Detroit Pistons Blog – Page 8 – NBA Blog

Trade sends Alec Burks, Nerlens Noel from Knicks to Pistons

The Detroit Pistons have acquired Alec Burks, Nerlens Noel, a 2023 second-round draft pick, originally belonging to Detroit, a 2026 second-round draft pick, via Minnesota or New York, dependent on draft position, and cash considerations in a trade with the New York Knicks for the draft rights to Nikola Radicevic and a protected second-round pick in 2025.

Burks, 6-6, 214, recorded clips of 11.7 points, 4.9 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.0 steals in 28.6 minutes through 81 games (44 starts) with the Knicks in 2021-22. He scored at least 20 points in nine contests, including a season-best 34 points against the Pistons on Dec. 29, 2021. Burks had 43 games with multiple 3-pointers and made at least four triples 14 times a year ago.

The Grandview, Mo. native has 11 years of NBA experience after he was drafted 12th overall by the Utah Jazz in the 2011 NBA Draft. Burks has suited up for the Jazz, Cleveland Cavaliers, Sacramento Kings, Golden State Warriors, Philadelphia 76ers and Knicks with career marks of 10.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 0.7 steals in 625 NBA games (135 starts).

A former standout at Colorado, Burks played two seasons collegiately for the Buffaloes while garnering Big 12 Rookie of the Year honors and All-Big 12 First Team honors as a sophomore.

Noel, 6-11, 220, tallied 3.4 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.2 steals and 1.2 blocks in 22.5 minutes over 25 games (11 starts) with the Knicks last season. He pulled down double-digit rebounds twice and had multiple blocks in nine games in 2021-22. Noel spent two seasons with New York, appearing in 89 games (52 starts) since 2020-21.

The former sixth overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, Noel has played eight seasons in the league for the Philadelphia 76ers, Dallas Mavericks, Oklahoma City Thunder and Knicks. He was named to the 2014-15 All-Rookie First Team and has ranked in the top-15 in the NBA in steals twice and blocks three times, including ranking third (2.2 bpg) in 2020-21.

Hailing from Malden, Mass., Noel played collegiately for the Kentucky Wildcats in 2012-13. He was named to the All-SEC First Team and was selected to the SEC All-Defense and SEC All-Freshman teams. Noel also earned SEC Defensive Player of the Year and SEC Rookie of the Year in his lone season with the Wildcats.

Radicevic, 6-6, 200, was acquired by Detroit via trade from the Denver Nuggets on Nov. 22, 2020. He was drafted 57th overall by the Denver Nuggets in the 2015 NBA Draft.

Pistons trade Jerami Grant to Trail Blazers

The Portland Trail Blazers yesterday acquired forward Jerami Grant and the draft rights to Ismael Kamagate in a trade with the Detroit Pistons for the draft rights to Gabriele Procida, a 2025 first-round draft pick (via Milwaukee), a 2025 second-round draft pick and a 2026 second-round draft pick.

“Jerami Grant is a dynamic two-way forward that can impact winning at a high level,” said Trail Blazers General Manager Joe Cronin. “He fits seamlessly into Coach Billups’ system on both sides of the ball. We could not be happier to have him in Portland.”

Grant, 28, averaged 19.2 points (42.6% FG, 35.8% 3-PT, 83.8% FT), 4.1 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 0.94 steals and 1.04 blocks in 47 games (all starts) for the Pistons during the 2021-22 season. A Gold Medalist with Team USA at the 2021 Olympics, Grant has made the NBA playoffs four times, posting averages of 10.5 points (45.6% FG, 34.1% 3-PT, 80.0% FT), 3.7 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 35 games (21 starts).

An eight-year NBA veteran, Grant (6-8, 210) holds career averages of 11.4 points (45.2% FG, 34.9% 3-PT, 72.3% FT), 3.9 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 0.63 steals and 1.11 blocks in 555 games (270 starts) with Detroit, Denver, Oklahoma City and Philadelphia. He was originally selected by the Philadelphia 76ers with the 39th overall pick of the 2014 NBA Draft. Grant, a Portland native, is the son of 13-year NBA veteran Harvey Grant, who played three seasons for the Trail Blazers from 1993-1996.

Knicks trade Kemba Walker and Jalen Duren to Pistons

The Detroit Pistons have acquired the draft rights to Jalen Duren, the No. 13 selection in the 2022 NBA Draft, and Kemba Walker in a trade with the New York Knicks for a 2025 first-round draft pick via the Milwaukee Bucks.

Duren, 6-10, 250, averaged 12.0 points, 8.1 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 0.8 steals and 2.1 blocks in 25.2 minutes over 29 games for Memphis in 2021-22. In his lone collegiate season, Duren was named American Athletic Conference (AAC) Freshman of the Year and was both an All-AAC First Team and All-Freshman Team selection. Duren was also a six-time AAC Freshman of the Week choice and earned All-AAC Tournament Team honors in postseason play.

