Detroit Pistons Blog – Page 11 – NBA Blog

Injury update on Pistons rookie Cade Cunningham

It’ll be great to see Pistons rookie Cade Cunningham make his NBA debut. But at this particular minute, there’s no firm date just yet. Via the Detroit Free Press:

Cade Cunningham is nearing his return after suffering a left ankle sprain early in training camp. But nearly a month after the injury, it isn’t clear when the No. 1 pick will return.

Cunningham, the Detroit Pistons’ No. 1 pick in the 2021 draft, could make his NBA debut Saturday night at home against the Orlando Magic, but the Pistons haven’t set a firm timeline on when Cunningham will return from his injury. Last week, general manager Troy Weaver said the hope was to see Cunningham play when the Pistons returned home from their three-game road trip.

Pistons hire Ben Wallace as a basketball operations and team engagement advisor

The Detroit Pistons announced today that Ben Wallace will join the Pistons organization as a basketball operations and team engagement advisor. In this role, Wallace will assist Troy Weaver and the basketball operations staff, Dwane Casey and the coaching staff and serve as a mentor and development asset for players on the Pistons roster and those joining the Motor City Cruise. The former Pistons’ great will also engage on select organizational business initiatives and community efforts.

“Ben is a Hall of Famer and a Pistons legend who has continued to come back home and support our team and our organization,” said team owner Tom Gores. “He embodies everything we are building here and will be a real asset to Dwane, Troy and the rest of our staff. Ben helped set the standard for what it means to be a Piston and will be a tremendous influence for our young players.”

A September Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductee, Wallace played 1,088 career NBA games over 16 seasons with Washington, Orlando, Detroit, Chicago and Cleveland. He was acquired by Detroit from the Orlando Magic in 2000, spent nine seasons with the Pistons collecting NBA Defensive Player of the Year honors four times (2002, 2003, 2005, 2006) and was named an NBA All-Star four times (2003-06). Undrafted out of Virginia Union, Wallace was an All-NBA Second Team selection three times (2003, 2004, 2006), All-NBA Third Team selection twice (2002 and 2005), an NBA All-Defensive First Team selection five times (2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006), and an All-Defensive Second Team selection once (2007). During his first stint with Detroit (2000-06), the Pistons made the playoffs in five of seven years, winning Eastern Conference Championships in 2004 and 2005 and the NBA Championship in 2004. Wallace is the franchise’s all-time leader in regular-season and playoff blocks (1,486 and 215, respectively) and ranks first among Pistons’ all-time playoff leaders in rebounds (1,237). He holds franchise single-game records for blocks in a game (10 – twice), defensive rebounds in a quarter (10) and blocks in a quarter (6). In 655 games with the Pistons, Wallace averaged 6.6 points, 11.1 rebounds, 2.3 blocks, 1.4 steals and 1.5 assists in 32.6 minutes per game.

Wallace, a native of White Hall, AL, recorded 10,482 rebounds during his career, becoming one of only 40 players, and the only undrafted player (Moses Malone was drafted in the 1974 American Basketball Association Draft by the Portland Trail Blazers in the ABA Dispersal Draft in 1976) in NBA history to record 10,000 rebounds. He is also one of only 11 players in NBA history to record 10,000 rebounds and 2,000 blocks and is the shortest player at 6’9 to record 2,000 career blocks. Overall, Wallace averaged 5.7 points, 9.6 rebounds, 2.0 blocks, 1.3 steals and 1.3 assists in 29.5 minutes per game. His No. 3 jersey was retired by the Pistons in 2016.

Pistons hire Rex Kalamian, Jerome Allen, Jim Moran and Bill Bayno as assistant coaches

The Detroit Pistons have named Rex Kalamian, Jerome Allen, Jim Moran and Bill Bayno as assistant coaches, and Andrew Jones as a player development coach to Head Coach Dwane Casey’s staff.

Additionally, Jordan Brink and Austin Dufault were promoted to player development coaches.

