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Pistons add guard Jordan McRae off waivers

The Detroit Pistons claimed guard Jordan McRae off waivers today.

McRae, 6-5, 179, averaged career highs in points (11.5 ppg), rebounds (3.3 rpg), assists (2.6 apg) and minutes (20.8 mpg) in 33 games (four starts) with Washington and Denver this season.

The Detroit News adds this:

Jordan McRae had a busy first 24 hours on the job after joining the Pistons on Wednesday. He barely had time to process that he was joining his third team this season before he was off a plane from Denver and headed to Little Caesars Arena.

He warmed up for the game and while team equipment manager John Coumoundouros was still preparing McRae’s jersey, the newest Piston, who was claimed off waivers, was still trying to find his way around Little Caesars Arena and get his bearings before Wednesday’s game against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

In 119 career NBA games (nine starts), the Savannah, GA native has averaged 6.7 points, 1.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists with Phoenix, Cleveland, Washington and Denver. He was drafted 58th overall in the 2014 NBA Draft by the San Antonio Spurs.

McRae played four years at the University of Tennessee, where he averaged 13.3 points and 3.3 rebounds in 114 games and was a two-time All-SEC selection. He averaged 18.7 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.8 assists as a senior.

Pistons sign Donta Hall to another 10-day contract

The Detroit Pistons today signed forward/center Donta Hall to a second 10-day contract.

Hall has played three games for the Pistons so far, averaging 1.7 points and 3.7 rebounds in 13.8 minutes per game.

Listed at 6-foot-9, 229 pounds, Hall has spent most of this season playing in the G League for the Pistons’ G League affiliate team, the Grand Rapids Drive. For the Drive, Hall averaged 15.4 points (66% FG), 10.5 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 1.4 blocks and 1.0 steals in 28.6 minutes per game.

Hall played four seasons of college basketball at the University of Alabama, where he put up modest stats: 7.5 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.7 blocks in 135 games. Those sort of numbers usually point to a career overseas. But Hall has earned himself a good opportunity lately.

Pistons sign Donta Hall, from G League, to 10-day contract

The Detroit Pistons signed forward/center Donta Hall to a 10-day contract today.

Hall, 6-9, 229, appeared in 36 games (35 starts) this season with the Grand Rapids Drive, the NBA’s G League affiliate of the Pistons. He’s averaged 15.4 points (66% FG), 10.5 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 1.4 blocks and 1.0 steals in 28.6 minutes per game.

Collegiately, Hall played four seasons at the University of Alabama where he averaged 7.5 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.7 blocks in 135 games and was named to the SEC All-Defensive as a junior.

The Luverne, AL native was a member of the Pistons 2019 Summer League team and was also in training camp with Detroit this season.

Pistons waive Markieff Morris, as two sides reach buyout agreement

The Detroit Pistons and Markieff Morris have reached an agreement to buy out the veteran forward’s contract. The Pistons have requested waivers on Morris.

Morris signed as a free agent with the Pistons on July 6, 2019. He averaged 11.0 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.6 assists while shooting .450 from the field and a career-best .397 from three-point range in 44 games (16 starts) during his time with Detroit.

On this move, ESPN.com today reported the following: “Morris had signed a two-year contract with Detroit in July that was to have paid him $3.2 million this season and included a $3.36 million player option for next season. Morris had a total of $4.3 million remaining over the length of the deal. In order to secure a buyout, Morris relinquished the rights to the full amount he was owed, sources told ESPN’s Bobby Marks.”

Pistons sign Derrick Walton Jr. to 10-day contract

The Detroit Pistons signed guard Derrick Walton Jr. to a 10-day contract today.

Walton Jr., 6-0, 189, last played for the Los Angeles Clippers this season. In 23 games (one start), he averaged 2.2 points, 0.7 rebounds and 1.0 assists before being traded to the Atlanta Hawks on February 6. He was then waived by the Hawks. In 39 career NBA games with Miami and the Clippers, Walton Jr. has averaged 2.0 points, 0.8 rebounds and 1.0 assists.

A native of Detroit, MI, Walton Jr. starred collegiately at the University of Michigan where he guided the Wolverines to back-to-back NCAA tournaments in 2016 and 2017. He also led Michigan to the 2017 Big Ten Championship and was named the tournament’s MVP.

Walton Jr. played high school basketball at Chandler Park Academy in Harper Woods, MI, where he was coached by his father, Derrick Walton Sr.

Clippers sign Reggie Jackson

The L.A. Clippers signed free agent guard Reggie Jackson today.

“Reggie is a proven playmaker and scorer, and we are looking forward to adding his experience and creativity to our team,” said Frank.

