After Thomas scored 34 points against the Magic on Wednesday, head coach Doc Rivers likened the fifth-year guard to two former Sixth Man of the Year winners he coached earlier in his career with the Clippers.
“I’ve had Jamal Crawford. I had Lou Williams,” Rivers said, per Eric Nehm of The Athletic. “And now, I have Cam Thomas.”
Thomas has faced criticism at times during his four-and-a-half NBA seasons due to the perception that he’s an “empty calories” scorer who doesn’t play good defense or contribute in any other ways on offense. As Nehm writes, Thomas insisted this week that he’s “more than just a scorer” and suggested his play-making is “underrated.” While the 24-year-old is at his best when he’s putting the ball in the basket, Rivers said the Bucks want to give him the chance to show off all facets of his game.
“Cam wants to do right. He wants to play well. You can see that,” Rivers said after Wednesday’s game. “And we’re going to give him every opportunity. I mean, the guy is a natural scorer, and you can see that. Probably forced one or two today where he overdribbled. You live with that, and you teach that to get that out of him. But overall, he was fantastic.”
We have more from around the Central:
- Rivers had to attend a funeral and wasn’t on the Bucks‘ bench for Thursday’s game in Oklahoma City (Twitter link). Darvin Ham coached the team in Rivers’ place and led Milwaukee to an upset victory over the defending champions in a game that both teams’ MVPs (Giannis Antetokounmpo and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander) missed due to injuries.
- James Harden attempted just four shots in his Cavaliers home debut on Wednesday, but he had 11 assists and no complaints after the team improved its record to 3-0 since acquiring him. “Like I told them, I’ll figure it out. We’ll do some adjusting with each other, but for the most part, I’ll play with y’all and do what y’all been doing and I’ll find my way and they’ve been doing that,” Harden said, according to Joe Reedy of The Associated Press. “So even (Wednesday), I shoot four shots, but we win by 25 points. That’s the most important thing. … I’m just here to win.”
- After the Rocket Arena floor came under scrutiny again last month following a Luka Doncic injury scare, the Cavaliers have installed temporary extensions along the sidelines and baselines of their raised court in an effort to increase player safety, writes Joe Vardon of The Athletic. A team spokesperson said a permanent solution will be implemented prior to the start of the 2026/27 season, Vardon adds.
- Second-year Pistons big man Tolu Smith, who is on a two-way contract, got a chance to play on Wednesday for the first time since January 10 with Isaiah Stewart and Jalen Duren serving suspensions. Head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said before the game that it represented a real opportunity for Smith. “He’s an elite defensive rebounder, paint protector, pick and roll guy,” Bickerstaff said (Twitter link via Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press). “… He’ll be just fine with the tools that he has.” Smith finished with three points, three rebounds, and two assists in 15 minutes off the bench in Detroit’s win win over Toronto.
And-Ones: Biggest Mistakes, Summer League Standouts, More
As effectively managed as some NBA teams have been in recent years, all 30 clubs have made at least a few moves they regret, according to Zach Kram of ESPN.com, who runs through some of the biggest missteps of the 2020s and names the most glaring mistake each team has made this decade.
Kram’s list begins with “small-scale problems,” like the Cavaliers not giving Isaiah Hartenstein a qualifying offer in 2021 and the Knicks signing Evan Fournier to a $73MM contract in 2021, before advancing to “draft disasters” – such as the Celtics trading the draft rights to No. 30 pick Desmond Bane – and miscellaneous midtier mistakes,” including the Pistons giving Monty Williams the largest head coaching contract in league history.
Kram’s final two categories are “too high a cost for too little reward” and “franchise-altering terrible trades.” The top two mistakes on his list are the Mavericks moving Luka Doncic and the Suns giving up the assets they did to land Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal.
Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- John Hollinger of The Athletic shares his biggest takeaways from this month’s Summer League games, including identifying Tolu Smith of the Pistons, Nae’Qwan Tomlin of the Cavaliers, and Drew Timme of the Nets as players to watch going forward. Hollinger also mentions Jazz big man Kyle Filipowski, Timberwolves guard Terrence Shannon Jr., Pistons forward Ron Holland, Thunder guard Ajay Mitchell, and Cavaliers wing Jaylon Tyson as the players who showed they were “too good for summer league.”
- While Summer League success doesn’t always carry over to the subsequent regular season, scouts around the NBA find July’s games “extremely valuable” for evaluating players, as Tobias Bass of The Athletic writes. “Before the draft, no matter what your opinion is about a player or how analytics project him to be, it’s always interesting to see how competitive they are once they get to summer league,” one Western Conference scout told Bass. “How quickly they pick up terminology, are they culture fits and can they keep the main thing the main thing? Can they be attentive, on time and professional, especially with all the distractions in Vegas?”
- Keith Smith of Spotrac empties out his notebook after traveling to Las Vegas for Summer League, sharing quotes from coaches, scouts, and executives about each of the NBA’s Eastern Conference and Western Conference teams.
Central Notes: Mobley, Cavs, Bulls, Giannis, Pistons
Fourth-year big man Evan Mobley is having the best season of his career for the 31-4 Cavaliers and making a strong case for All-Star consideration, as Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com writes in a subscriber-only article. The Cavs have an eye-popping +16.0 net rating when Mobley is on the court, compared to a team-worst +4.4 mark when he sits.
“He has taken that step,” Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell said of his teammate. “Everyone has been asking and he has taken that step. It’s beautiful to see. This is the worst that Evan is going to be and it’s not too shabby. He’s an All-Star. He will be in San Francisco in February.”
Speaking to Grant Afseth of RG.org, Cavaliers forward Georges Niang agreed with Mitchell’s assessment, comparing Mobley’s skill set to that of Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett. While Niang raved about Mobley’s evolution, he argued that there are actually four Cavaliers – Mitchell, Mobley, Darius Garland, and Jarrett Allen – who deserve to be at All-Star weekend in San Francisco.
“When are we going to celebrate winning? These guys sacrifice stats to help us win,” Niang told Afseth. “This isn’t an individual sport, but All-Star is an individual accolade. Donovan, Evan, Darius, and J.A. are All-Stars. Sharing the wealth and being team players doesn’t diminish what they’re capable of.”
In an interesting and wide-ranging conversation with Afseth, Niang also spoke about Mitchell’s commitment to Cleveland, making it clear that the five-time All-Star was exhibiting that commitment to the franchise well before he signed a multiyear extension during the 2024 offseason.
“Donovan is making this his home,” Niang said. “He even called Max (Strus) and me during (2023) free agency to bring us here. When your star player wants to be here and recruit others, it creates something special.”
Here’s more from around the Central:
- Addressing the Bulls‘ potential trade deadline plans, head coach Billy Donovan reiterated on Monday that the front office is considering everything and that nothing appears imminent, per Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. Donovan also shared one tenet of his current roster-building philosophy. “If we want to continue playing (a fast-paced style), you can’t have eight guys,” Donovan said. “There’s no way you can sustain playing that way, that fast. So instead of (focusing on adding) one guy or two guys, how do we build out where there’s 10 or 12 guys? (Then) if you lose a guy, you’re not taking this huge hit. That’s what I’ve shared with them in terms of what I’ve thought.”
- Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo suffered a laceration on his right pinky finger during Monday’s game, writes Jim Owczarski of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Head coach Doc Rivers told reporters after the game that the issue “definitely” seemed to be affecting Antetokounmpo’s ball-handling, but the two-time MVP stayed in the game and downplayed the issue after getting stitched up. “I’m fine,” he said. “My finger’s kind of numb but I’m fine. I played the second half but I’m fine. Just stitches. I’m not going to overthink about it.”
- The two-way contracts that Ron Harper Jr. and Tolu Smith signed with the Pistons are both for two years, tweets Keith Smith of Spotrac. If they’re not waived or promoted before the end of their respective deals, Harper and Smith would be eligible for restricted free agency in 2026.