Kalamian reunites with Casey after spending last season as an assistant coach with the Sacramento Kings. He spent the previous two seasons as an assistant coach with the L.A. Clippers and was a part of Casey’s staff in Toronto from 2015-18. His other stops in the NBA as an assistant coach include Oklahoma City (2009-15), Sacramento (2007-09), Minnesota (2005-07), Denver (2004-05) and L.A. Clippers (1995-03). Kalamian also served as a scout for the Clippers (1992-95) and Philadelphia 76ers (2003-04).

Before joining the NBA, Kalamian worked two seasons (1990-92) as an assistant coach at his alma mater, East Los Angeles College. As a player, he was named team captain at ELAC and led the South Coast Conference in 3-point shooting percentage during the 1988-89 season.

Allen comes to Detroit after six seasons as an assistant coach with the Boston Celtics. Prior to joining the Celtics, he served the previous five years as the head coach at the University of Pennsylvania after serving one year as Penn’s interim head coach.

Born in Philadelphia, PA, Allen played collegiately at Penn and was a two-time Ivy League Player of the year. As a four-year starter, he led the Quakers to Ivy League titles in each of his last three seasons. He was drafted 49th overall in the 1995 NBA Draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves and played in 127 career NBA games with Minnesota, Indiana and Denver. He also played professionally in Europe including France, Italy, Greece, Spain and Turkey.

Moran spent the last five seasons as an assistant coach with the Portland Trail Blazers after one season as the team’s associate video coordinator. He began his coaching career as a player development coach for the Maine Red Claws of the then NBA Development League in 2013.

Moran played his entire professional career with CB Gran Canaria in the Spanish ACB League from 2001-11 and is the only player to have his jersey number retired by the club. A native of Syosset, NY, Moran played collegiately at William and Mary where he was named to the All-Colonial Athletic Association Team in both his junior and senior seasons. He also played for the Irish Men’s National Team from 2001-06.

Bayno joins the Pistons after spending the last five seasons as an assistant coach with the Indiana Pacers. Prior to the Pacers, he spent two seasons (2013-15) on Casey’s staff with the Toronto Raptors. Bayno has also served as an assistant with the Minnesota Timberwolves (2011-13) and two stints (2005-08 and 209-11) with the Portland Trail Blazers. Additionally, Bayno has had head coaching stints in the ABA, the Philippine Basketball Association and the Continental Basketball Association where he led the Yakima Sun Kings to the CBA championship in 2003.

A native of Goshen, NY, Bayno was the head coach at UNLV from 1995-2000 and led the Rebels to two NCAA Tournament appearances after winning the Mountain West Conference in 1998 and 2000. In 2000, UNLV won the MW regular season and tournament championships and Bayno was named co-coach of the year. He was also the head coach at Loyola Marymount during the 2008-09 season and served as an assistant coach at the collegiate level at Seton Hall, Kansas, Baptist College and UMass. Bayno played at the University of Massachusetts before transferring to Sacred Heart University.

Jones joins the Pistons from the Philadelphia 76ers where he was a player development coach over the last two seasons. He previously spent five seasons in the Thunder organization, starting as an assistant coach with the Oklahoma City Blue, the team’s G League affiliate, before working as a video analyst/player development for one season. From 2016-19, he worked as a senior performance analyst and player development coach.

Jones, a Philadelphia native, played four seasons at Penn State University from 2007-11 and spent the 2013-14 season as a graduate assistant for the Nittany Lions.

Brink and Dufault served as video coordinator and assistant video coordinator, respectively, with the Pistons prior to their promotions.

Pistons trade Sekou Doumbouya, Jahlil Okafor to Nets for DeAndre Jordan, draft picks

The Brooklyn Nets have acquired forward Sekou Doumbouya and center Jahlil Okafor from the Detroit Pistons in exchange for center DeAndre Jordan, second round draft picks in 2022, 2024 (via Washington), 2025 (via Golden State) and 2027 and cash considerations.

“We appreciate everything DeAndre has contributed to our organization over the past two seasons both on and off the court and wish him and his family the best moving forward,” said Nets General Manager Sean Marks.

Doumbouya (6’8”, 230) has appeared in 94 games (30 starts) across two seasons (2019-21) with the Pistons, recording averages of 5.6 points and 2.8 rebounds in 17.3 minutes per game.

