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Pistons trade Tony Snell and Khyri Thomas to Hawks for Dewayne Dedmon

In a trade today, the Atlanta Hawks have acquired guards Tony Snell and Khyri Thomas from the Detroit Pistons in exchange for center Dewayne Dedmon.

In a subsequent move, the Hawks waived Thomas.

Snell, originally the 20th overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, has averaged 6.5 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 22.5 minutes (.428 FG%, .385 3FG%, .838 FT%) in 501 career games (275 starts) with Chicago, Milwaukee and Detroit. In 38 playoff contests (eight starts), he’s averaged 3.4 points and 1.4 rebounds in 14.0 minutes.

Last season in 59 games (57 starts) with the Pistons, the 6-foot-6 Snell averaged 8.0 points, 2.2 assists and 1.9 rebounds in 27.8 minutes (.445 FG%, .402 3FG%, 32-32 FTs), ranking tied for 24th in the NBA in three-point percentage.

In two seasons with the Pistons, Thomas has played in 34 games, averaging 2.3 points. He’s also appeared in three postseason contests. Thomas was originally a second-round pick of the Philadelphia 76ers (38th overall) in the 2018 NBA Draft.

Dedmon was re-acquired by the Hawks from the Sacramento Kings on February 6, 2020. Last season in 10 games (eight starts) with the Hawks, he averaged 8.1 points, 8.2 rebounds, 1.5 blocks and 1.0 steals in 23.3 minutes. In 136 games (106 starts) over three seasons with Atlanta, Dedmon compiled 10.2 points, 7.7 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.0 blocks in 24.9 minutes (.499 FG%, .358 3FG%, .802 FT%).

Background and bio info on Pistons rookie Killian Hayes

The 2020 NBA Draft was Wednesday night, and with the 7th overall pick, the Detroit Pistons selected Killian Hayes. Here’s the Detroit Free Press:

Even though he was raised in France, Killian Hayes had the most Detroit Pistons connections of any player the organization could’ve targeted in Wednesday’s 2020 NBA draft.

Hayes, 19, began training with former Pistons point guard Will Bynum last summer, thanks to a connection with former Pistons guard and president Joe Dumars. And Hayes is good friends with Sekou Doumbouya, his fellow Frenchman.

On Wednesday night, it became official. The Pistons selected Hayes seventh overall, giving them one of the best point guard prospects in the draft to kick off their retooling.

Hayes, 6-foot-5 with a 6-8 wingspan, established himself as one of the draft’s more versatile players, bringing both size, playmaking and scoring upside to Detroit.

And the Detroit News:

Weaver stuck to the draft board and set the Pistons up at a needed position. With Derrick Rose as the only experienced point guard on the roster, Hayes doesn’t have to step into the starting lineup immediately and can learn the ropes.

“We stayed true to the board, absolutely. It pretty much went the way we thought we would go,” Weaver said. “We were fortunate enough that our guy was at No. 7 and we were excited about that.”

Hayes has extensive international experience and is known for his pick-and-roll ability and with his 6-8 wingspan, he can become a solid defender for the Pistons on the perimeter.

The only stars on the current Pistons roster played better basketball in the past: point guard Derrick Rose and power forward Blake Griffin. Most other spots in the rotation are up for grabs.

Three-team NBA trade sends Landry Shamet and Bruce Brown to Nets, Luke Kennard to Clippers, Saddiq Bey to Pistons

The Brooklyn Nets have acquired guard Landry Shamet and the draft rights to forward Reggie Perry, the 57th overall pick in the second round of the 2020 NBA Draft, from the Los Angeles Clippers and guard Bruce Brown from the Detroit Pistons in a three-team trade.

The Nets traded the draft rights to Saddiq Bey, the 19th overall pick in the first round of the 2020 NBA Draft, guard Dzanan Musa, the draft rights to guard Jaylen Hands and Toronto’s 2021 second round draft pick to Detroit, and the draft rights to guard/forward Jay Scrubb, the 55th overall pick in the second round of the 2020 NBA Draft, to the Clippers.