Pistons Sign Ron Harper Jr., Tolu Smith To Two-Way Deals
JANUARY 6, 4:03pm: The Pistons have officially signed Smith and Harper and placed Williams and Swider on waivers, the team confirmed in a press release (Twitter link).
JANUARY 5, 8:30pm: The Pistons are also signing Tolu Smith to a two-way deal, according to Jake Fischer (Twitter link).
Smith, a 6’11” rookie forward, was waived by Detroit in training camp and has been playing for the G League’s Motor City Cruise. He’s averaging 20.2 points and 14.8 rebounds in four regular season NBAGL games and also made five appearances with the Cruise in the G League Showcase Cup.
Smith spent his freshman season at Western Kentucky before transferring and playing the final four years of his collegiate career at Mississippi State. He went undrafted in 2024 and made three preseason appearances with Detroit.
To make room for Harper and Smith, the Pistons are waiving Alondes Williams and Cole Swider, according to Fischer.
Detroit signed Williams to a two-way deal just before the start of the season after he was cut loose by the Clippers. Similarly, the Pistons signed Swider after he was waived during the latter stages of training camp by the Pacers.
JANUARY 5, 7:17pm: The Pistons have agreed to a two-way deal with Ron Harper Jr., ESPN’s Tim Bontemps tweets.
Harper was waived in training camp by the Celtics and has been playing for the Maine Celtics in the G League. He has averaged 22.8 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists in four regular season G League games and also played 11 games in the NBAGL’s Tip-Off Tournament.
Harper went undrafted out of Rutgers in 2022 and signed to a two-way deal shortly after the draft by the Raptors. He only appeared in six games in the G League last season. He suffered a season-ending shoulder injury after playing in just one NBA game in ’23/24 and was waived by the Raptors in December of last year.
Detroit has all of its two-way spots filled, so it will have to make a corresponding move to bring in Harper.
With Jaden Ivey sidelined indefinitely with a fractured fibula, Harper will give Detroit more depth at the guard spots.
Pistons Waive Lamar Stevens, Four Others
The Pistons waived five players on Thursday, according to the NBA’s official transaction log. Lamar Stevens, Dereon Seabron, Aaron Estrada, Javante McCoy and Tolu Smith were all cut by Detroit.
All five players were on non-guaranteed Exhibit 10 contracts that will allow them each to earn a bonus worth up to $77.5K if they spend at least 60 days with Detroit’s G League affiliate. Of the five, only Stevens was ineligible for a two-way contract, as he holds four seasons of NBA experience.
It’s a bit interesting that not one member of Detroit’s training camp roster made the final cut. The Pistons have one standard contract slot open and waived Tosan Evbuomwan this week, which gives them two open two-way slots to fill. While Stevens impressed a bit in the preseason, he was available to sign late into the offseason and the Pistons could revisit him down the line if they chose.
In the aftermath, it seems as though the Pistons will explore what teams across the league do with their cuts. Having finished with the worst record last season, Detroit is in a good place to make whatever waiver claims they want. Perhaps a player or players they have interest in will shake loose for the Pistons to snag.
Stevens, 27, went undrafted in 2020 but caught on with the Cavaliers on a two-way deal. He impressed in his rookie season, earning a standard contract. He wasn’t retained past 2023 though and signed an Exhibit 10 deal with the Celtics, ultimately earning a spot on the standard roster. Stevens was then traded to the Grizzlies at the trade deadline in the move that sent Xavier Tillman to Boston, but Stevens wasn’t re-signed. Across four NBA seasons, he holds career averages of 5.7 points and 2.9 rebounds per game.
Seabron spent the last two seasons with the Pelicans on a two-way contract. He appeared in 11 games at the NBA level, averaging 1.6 PPG. The NC State product played more extensively in the G League, averaging 18.4 PPG, 6.2 RPG and 6.0 APG on a .555/.391/.724 shooting split in 28 games (26 starts) last season.
