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The Detroit Pistons announced today the team’s 2023-24 preseason schedule which features one home and three road games.
Detroit’s lone preseason home game features the Phoenix Suns visiting Little Caesars Arena on October 8.
The Pistons travel to Montréal to take on the Oklahoma City Thunder on October 12, as part of the NBA Canada Series.
The team will then head to Tulsa, Oklahoma for a rematch with the Thunder (10/19) and wrap up the preseason schedule at Dallas (10/20).
Per the Detroit Free Press:
Last season, the Detroit Pistons’ season was largely derailed with Cade Cunningham’s season-ending shin surgery.
But Cunningham has reportedly fully recovered, and the third-year guard will play for the USA Select Team in Vegas next month. Clips have emerged on social media of Cunningham playing with other pros this summer.
What does the return of Cunningham, the Pistons’ lead guard, from injury mean for the logjam in the backcourt on the roster?
There is a nice mix of veterans with Monte Morris and Alec Burks, and youngsters Jaden Ivey, Killian Hayes and Marcus Sasser.
Both Burks and Morris provide savvy and experience. Burks shot 41.4% from beyond the 3-point line last season, averaging 12.8 points per game. His role off the bench won’t change.
The Detroit Pistons have acquired guard/forward Joe Harris, along with future draft considerations, in a trade with the Brooklyn Nets for cash considerations.
Harris, 6-6, 220, averaged 7.6 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 20.6 minutes per game while shooting 45.7% from the field and 42.6% from 3-point range with the Nets last season. He’s averaged 11.6 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.7 assists over his last seven seasons in Brooklyn and helped the Nets to the NBA Playoffs in each of the last five seasons. Harris led the NBA in 3-point field goal percentage in 2019 (.474) and 2021 (.475) and is the Nets’ all-time leader in 3-point field goals made.
“It’s difficult to put into words just how much Joe has meant to this franchise,” said Nets General Manager Sean Marks. “For seven years he displayed the character, drive and team-first approach that served as a model for his teammates and staff alike. Joe helped define what it means to be a Net, while fully embracing being a part of the Brooklyn community. We’re grateful for everything Joe has done and wish him and his family the very best going forward. He will forever remain part of our Nets family.”
Drafted 33rd overall by Cleveland in the 2014 NBA Draft, Harris played two seasons for the Cavaliers and averaged 2.5 points in 9.1 minutes per game. The Chelan, Wash., native played four seasons at the University of Virginia and averaged 12.6 points and 3.8 rebounds while shooting 44.5% from the field in 135 career games (128 starts). Harris led Virginia to the NCAA Tournament during his sophomore and senior seasons.
The Detroit Pistons have acquired guard Monte Morris in a trade with the Washington Wizards for future draft considerations.
The Wizards acquired a 2027 second round pick from Detroit (the more favorable of the picks from Brooklyn and Dallas that Detroit previously acquired).
Washington also generated a traded player exception in the deal.
Morris, 6-2, 183, averaged 10.3 points, 3.4 rebounds and 5.3 assists in 27.3 minutes per game while shooting 48% from the field and 38.2% from 3-point range with the Wizards last season. His 5.3 assists and 3.4 rebounds per game marked single-season career-highs and his 5.43 assist-to-turnover ratio ranked second in the NBA during the 2022-23 season. Since entering the league in 2017-18, Morris’ career 48.1% field goal percentage ranks eighth-best among all guards in the NBA (min. 2000 field goal attempts).
Drafted 51st overall by Denver in the 2017 NBA Draft, Morris played five seasons for the Nuggets and averaged 10.5 points and 4.0 assists in 25.2 minutes per game while shooting 39.4% from behind-the-arc. The Flint, Mich., native played four seasons at Iowa State University where he was a three-time All-Big 12 selection. In high school, Morris led Flint Beecher to back-to-back Class C Michigan state titles in 2012 and 2013 and won Michigan’s Mr. Basketball award in 2013.
The Detroit Pistons have signed rookie Marcus Sasser, who was selected 25th overall by the Pistons in the 2023 NBA Draft, to a contract.
Sasser, 6’2”, 195, averaged 16.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.6 steals in 30.8 minutes across 36 games in his senior season at Houston. After leading the Cougars to a 33-4 record and a No. 1 seed in the 2023 NCAA Tournament, Sasser was a consensus 2022-23 All-American First Team selection. Sasser won the American Athletic Conference Player of the Year and Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year award in 2022-23. In addition, he was a Lefty Driesell Defensive Player of the Year finalist and Naismith Defensive Player of the Year semifinalist.
The Dallas, Texas, native was the first Houston consensus First-Team All-American since Hakeem Olajuwon in 1984. Sasser finished 15th in Houston history with 1,458 career points and set the school record with 276 career 3-pointers.
The Detroit Pistons yesterday signed Ausar Thompson to his rookie contract.
Thompson was drafted fifth overall by the Pistons in the 2023 NBA Draft.
Thompson, 6’7”, 215, averaged 17.5 points, 6.7 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 2.3 steals and 1.1 blocks in 29.1 minutes across 20 games for the City Reapers in the Overtime Elite League in 2022-23. He was named Overtime Elite MVP and later named Finals MVP after averaging 21.0 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.8 assists in the playoffs. In his second year in the league, Thompson led the City Reapers to a 14-1 regular season record and their first OTE Championship while earning Player-of-the-Week honors twice. The combo guard finished second in the league in assists while collecting at least three steals seven times.
A native of Oakland, Calif., Thompson was named the Broward County 5A Co-Player of the Year at Pine Crest School in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. In addition to Overtime Elite, Thompson participated in The Basketball Tournament for Team Overtime in July of 2022.