To complete the deal, the Pistons traded forward Luke Kennard, center Justin Patton, Portland’s 2023 second round draft pick and Detroit’s second round draft picks in 2024, 2025 and 2026 to the Clippers. And the Clippers dealt guard Rodney McGruder and cash considerations to the Pistons.

Shamet (6’4”, 190) has appeared in 132 games (57 starts) across two seasons with Philadelphia (2018-19) and the Clippers (2019-20), recording averages of 9.2 points on 42.0 percent shooting from the field and 40.2 percent from 3-point range, 1.8 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 24.7 minutes per game. In the 2019-20 season, the Kansas City, Mo., native saw action in 53 games (30 starts), averaging 9.3 points on 40.4 percent shooting from the field and 37.5 percent from 3-point range, 1.9 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 27.4 minutes per contest. As a rookie, Shamet split the season between the Sixers and Clippers, registering averages of 9.1 points on 43.1 percent shooting from the field and 42.2 percent from distance, 1.7 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 22.8 minutes per game in 79 games (27 starts) en route to NBA All-Rookie Second Team honors. Shamet was originally selected with the 26th overall pick in the first round of the 2018 NBA Draft by Philadelphia after spending three years (2015-18) at Wichita State, where he earned All-Missouri Valley Conference First Team honors in 2017, All-American Athletic Conference First Team honors in 2018 and honorable mention All-America honors from the Associated Press in 2018.

Brown (6’4”, 202) has seen action in 132 games (99 starts) in the past two seasons with the Pistons, registering averages of 6.3 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 23.4 minutes per game. As a rookie in the 2018-19 season, Brown registered averages of 4.3 points on 39.8 percent shooting from the field and 25.8 percent from 3-point range, 2.5 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 19.6 minutes per game across 74 games (56 starts). In the 2019-20 campaign, Brown appeared in 58 games (43 starts) and improved his statistics across the board, averaging 8.9 points on 44.3 percent shooting from the field and 34.4 percent from 3-point range, 4.7 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.1 steals in 28.2 minutes per contest. The 24-year-old Boston native was originally selected with the 42nd overall pick in the second round of the 2018 NBA Draft by Detroit after spending two years (2016-18) at the University of Miami.

Perry (6’10”, 250) played two collegiate seasons (2018-20) at Mississippi State, recording averages of 13.4 points, 8.6 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 27.3 minutes per contest in 65 games (49 starts). As a sophomore last season, Perry appeared in 31 games (all starts) and averaged 17.4 points, 10.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 31.1 minutes per game en route to earning consensus All-SEC First Team honors from coaches and media and being named the SEC’s Co-Player of the Year by the Associated Press. The Thomasville, Ga., native also earned All-SEC Freshman Team honors for his play during the 2018-19 season, when he averaged 9.7 points and 7.2 rebounds in 23.9 minutes per game in 34 contests (18 starts). In addition to his time with the Bulldogs, Perry competed on USA Basketball’s team in the 2019 FIBA U19 World Cup, where he won a gold medal, was named Most Valuable Player and was selected to the All-Tournament Team.

Musa appeared in 49 games in two seasons with the Nets, posting averages of 4.3 points and 1.9 rebounds in 10.7 minutes per game. In 40 games during the 2019-20 campaign, Musa recorded averages of 4.8 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 12.2 minutes per contest. A native of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Musa was originally selected with the 29th overall pick in the first round of the 2018 NBA Draft by Brooklyn.

Bey, 6-8, 215, was taken with the 19th selection of the 2020 NBA Draft after playing for Villanova for two seasons. Bey finished his sophomore campaign with averages of 16.1 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 33.9 minutes through 31 games. He shot .477 from the floor and .451 from distance a season ago, marking the fourth-highest 3-point shooting percentage in the nation. Bey finished with a .418 clip from 3-point range for his collegiate career. He was named a 2019-20 Honorable Mention AP All-American and unanimous All-Big East First Team selection. He was a Top-15 finalist for the 2019-20 John Wooden Award and was the winner of the 2019-20 Julius Erving Award, recognizing the nation’s top small forward. The Charlotte, N.C. native was also selected to the 2018-19 Big East All-Freshman team.