The Philadelphia native led the AAC in rebounds and blocks last season, while leading Memphis in scoring on .597 shooting from the field. He recorded three games with at least 20 points and nine games with double-digit rebounds, including becoming the fourth freshman in the nation since 2010-11 to record at least 20 points, 19 rebounds and five blocks in a game.

Duren was the youngest player (18 years, 231 days) in the NBA Draft this year and played at Montverde Academy for his junior year in high school after competing for two seasons at Roman Catholic in Philadelphia.

Walker, 6-0, 184, tallied clips of 11.6 points, 3.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists in 25.6 minutes over 37 games (all starts) for the New York Knicks last season. The four-time NBA All-Star holds career marks of 19.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.2 steals through 741 NBA games (696 starts) across 11 seasons with the Charlotte Hornets, Boston Celtics and the Knicks.

Pistons re-sign Marvin Bagley III

The Detroit Pistons announced today that the team has re-signed Marvin Bagley III.

Bagley’s deal with the Pistons is reportedly a three year, $37.5 million contract.

Bagley, 6-11, 235, posted clips of 14.6 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 0.7 steals in 27.2 minutes through 18 games (eight starts) with the Pistons in 2021-22. He scored in double figures in 15 of his 18 games with Detroit, including four games with at least 20 points. Bagley was acquired via trade from the Sacramento Kings in a four-team deal also involving the Milwaukee Bucks and L.A. Clippers on Feb. 10, 2022, after spending three-plus seasons with the Kings.

A native of Tempe, Ariz., Bagley has appeared in 166 games (77 starts) over four seasons with the Kings and Pistons, holding career averages of 13.6 points, 7.4 rebounds, 0.9 assists and 0.7 blocks in 25.1 minutes. Bagley was named to the All-Rookie First Team in 2018-19.

The former second overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft played collegiately at Duke and was named ACC Player of the Year, ACC Rookie of the Year and a consensus All-America First Team selection after recording 21.0 points and 11.1 rebounds per game in his lone season at Duke in 2017-18.

Pistons sign Buddy Boeheim to two-way contract

The Detroit Pistons have signed Buddy Boeheim to a two-way contract.

Boeheim, 6-6, 195, averaged 19.2 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.5 steals in 38.0 minutes over a span of 32 games during his senior campaign at Syracuse. Boeheim led the ACC in scoring average during the 2021-22 season and ranked second in the conference in 3-pointers made per game (2.8). He garnered All-ACC First Team and All-ACC Tournament First Team honors last season.

In his four years with the Orange, Boeheim held career marks of 14.6 points, 2.4 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.1 steals in 31.5 minutes through 121 games (94 starts). He shot .410 from the field and .362 from distance en route to finishing second in school history in 3-pointers made (309). His 1,765 total points ranks 13th all-time in Syracuse history.

A native of Fayetteville, N.Y., Boeheim attended Brewster Academy and is the son of longtime Syracuse head coach, Jim Boeheim. Boeheim’s brother, Jimmy, also played at Syracuse during the 2021-22 season after transferring from Cornell.

With 5th pick in 2022 NBA draft, Pistons selected Jaden Ivey

The Detroit Pistons yesterday selected Jaden Ivey with the fifth overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.

Ivey, 6-4, 195, averaged 17.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 0.9 steals in 31.5 minutes over 36 games for Purdue in 2021-22. Ivey garnered consensus All-America Second Team honors and was both a 2021-22 All-Big Ten First Team and Big Ten-All Tournament selection in his sophomore campaign. He became the fourth Big Ten player in the last 30 years to record at least 600 points, 175 rebounds, 100 assists, 30 steals and 20 blocks in a season, joining Draymond Green, Frank Kaminsky and Evan Turner. The South Bend, Ind. native was selected as a 2021-22 Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year finalist and helped lead Purdue to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament.

In his freshman campaign, Ivey was named to the Big Ten’s All-Freshman Team after totaling 11.1 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 0.7 steals in 24.2 minutes through 23 games. His scoring average was the sixth-highest by a Boilermaker freshman in school history. He became the second Big Ten freshman (Miles Bridges) since 1992-93 to average minimums of 10.0 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists with at least 12 blocked shots in conference games, and was one of three freshmen nationally to do it against conference opponents in 2020-21 (Cade Cunningham and Evan Mobley).

Ivey is the son of Niele Ivey, the current women’s basketball head coach at Notre Dame and a former WNBA player who suited up for the Detroit Shock in 2005. His father, Javin Hunter, was born in Detroit and attended Detroit Country Day prior to playing for the Baltimore Ravens as a wide receiver in 2002. His grandfather, James Hunter, also played in the NFL as a defensive back for seven seasons with the Detroit Lions.

Ivey is the third top-five selection for the Pistons since 1995 (Cade Cunningham and Darko Milicic) and the first player selected in the NBA Draft Lottery from Purdue since the 1994 NBA Draft (Glenn Robinson).