Jackson, 29, appeared in 14 games for the Detroit Pistons this season, averaging 14.9 points, 5.1 assists and 2.9 rebounds in 27.2 minutes. The 6’3”, 208-pound guard holds career averages of 12.9 points, 4.4 assists and 3.0 rebounds in 544 appearances across eight NBA seasons with the Oklahoma City Thunder and Detroit. Before being selected by Oklahoma City with the 24th overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, Jackson played three collegiate seasons at Boston College, where as a junior he was named first-team All-ACC.

Pistons waive Reggie Jackson, as part of buyout agreement

The Detroit Pistons and Reggie Jackson have agreed to part ways, completing a buyout agreement today. The Pistons therefore waive Jackson.

The Pistons originally acquired Jackson in a February, 2015 trade with the Thunder. As a Pistons, Jackson averaged 16.2 points, 2.9 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game, shooting .425 from the field and .354 from three-point range in 299 games (293 starts).

According to the Detroit Free Press, Jackson “was in the final year of a five-year, $80 million deal signed in 2015, and making $18 million this season.”

Jackson has spent much of this season limited due to injury, and has already missed 43 games in 2019-20.

Jackson’s career high in scoring with Detroit was 40 points, in a November, 2015 game against the Trail Blazers.

The Detroit News had this to say: “After Drummond was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers, Jackson was one of the last vestiges of the Van Gundy era; the only remaining players from that group are Luke Kennard — who becomes the longest-tenured Pistons player — Blake Griffin and Langston Galloway. Galloway is in the final year of his contract and Kennard was rumored to be in trade talks before the deadline.”

Assuming he clears waivers, the veteran guard, per multiple reports, is expected to sign with the Clippers.

Pistons forward Blake Griffin out after knee surgery

Detroit Pistons forward Blake Griffin had knee surgery today and will be out for an indefinite period of time.

The team says that Griffin underwent a successful arthroscopic debridement of his left knee.

A six-time All-Star, Griffin is having an extremely disappointing season, averaging 15.5 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.3 assists per outing.

Here’s the Detroit News reporting:

Griffin has struggled this season, missing the last four games; he last played in the loss San Antonio Spurs on Dec. 28, finishing with 12 points on 3-of-16 shooting — with 3-of-10 on 3-pointers. He missed the remainder of the western trip, including a notable matchup against his former team, the Los Angeles Clippers, on Jan. 2.

Last season, Griffin had the highest production, posting a career-best 24.5 points, along with 7.5 rebounds and 5.4 assists and was voted third-team All-NBA. Following a surgical procedure last summer, Griffin was expecting to return in a similar form, but he had setbacks, causing him to be limited in the preseason and then to miss the first 10 games of the regular season…

Griffin is in the third year of a five-year contract worth $173 million.

The Pistons are 13-24 this season, and face major decisions to make in regard to Andre Drummond, who openly plans to test free agency this summer. It wouldn’t be a surprise if they were to make a huge trade or two in the coming weeks, before February’s trade deadline.

Will the Pistons trade Andre Drummond?

 

 

 

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The Pistons are going nowhere fast this season, and Andre Drummond can opt out of his contract this summer. It will cost Detroit a ton of money to keep him. Naturally, this leads to trade speculation.

Here’s ESPN.com with an update:

Drummond, who has spent his entire eight-year career with the organization, did not hesitate when asked why he would like to stay in Detroit.

“I’m not a quitter, for one,” Drummond said after scoring 14 points and grabbing 18 rebounds in Saturday’s 111-104 win over the Golden State Warriors. “I was never brought up to be a quitter. If I start somewhere, I try to finish there, try to complete the mission, which is to win a championship here. It will never be me that wants to go anywhere … I love being here. I would love to play here the rest of my career.”

The Pistons are 13-23 this season. Drummond is putting up big stats, but Blake Griffin is having a very disappointing season, guards Derrick Rose and Luke Kennard are getting buckets, but there isn’t much else to write home about. The team has tough decisions to make. A rebuild is clearly necessary, and whether it should include Drummond on a massive new contract or not is up for debate.

Pistons guard Luke Kennard out with knee injury

In yet another indication of how a rough Pistons season is going, shooting guard Luke Kennard will miss the next two weeks with bilateral knee tendinitis.

Kennard will begin a treatment regimen and be re-evaluated for a return to action on January 7.

The Pistons are 11-20 this season, which is the 11th best record in the Eastern conference. Kennard this season is scoring 15.8 points per game, which tied him with Blake Griffin for the team’s third-leading scorer. The guard has started 25 ofhis 28 games played.