The Detroit Pistons have signed guards Jared Rhoden and Malcolm Cazalon to two-way contracts.
Rhoden, 6’6”, 210, signed a two-way contract with Detroit on December 27, 2022. In 24 games with the Motor City Cruise, the NBA’s G League affiliate of the Detroit Pistons, he averaged 18.1 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.1 steals per game. He saw action in 14 games with the Pistons and averaged 3.2 points and 2.6 rebounds in 14.1 minutes per game. Prior to joining the Pistons, Rhoden played for the College Park Skyhawks, the NBA’s G League affiliate of the Atlanta Hawks. In 16 games, he averaged 13.9 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists.
Rhoden, a Baldwin, NY native, played four years, collegiately, at Seton Hall University. In 122 career games (72 starts), he averaged 10.4 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.1 assists for the Pirates. In 31 games as a senior, he averaged 15.5 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.2 steals in 33.1 minutes per game, garnering 2022 All-Big East First Team honors. Rhoden left the program as one of only 12 players to record 1,200 points and 600 rebounds in school history.
Cazalon, 6’6”, 195, played the last three seasons with Mega MIS in Serbia’s ABA League First Division. Last season, he averaged 11.3 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 25 games while shooting 46% from the field. He began his pro basketball career with Bourg-en-Bresse in the French Basketball Pro A League in 2018.
Cazalon, a native of Roanne, France, teamed up with current Pistons guard Killian Hayes and won silver with Team France at the 2018 FIBA U-17 Basketball World Cup, where he averaged 16.4 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.1 assists.
The Detroit Pistons announced that the club has selected Ausar Thompson with the fifth overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. Detroit has also agreed in principle to acquire the draft rights to No. 25 overall pick, Marcus Sasser, as part of a larger trade that is not yet final.
Thompson, 6-7, 215, averaged 17.5 points, 6.7 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 2.3 steals and 1.1 blocks in 29.1 minutes across 20 games for the City Reapers of Overtime Elite in 2022-23. He was named Overtime Elite MVP and later named Finals MVP after averaging 21.0 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.8 assists in the playoffs. In his second year in the league, Thompson led the City Reapers to a 14-1 regular season record and their first OTE Championship while earning Player of the Week honors twice. The combo guard finished second in the league in assists while collecting at least three steals seven times.
A native of Oakland, Calif., Thompson was named the Broward County 5A Co-Player of the Year at Pine Crest School in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. In addition to Overtime Elite, Thompson participated in The Basketball Tournament for Team Overtime in July of 2022. Thompson was selected one pick after his identical twin brother, Amen, who went No. 4 overall to Houston. Thompson’s older brother, Troy Thompson Jr., played collegiate basketball at Prairie View A&M and participated in training camp with the Stockton Kings.
Thompson is the fourth top-five selection for the Pistons since 1995 (Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey and Darko Milicic) and the third in the last three seasons.
The Detroit Pistons have announced Monty Williams as their new head coach.
Williams, who will be formally introduced at a news conference in Detroit next week, has already initiated the transition and begun scheduling player meetings and staff development.
“I couldn’t be more proud to have Monty joining us at this important time to lead us into the next decade of our future,” said Pistons owner Tom Gores. “He embodies all of the qualities we want in a leader for our Pistons franchise, and most importantly a teacher and mentor for our players. He will have an impact on every aspect of our franchise, on and off the court.
“After spending some time with Monty, it’s clear that he’s found a unique balance between achieving victory at the highest level while at the same time nurturing a culture of growth, development and inspiration,” Gores said. “I’m beyond excited. This is a huge win for us.”
Regarding salary and contract info, here’s the Detroit Free Press:
The Pistons did not announce the terms of Williams’ contract, but the Free Press learned from a team source that it is the richest in NBA history for a coach, worth $78.5 million guaranteed over six seasons. But there is more.
There are team options for a seventh and eighth season, and added incentives that could push the total value of the contract above $100 million. The base salary for the first six years averages out to $12 million per year ($72 million), and there’s additional guaranteed money tied to the seventh season, whether he returns or not, that brings the total guaranteed to $78.5 million. If the Pistons pick up his seventh-year option, his contract will cross $90 million.
Williams agreed to terms after a whirlwind series of discussions with Gores, Pistons General Manager Troy Weaver and other Pistons executives that began over Memorial Day Weekend and culminated on Thursday with a signed agreement.
“A week ago, I was not sure what the future would hold,” Williams said. “But, after talking with Tom and Troy, I was excited hearing their vision for the Pistons going forward. They had a thoughtful plan and I am so appreciative of the emphasis they placed on the personal side of this business. They showed tremendous consideration for me and my family throughout this process.
“They also showed a commitment to success and doing things the right way,” he said. “As we discussed the team and expressed our collective goals, I realized that this would be a great opportunity for me to help a talented young team and build a strong culture here in Detroit. This is obviously a special place with a deep basketball history, and my family and I are looking forward to the opportunity to be a part of this city and organization.”
Per the Detroit Free Press:
The Detroit Pistons finally found a suitable candidate for their open head coaching position after over two months of looking.
Monty Williams, a former coach of the Phoenix Suns, is anticipated to agree to a deal with the Pistons worth more than $10 million yearly in the coming days, a league source told the Free Press on Wednesday. Williams, the NBA Coach of the Year in 2022, will receive one of the league’s highest salaries thanks to the incentive-rich contract.
According to ESPN, the contract is for six years and $78.5 million, making him the highest-paid NBA coach ever. According to The Athletic, there are incentives that may push the contract’s value to $100 million as well as team options for a seventh and eighth year.