Hands, 6-3, 180, played for the Long Island Nets in the NBA G League in 2019-20. He averaged 11.3 points, 3.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.0 steals in 22.6 minutes in 41 games. Hands was drafted 56th overall in the 2019 NBA Draft by the L.A. Clippers and played two seasons at UCLA from 2017-19.

McGruder, 6-4, 205, played for the L.A. Clippers in 2019-20 after spending three years with the Miami Heat. McGruder holds career averages of 5.9 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 218 NBA games (116 starts). The Kansas State product has played in nine NBA Playoff games in two playoff appearances, one with each of his former teams.

Pistons select Killian Hayes at No. 7 overall in 2020 NBA Draft

The Detroit Pistons selected Killian Hayes with the seventh overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft.

Hayes, 6-5, 216, averaged 11.6 points, 3.2 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.4 steals in 25.1 minutes through 20 games while playing for ratiopharm Ulm in Germany’s top league (BBL) a season ago. Hayes shot .497 from the floor and .852 from the free-throw line as he led all players under age 22 in scoring and assists in both the EuroCup league and German BBL this past season.

Prior to playing in Germany, the 19-year-old competed professionally in France for Cholet’s senior team from 2017-19. Hayes posted clips of 6.1 points and 2.7 assists on .435 shooting while suiting up in 43 games for the club. He also won a gold medal with France and was named MVP of the 2017 FIBA Under-16 European Championship (16.6 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 5.1 apg).

Hayes was born in Lakeland, Fla., before moving to France. His father, DeRon, played collegiately at Penn State and had a lengthy basketball career overseas, mostly in France.

The seventh overall selection marked the Pistons highest pick in the draft since 2010 and tied the franchise’s fourth-highest pick in any draft since 1981.

Detroit Pistons G League affiliate team to be named as Motor City Cruise

The Detroit Pistons announced today the name and logo for their new NBA G League affiliate, the Motor City Cruise. Detroit’s newest professional franchise will play its games on the campus of Wayne State University starting with the 2021-22 season.

The new NBA G League club’s moniker pays homage to the region’s automotive history and love for the open road. The logo, unveiled this morning, incorporates the iconic red basketball from the traditional Pistons brand. The colors – red, white, blue and gray – and lettering align with the Pistons’ current font and color scheme. The new mark also features firing tail pipes that are symbolic of classic muscle cars and serve as a nod to the Pistons brand from the early 2000’s.

Dylan Martin of Grandville, MI, was the winner of the fan naming contest completed in August and was the first of 10 individuals to submit the name Motor City Cruise. He wins four courtside season tickets and a VIP package for the inaugural season. The other nine who submitted the name will receive two season tickets and prize packs.

Pistons owner Tom Gores made the decision to involve fans in the naming of the new NBA G League franchise as an opportunity to engage the community and create excitement for Detroit’s newest team.

“After considering many clever submissions, we are excited to announce the Motor City Cruise as the next professional sports franchise for the city of Detroit,” said Mr. Gores. “We wanted Pistons fans to help us with the naming process and engage with our new brand from the beginning. Our new G League team will create an affordable entertainment option in Detroit and also play an important role in our player development goals.

“We thank those who took time to offer suggestions.”

The Detroit Pistons and the NBA G League announced in July that the Pistons purchased the G League’s Northern Arizona Suns affiliate from the Phoenix Suns.

Pistons have big needs to fill in free agency

The Pistons finished this shortened NBA season with a 20-46 record, which was 13th best in the Eastern conference. The only stars on the roster are former NBA MVP Derrick Rose and power forward Blake Griffin, who had an injury-filled, disappointing season. Here’s the Detroit Free Press with an overview of what Pistons free agency may look like this offseason:

The Pistons are projected to have around $30 million in cap space, depending on the new salary cap. They are among six teams in the league that will have cap space, positioning them to be a major player in the free agency and trade market.

