Category: Detroit Pistons Blog

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Pistons sign Kevin Knox

The Detroit Pistons have signed forward Kevin Knox II.

Knox II (6-7, 215) suited up for the Pistons and Portland Trail Blazers in 2022-23, averaging 6.6 points, 2.8 rebounds and 15.1 minutes in 63 games. He appeared in 42 games for the Pistons and averaged 5.6 points, 2.6 rebounds and 0.4 assists while shooting 47% from the field in 14.1 minutes per game.

The Phoenix native was traded from Detroit to Portland on Feb. 9, 2023, as part of a four-team trade with Atlanta, Golden State and Portland. Following the trade, Knox II appeared in 21 games for the Trail Blazers where he averaged 8.5 points and 3.3 rebounds in 17.1 minutes. He holds career averages of 7.5 points, 2.9 rebounds and 18.0 minutes in 275 career NBA games (66 starts).

Drafted ninth overall by New York in the 2018 NBA Draft, Knox II played collegiately for one season at Kentucky where he earned SEC Co-Freshman of the Year while being named to the SEC All-Freshman and All-SEC Tournament First Team in 2017-18.

Pistons injury parade continues

Detroit Pistons guard Joe Harris suffered a sprained AC joint in his right shoulder in Sunday’s game vs. Phoenix.

Harris will be reevaluated in 10-14 days.

Per the Detroit Free Press, “Detroit now has seven injured players. Bojan Bogdanovic (right calf strain), Monte Morris (right quad strain) and Isaiah Livers (left ankle sprain) have yet to make their season debuts. Alec Burks (left forearm contusion) has missed four consecutive games. And Jaden Ivey (illness) will miss his third straight game against the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday.”

Detroit Pistons injury updates on Bojan Bogdanovic, Monte Morris and Isaiah Livers

Some Detroit Pistons injury updates were announced today, on the opening night of the 2023-24 NBA regular season:

Pistons forward Bojan Bogdanovic is out with a right calf strain. He will be reevaluated in four weeks.

Pistons guard Monte Morris suffered a right quad strain during a recent rehab session that ramped up basketball activities after missing time with lower back soreness. He will be reevaluated in three weeks.

Isaiah Livers (Grade III left ankle sprain) is making progress towards returning to basketball activities. He will be reevaluated in approximately four weeks.

Pistons convert Stanley Umude deal to two-way contract

The Detroit Pistons have converted Stanley Umude’s contract to a two-way contract.

Umude signed an Exhibit 10 deal on August 7.

Umude (6-6, 210) appeared in 43 games for the Motor City Cruise, the NBA G-League affiliate of the Detroit Pistons, last season and averaged 15.4 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 27.5 minutes per game. Umude signed a 10-day contract with Detroit on Feb. 10, 2022, and appeared in one game for the Pistons during the 2022-23 season.

A native of Portland, Ore., Umude appeared in 138 collegiate games with South Dakota and Arkansas. He averaged 14.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 0.7 steals, while shooting 46.8% from the field, during his college career and helped Arkansas to the 2022 NCAA Elite Eight during his one season with the Razorbacks.

Detroit Pistons 2023-24 preseason schedule

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).

On Cade Cunningham’s return from injury for the Pistons

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.

FULL ARTICLE

Nets trade Joe Harris to Pistons

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.

Wizards trade Monte Morris to Pistons

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.

Pistons sign rookie Marcus Sasser

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.