Okafor (6’10”, 270) has seen action in 247 games (116 starts) in six seasons with Detroit (2020-21), New Orleans (2018-20), Brooklyn (2017-18) and Philadelphia (2015-17), posting averages of 10.4 points and 4.7 rebounds in 19.5 minutes per game.

Jordan originally signed as a free agent with Brooklyn on July 6, 2019, and appeared in 113 games (49 starts) in two seasons (2019-21) with the Nets, recording averages of 7.9 points on 71.1 percent shooting from the field, 8.7 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.0 blocks in 21.9 minutes per game. In the 2020-21 campaign, Jordan averaged 7.5 points on 76.3 percent shooting from the field, 7.5 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.1 blocks in 21.9 minutes per contest across 57 games (43 starts). The 33-year-old has played in 932 games (756 starts) in 13 seasons with Brooklyn, New York (2019), Dallas (2018-19) and the L.A. Clippers (2008-18), posting averages of 9.4 points on 67.4 percent shooting from the field, 10.6 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 1.6 blocks in 27.4 minutes per game.

Detroit Pistons hire George David as Assistant General Manager

The Detroit Pistons announced today that George David has been named Assistant General Manager.

David rejoins the Pistons after spending six years at Wasserman Media Group as Senior Vice President of Basketball Operations. The Farmington, MI native worked closely with numerous high-profile NBA players represented by Wasserman.

“I’m excited to return to the Detroit Pistons and help Tom Gores, Arn Tellem and Troy Weaver in the restoring effort of the franchise,” said David. “Detroit has always been home for me and I know how passionate the city and region is about their sports teams. Troy’s vision for building the roster aligns with the core values of Detroit Basketball and I look forward to playing a role in the continued rise of the organization.”

David previously served as Assistant General Manager with Detroit from 2012-14, after promotions from Director of Player Personnel (2007-12) and as Director of Scouting (2002-2007). While a member of Joe Dumars’ basketball operations staff, the club enjoyed one of its most successful runs in franchise history, reaching the Eastern Conference Finals six consecutive years, two NBA Finals and the 2004 NBA Championship. David was first hired within the organization as video coordinator during the 1996-97 season.

“We are pleased to have George David make his return to the Pistons organization”, said Pistons General Manager Troy Weaver. “George has seen success at a championship level and understands exactly what we are restoring in Detroit. His knowledge of the franchise and accumulated experience around all facets of the NBA will be invaluable as we continue to move forward.”

David graduated from Indiana University after working as a student assistant for legendary coach Bob Knight from 1992-96.

In G League, Grand Rapids Gold hire Jason Terry as new head coach

The Grand Rapids Gold, the G League affiliate of the Denver Nuggets, have hired Jason Terry as their new head coach.

The 19-year NBA veteran appeared in 1,410 career games, the ninth most in NBA history. The sharp-shooting NBA Champion owns career averages of 13.4 points, 2.3 rebounds and 3.8 assists while connecting on 2,282 career three-pointers, the seventh most all-time. After wrapping up his prolific playing career in 2018, Terry spent the 2019-20 season as the Assistant General Manager for the G League’s Texas Legends and the 2020-21 season as an assistant coach with his alma mater Arizona Wildcats.

Terry was drafted 10th overall in the 1999 NBA Draft by the Atlanta Hawks where he was named to the All-Rookie Second Team in 1999-00. Terry spent the first five years of his career with the Hawks before being traded to Dallas where he spent the next eight seasons and helped the Mavericks earn an NBA Championship in 2011. Terry appeared in all 21 playoff games during the championship run while averaging 17.5 points (second to Nowitzki), 3.2 assists and shot a scorching 44.2% from beyond the arc. He enjoyed one of his most successful individual seasons in 2008-09 when he was named the Sixth Man of the Year after averaging 19.6 points, 2.4 rebounds and 3.4 assists in 33.7 minutes per game.

The Seattle, Washington native entered the NBA after spending four years at the University of Arizona, including a senior season where he averaged 21.9 points, 3.3 rebounds and 5.5 assists and shot 40% from three-point range. Terry was named Pac-12 Player of the Year, All-Pac-12 First Team and Consensus All-American First Team his final season at Arizona.