Since general manager Troy Weaver took over in June, the organization has avoided using the term “rebuild.” Despite finishing 20-46 and moving on from Andre Drummond and Reggie Jackson, the franchise is eyeing a return to playoff relevancy.

It’s tough to project exactly what the Pistons will prioritize. But there are two obvious positional needs on the roster — point guard, and center. Pistons coach Dwane Casey told reporters in June that for the roster to continue to develop, the team needs a starting point guard. Derrick Rose is the only natural point guard on the roster with experience. Considering he has a year left on his deal, it seems likely the Pistons will look to acquire a point guard either through the draft or free agency.

The roster also only has one true center under contract next season in recently signed Justin Patton. There are other players on the roster capable of playing the position, but the Pistons lack depth there. Casey experimented with playing Sekou Doumbouya as a small center during group workouts in September, but said having a traditional center is a necessity.

D-Rose is 32 years old, while Griffin is 31. While Rose is signed just through next season, Griffin reportedly has a player option for almost $39 million in the 2021-22 season. Unless he has a seriously great bounce-back season, Griffin is likely to exercise that option to remain with Detroit.

But no matter how those two players play, the team is clearly in rebuild mode, and that needs to dictate the moves they make in the next few months.

Pistons basketball operations staff hirings

The Detroit Pistons announced today the completion of their basketball operations staff with the additions of Britta Brown, Tony Leotti, Michael Lindo and Ryan West, as well as the return of former staffers Harold Ellis and Rod Williams.

Britta Brown joins the club as Senior Director of Basketball Administration. Brown will oversee team operations, logistics and assist in day-to-day management of the department. Most recently, Brown was an Assistant Athletic Director at Eastern Michigan University, responsible for athletic and alumni events, overall development and daily department management. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2008 where she was also a member of the women’s lacrosse team.

Tony Leotti joins the Pistons as Senior Director of Strategy and Systems. Leotti will assist with salary cap oversight and overall strategy. Leotti joins Detroit after four seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers where served as the club’s Director of Basketball Administration & Team Counsel and was a part of the 2016 NBA Champions front office. Prior to joining the Cavs, he served as the Associate Vice President & Senior Associate Counsel for the NBA where he advised team and league personnel with transactions and interpretations of the collective bargaining agreement. Leotti earned his Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and Economics from Georgetown in 2004 while also competing as a lightweight rower. He later received a Juris Doctor law degree and a Master of Business Administration degree from New York University in 2010.

Harold Ellis and Ryan West both join the basketball front office as pro personnel evaluators. Ellis rejoins the Pistons following a stint as a Pistons assistant coach during the 2008-09 season and as a scout for the team from 2009-12. Since those appointments, he held a Director of Pro Scouting position with the Orlando Magic from 2012-17 and a Director of Player Personnel role with the New York Knicks from 2017-20. West comes to Detroit after spending more than a decade in scouting capacities with the Los Angeles Lakers, holding the Director of Player Personnel title from 2015-19. He was also a scout for the Memphis Grizzlies from 2002-09.

Michael Lindo has been hired as Director of Player and Family Engagement and will be responsible for assisting Pistons players and their families off the court. Prior to coming to Detroit, Lindo worked at Under Armour for six years as the Sports Marketing Consultant – Director of Under Armour Association. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Sports Management from Howard University in 2013 and his Master of Professional Studies in Sports Industry Management from Georgetown in 2016.

Along with the announced new hires, the club also announced five promotions within the department. Gregg Polinsky has been elevated to Senior Director of Player Personnel, Bernard Condevaux to Senior Director of Medical and Performance, Dan Rosenbaum to Senior Director of Analytics, Eric Tellem to Director of Pro Scouting and Jhonika Hawkins to Director of Executive Operations. The club also welcomes back Rod Williams as Director of Team Security. He rejoins the Pistons after serving in security positions with the club from 2012-14 and 2017-18.

