Category: Detroit Pistons Blog

The Pistons are now offering four separate 10-game ticket plans for the upcoming season.

Plan A features games against nine playoff teams from last season, including Houston, now with Dwight Howard, the new-look Nets with Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce, the Clippers with Chris Paul and Blake Griffin, and the Heat.

Plans B and C includes many Friday, Saturday and Sunday games, the latter of which will have the Pistons wearing their new blue “Motor City” uniforms.

Reported by the Detroit Free Press

The Pistons weren’t done wheeling and dealing, as Pistons president and Louisiana native Joe Dumars returned to his riverboat gambler ways, acquiring point guard Brandon Jennings in a sign-and-trade from the Milwaukee Bucks.

The Pistons traded Brandon Knight, Khris Middleton and Slava Kravtsov for Jennings and will have him for the next three years at $24 million total.

Mind you, this was not too far removed from Dumars demonstratively denying any talks with the Bucks, run by good friend and former Pistons executive John Hammond.

Meaning he plays poker, too. In acquiring Jennings and Josh Smith, there’s two talented but mercurial players who could be termed as “wild cards.”

Chemistry is indeed a fair question, but considering the Pistons got two players for far less than they felt they’d command on the open market — Smith wanted a max contract and Jennings wanted $12 million per season — they should have two players with things to prove to the NBA at large.

A willingness to silence critics should make potential sacrifices a lot easier in what’s an interesting mix of talent, youth and experience in the Pistons’ locker room.

Reported by Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News

Jennings will be sign-and-traded and will ink a three-year, $25 million U.S. contract.

The Compton, Cal. native was in town at the behest of good friend and fellow L.A. NBAer Amir Johnson, of the Raptors for the OVO Bounce Tournament at Ryerson’s Kerr Hall.

Jennings declined to say much, saying he wants to “stay under the radar for now,” but did admit “I’m happy” about the trade.

Reported by Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun

With last week’s signings of draft picks Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Tony Mitchell, Detroit Pistons fans are wondering about point guard Peyton Siva, picked by the Pistons in the second round of the draft.

Siva has more name recognition than your average 56th pick because he is coming off a senior season where he led the Louisville Cardinals to the NCAA title.

But he could be a victim of the numbers game. The NBA only allows 15 players on the active roster and with the signings of Caldwell-Pope and Mitchell the Pistons have reached their allotment.

Reported by Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press

Detroit Pistons President of Basketball Operations Joe Dumars announced today that the club has signed draft selections Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Tony Mitchell to contracts.

All players selected in the first round of the NBA Draft are guaranteed to receive a contract. Caldwell-Pope went first round, while Mitchell went second round.

Caldwell-Pope was drafted by Detroit with the eighth overall selection in the first round of the 2013 NBA Draft. In five games during the 2013 NBA Summer League in Orlando, he averaged 13.8 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.8 steals in 28.6 minutes per game. The 6-foot-6 guard from the University of Georgia averaged a SEC-leading 18.5 points, 7.1 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 2.0 steals in 32 games as a sophomore last season.  The 2012-13 SEC Player of the Year and an All-SEC First Team selection was one of only nine players in NCAA Division 1 to score in double figures in every game last season.  Caldwell-Pope led the Bulldogs in rebounds (7.1 rpg), was third in the SEC in three-point field goal percentage (37.3) and recorded seven double-doubles. In his final collegiate game against LSU in the SEC Tournament, Caldwell-Pope scored a career-high 32 points, including 25 in the second half.

Mitchell was drafted by Detroit with the 37th pick in the second round. He compiled averages of 7.8 points, 6.8 rebounds and 25.4 minutes in five games during the 2013 NBA Summer League. The 6-foot-8 forward averaged 13.7 points, 9.3 rebounds and 2.9 blocks in 55 games at the University of North Texas.  Last season he averaged 13.0 and 8.5 rebounds in 32 games while leading the Sun Belt Conference with 2.7 blocks per game.  During his first year at North Texas, he was one of only two freshmen in the NCAA to average a double-double joining Kentucky’s Anthony Davis, the #1 overall pick in the 2012 NBA draft.  A member of the gold-medal winning 2010 USA Men’s U-18 at the 2010 FIBA Americas U-18 Championship, he finished his collegiate career as North Texas’ all-time leader in blocks (157).

The Pistons have been a busy team this offseason, upgrading their talent and various obvious needs that culminated with bringing back Chauncey Billups.

But despite having 16 players on the roster, counting their three draft picks this season, Pistons president Joe Dumars isn’t yet done shopping.

“The only thing left is trade possibilities, and that door will continue to be open,” Dumars said. “It’ll continually stay open.”

As for the rumor mill that’s linked the Pistons with point guards Brandon Jennings (Milwaukee Bucks) and Rajon Rondo (Boston Celtics), he coyly debunked both reports — which had Brandon Knight as the common denominator as trade bait.

“Bogus, bogus. No conversations.” said Dumars about the Jennings theory before turning his attention to Boston. “I haven’t had any conversations with (Celtics GM) Danny Ainge about Brandon (Knight).”

Reported by Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News