Pistons re-sign Hamidou Diallo

The Detroit Pistons have re-signed guard Hamidou Diallo.

Diallo, 6-5, 202, was acquired by the Pistons from the Oklahoma City Thunder on March 13, 2021, in exchange for Svi Mykhailiuk and future draft consideration. In 20 games (four starts) as a Piston, Diallo averaged 11.2 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 23.3 minutes. Overall, he recorded career-high averages of 11.6 points (48% FG), 5.2 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 23.6 minutes in 52 games (nine starts) with the Thunder and Pistons last season.

Diallo, 23, was selected 45th overall in the 2018 NBA Draft by the Brooklyn Nets and subsequently involved in two trades to Charlotte and then Oklahoma City following the draft. In 149 career NBA games (15 starts), he’s averaged 7.5 points, 3.6 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 0.7 steals in 17.8 minutes with Oklahoma City and Detroit. He also won the NBA Slam Dunk Contest as a rookie at the 2019 NBA All-Star Weekend in Charlotte.

A native of Queens, N.Y., Diallo played one season collegiately at Kentucky in 2017-18, averaging 10.0 points, 3.6 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 0.8 steals in 24.8 minutes over 37 games (all starts).

Pistons sign rookies Luka Garza and Chris Smith to two-way contracts

The Detroit Pistons have signed rookie center Luka Garza and rookie forward Chris Smith to two-way contracts.

Garza, 6-11, 235, earned unanimous 2020-21 National Player of the Year honors after averaging 24.1 points, 8.7 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.6 blocks and 31.6 minutes in 31 games as a senior at Iowa. He led the nation in points (747) and field goals made (281) while shooting .553 from the field and .440 from 3-point range in 2020-21. Garza was a two-time unanimous All-America First Team selection and two-time Big Ten Player of the Year while becoming Iowa’s all-time leading scorer (2,306), marking the seventh-highest scoring total in Big Ten history.

Garza became the first Big Ten player to average at least 23.0 points and 8.0 rebounds in consecutive seasons since 1994. He finished his career as a Hawkeye with averages of 18.2 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.2 blocks in 127 games.

Smith, 6-9, 215, played four seasons at UCLA and averaged 8.0 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 105 career games for the Bruins. He averaged 12.6 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.0 assists in eight games as a senior prior to a season-ending injury. As a junior, Smith posted averages of 13.1 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.6 assists and was named the Pac 12’s Most Improved Player of the Year while earning first-team All-Pac-12 honors.

Detroit Pistons re-sign guard Rodney McGruder

The Detroit Pistons have re-signed guard Rodney McGruder.

McGruder, 6-4, 205, tallied averages of 5.7 points, 1.4 rebounds, 1.0 assists in 12.1 minutes over 16 games (two starts) with Detroit in 2020-21. The five-year NBA veteran shot .529 from the field and .458 from 3-point range a season ago. McGruder was acquired by Detroit from the L.A. Clippers as part of a three-team trade that also included the Brooklyn Nets on Nov. 19, 2020.

Following a four-year career at Kansas State, McGruder made his NBA debut for the Miami HEAT on Oct. 26, 2016. He went on to play three seasons for Miami before suiting up for the Clippers for the 2019-20 campaign. He has career averages of 5.9 points, 3.0 rebounds, 1.3 assists in 234 NBA games (118 starts) and has played in nine NBA Playoff contests across two playoff appearances, one with each of his former teams.

Detroit Pistons re-sign guard Frank Jackson

The Detroit Pistons have re-signed guard Frank Jackson.

Jackson, 6-3, 205, averaged 9.8 points, 2.2 rebounds, 0.9 assists in 18.5 minutes over 40 games (six starts) with Detroit in 2020-21. Jackson shot .457 from the field, .407 from distance and .813 from the free-throw line a season ago while under a two-way contract with the Pistons. He had four games with at least 20 points and scored in double figures in 21 contests.

The Duke product was drafted 31st overall by the Charlotte Hornets in the 2017 NBA Draft and made his NBA debut for the New Orleans Pelicans on Oct. 17, 2018. Jackson holds career averages of 7.9 points, 1.9 rebounds, 1.0 assists in 16.9 minutes over 160 NBA games (24 starts).