Detroit Pistons holding minicamp

A number of teams that weren’t involved with the league restart at the Disney NBA bubble are currently holding minicamps of their own, each in their own individual location. Here’s the Detroit News on it:

By every stretch of Dwane Casey’s imagination, his team’s workouts during phase 2 of in-market minicamp, has been a rousing success.

But the biggest positive for the Detroit Pistons head coach has been what he’s getting out of 24-year-old shooting guard Luke Kennard, who’s taking part in his first basketball activities since Dec. 21, when the former first-round pick was sidelined with bilateral knee tendonitis.

“He’s healthy, he’s playing well, his body looks good, and that’s been another bright spot,” Casey told reporters on Saturday. “I really like what I see out of Luke.” …

The Pistons have not been together for organized scrimmages and full practices since their season ended on March 11.

The biggest areas of focus for the Pistons this offseason will of course be the draft and free agency, but also the health of Blake Griffin, who is coming off of a season-ending knee injury and reportedly not participating in the minicamp. Word is that Griffin is now healthy. For the Pistons, that could mean trying to trade the 31-year-old power forward, who is signed for several more seasons to a team that is clearly rebuilding and not about to be competitive anytime soon.

Ticket resale news developing in Michigan

Anyone who keeps up with the world of ticket reselling / scalping would be interested in a story developing in Michigan, as reported by the Detroit News:

Michigan crept closer Tuesday to repealing the state’s ban on ticket scalping as a years-long effort to reform the law gained steam.

State House lawmakers passed legislation Tuesday that would repeal a Michigan ban on ticket scalping while preventing software or practices that interfere with a venue’s ticket sale efforts.

The two bills will advance next to the Senate, where the upper chamber will vote on whether it concurs with changes to the legislation it originally approved in January.

Michigan’s ban on reselling event tickets at prices above face value has been in place since 1931.

Pistons buy Northern Arizona Suns G League team from Phoenix Suns

The Detroit Pistons, the Phoenix Suns and the NBA G League today announced that the Pistons have agreed to purchase the Northern Arizona Suns from the Phoenix Suns. The rebranded team is expected to play in a new arena currently being constructed on the campus of Wayne State University beginning in the 2021-22 season.

“I’m excited to welcome Tom Gores and the Detroit Pistons as NBA G League owners,” said NBA G League President Shareef Abdur-Rahim. “It’s always bittersweet for a team to relocate, and I thank Robert Sarver and the Phoenix Suns for their time in this league and the fans in Northern Arizona for their ongoing commitment to the team. I’m sure the fans in Detroit will welcome the team with open arms and I look forward to watching NBA G League basketball at Wayne State for seasons to come.”

Pistons owner Tom Gores said the NBA G League will be good for the Pistons organization and the community.

“This is another important investment in our franchise and in the city of Detroit,” said Mr. Gores. “Having an NBA G League team near our new performance center will be an advantage for our front office, our coaching staff and our young players. It will also generate more economic activity in the area and serve as a catalyst for additional development.”

The Pistons current “hybrid” affiliation with the Grand Rapids Drive will continue through the 2020-21 NBA G League season. The Phoenix Suns will continue to operate the Northern Arizona Suns for the 2020-21 season.

In May 2019, the Pistons announced a multi-faceted partnership with Wayne State University, including an NBA G League team to play in a new arena that the school is constructing for its men’s and women’s basketball programs less than two miles from both Little Caesars Arena and the Henry Ford Detroit Pistons Performance Center.

In addition to playing games on the school’s campus, a move that will generate revenue and usage of the new facility, the organization will work with Wayne State administrators to create programs and internship opportunities for students in fields like sports marketing, community relations, physical therapy, rehabilitation and sports and entertainment business operations.

The NBA G League serves as the NBA’s developmental league preparing players, coaches, officials, trainers and front- office staff for NBA positions while acting as the league’s research and development laboratory. Playing with 28 teams for the 2019-20 season, the NBA G League is a proven developer of talent. A record 42 percent of NBA players to start the 2019-20 season had NBA G League experience, a number that rose to 57 percent when the season concluded on March 11.