Estrada went undrafted in the 2024 class after a five-year college career. He spent time at Saint Peter’s, Oregon and Hofstra before playing his final collegiate season at Alabama, helping the team to a Final Four run. In his final season, he averaged 13.4 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 4.6 APG and 1.6 SPG.
McCoy spent his entire five-year collegiate career at Boston University, going undrafted in 2022. Across 147 career college games, he averaged 13.1 PPG and 3.3 RPG while shooting 37.7% from three. He spent time with the Lakers and Spurs previously in training camps, signing Exhibit 10 deals with each before playing for their respective G League teams. In 43 games with the Austin Spurs last year, he averaged 9.2 PPG.
Smith, a 6’11” forward, averaged 11.7 PPG and 6.7 RPG in 142 career college games (102 starts). He spent his freshman season at Western Kentucky before transferring and playing the final four years of his collegiate career at Mississippi State. He went undrafted in 2024 and made three preseason appearances with Detroit.
Pistons Sign Three Players To Camp Contracts
The Pistons have signed free agents Devon Higgs, Sam Peek, and Tolu Smith to training camp contracts, tweets Keith Smith of Spotrac.
Higgs, who went undrafted in 2023, spent his first professional season in the G League, appearing in a total of 26 games for the College Park Skyhawks and Motor City Cruise, Detroit’s NBAGL affiliate. The 6’5″ guard averaged 6.1 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.0 assists in 20.2 minutes per game in the G League, with a shooting line of .451/.340/.517, then was on the Pistons’ Las Vegas Summer League roster in 2024.
Peek, a 6’7″ forward, also finished last season with the Cruise and then was part of the Pistons’ Summer League team. He averaged 6.2 PPG, 3.1 RPG, and 1.2 APG in 14 games (19.9 MPG) for Motor City in 2023/24 after starting the season with the Wisconsin Herd.
Smith, meanwhile, went undrafted this June after wrapping up his college career at Mississippi State. The 6’10” forward averaged 14.4 points and 8.0 rebounds in 28.8 minutes per game across 108 games in four years with the Bulldogs. Before that, he spent his freshman season with Western Kentucky.
Like Higgs and Peek, Smith played for the Pistons in Las Vegas in July. He had a significant Summer League role, putting up 11.0 PPG and 9.0 RPG in five starts (22.1 MPG).
In all likelihood, the three newest Pistons received Exhibit 10 contracts and will be waived well before the regular season begins, lining them up to join the Cruise this fall. They’d be eligible to earn bonuses worth up to $77.5K if they spend at least 60 days with Detroit’s G League team.
The Pistons now have 19 players under contract and have also reportedly reached Exhibit 10 agreements with Dereon Seabron and Aaron Estrada.
Draft Notes: Sasser, Smith, Rodriguez, Plavsic
Marcus Sasser withdrew from last year’s draft as he recovered from a foot injury, which hindered him at the combine. He had a much better experience at the 2023 event, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle reports.
The Houston Cougars guard improved his draft prospects with a stellar season and a strong showing at the combine.
“I’m way more comfortable coming in this year, way more confident,” Sasser said. “It wasn’t as nerve-racking as last year. I was excited to go talk to these guys and build relationships.”
Sasser, who averaged 16.8 points and 3.1 assists per game last season, has a decent shot to be selected in the first round. He’s currently ranked No. 35 overall on ESPN’s Best Available list.
We have more draft-related notes:
- Tolu Smith will withdraw from the draft and return to Mississippi State next season to use his additional year of eligibility, CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein tweets. He averaged 15.7 points and 8.5 rebounds for the Bulldogs last season.
- Ditto for UNLV guard Luis Rodriguez. He has decided to return to college, Rothstein tweets. Rodriguez averaged 10.7 points and 5.7 rebounds last season.
- Tennessee’s Uros Plavsic disclosed in a Twitter post he’s leaving the university to pursue professional opportunities. The 7’1” Plavsic started 20 of 34 games for the Vols last season.