Pistons reportedly trading Jerami Grant to Trail Blazers

The Detroit Pistons are fully rebuilding, while the Portland Trail Blazers look to remain competitive. Via the Detroit News:

The Detroit Pistons on Wednesday night made a big move to position themselves for the offseason, trading leading scorer Jerami Grant to the Portland Trail Blazers for a 2025 first-round draft pick and additional second-round picks, a league source confirmed to The Detroit News.

Enjoy Thursday’s NBA draft.

Bulls and Pistons to play a January 2023 NBA regular season game in Paris, France

The NBA Paris Game 2023 will feature the six-time NBA champion Chicago Bulls and the three-time NBA champion Detroit Pistons playing a regular-season game at the Accor Arena in Paris, France on Thursday, Jan. 19, 2023.

The NBA Paris Game 2023 will mark the Bulls’ third game in Paris, having played two preseason games in the French capital in 1997. Chicago currently features five-time NBA All-Star DeMar DeRozan, two-time NBA All-Star and Slam Dunk champion Zach LaVine, and two-time NBA All-Star Nikola Vučević (Montenegro). The Bulls won six NBA championships spanning eight years, becoming only the third franchise in league history to win three consecutive titles twice (1991-93 and 1996-98).

The Pistons will be playing their first game in France, having previously played regular-season games in London (2013) and Mexico City (2019). Detroit currently features 2021 No. 1 overall draft pick Cade Cunningham, 2020 Olympic gold medalist Jerami Grant, 2020 No. 7 overall draft pick Killian Hayes (France), and 2021 NBA All-Rookie Team members Saddiq Bey and Isaiah Stewart. The Pistons won NBA titles in 1989, 1990 and 2004 and made six consecutive Eastern Conference Finals appearances from 2003 to 2008.

The NBA Paris Game 2023 will mark the first NBA game in Europe since 2020 and the league’s 12th game in France since 1991. The NBA Paris Game 2020 – the first regular-season NBA game in Paris – took place Jan. 24, 2020, and featured the Charlotte Hornets and the Milwaukee Bucks.

In addition to The NBA Paris Game 2023, the league and its partners will conduct interactive fan activities, NBA Cares community outreach initiatives and Jr. NBA youth basketball development programming that will bring the NBA experience to fans in the French capital.

The NBA’s presence in France spans more than 35 years. NBA games and programming have aired in France since the 1984-85 season, and the league played its first game in France in 1991. In addition to 12 preseason and regular-season games in France, the league has hosted interactive fan events, appearances by current and former players, NBA Cares community outreach initiatives and, in 2007, Basketball Without Borders, the NBA and FIBA’s global basketball development and community outreach program that has seen seven French players drafted into the NBA or signed as free agents, including Hayes.

Opening-night rosters for the 2021-22 NBA season featured 12 French players. During the 2021-22 season, live NBA games and programming air in France on beIN SPORTS and NBA League Pass, the league’s premium live game subscription service, including 48 weekend games in primetime as part of the league’s “NBA Saturdays and NBA Sundays presented by NBA 2K22” primetime initiative. The Jr. NBA “Challenges Benjamin(e)s” program in partnership with the French Basketball Federation (FFBB), now in its 12th year, has reached more than 260,000 boys and girls across the country since the 2009-10 season. In addition to FFBB, the NBA has also collaborated with the Union Nationale du Sport Scolaire (UNSS), a government body that oversees the organization and development of sports activities in schools, to operate the 2022 Jr. NBA FFBB UNSS League for boys and girls in Marseille.

Chicago Bulls Executive Vice President – Basketball Operations Artūras Karnišovas: “It is a great honor to bring Chicago Bulls basketball back to Paris for The NBA Paris Game 2023 – an event that illustrates the league’s commitment to amplifying the national and global impact of basketball. Having played several games in Paris during my career, I know how special this will be for our players, our organization, and our international fanbase. We look forward to representing Chicago overseas and are grateful for the opportunity to do so.”

Detroit Pistons General Manager Troy Weaver: “The Detroit Pistons organization is excited to take on the Chicago Bulls and play our first-ever game in France. Playing a regular-season game in Paris will be a great experience for our players and coaches and we look forward to showcasing Detroit Basketball to an international audience.”

NBA Europe and Middle East Managing Director Ralph Rivera: “The Chicago Bulls and Detroit Pistons are two of the most historic franchises in the NBA and feature an exciting mix of rising young players and established All-Stars. Welcoming the Bulls and Pistons to Paris for our second regular-season game will be a highlight for fans in France and across Europe, and with Paris hosting the Summer Olympics in 2024, basketball and the NBA are well-positioned for continued growth in France for years to come.”

Deputy Mayor in Charge of Sport for the City of Paris Pierre Rabadan: “The City of Paris is extremely proud to host these two iconic teams in the Chicago Bulls and the Detroit Pistons. This is an exciting match-up that brings to mind the historic showdown between these Eastern Conference franchises. Basketball fans in France have been looking forward to seeing a game of this magnitude again, and I would like to thank our NBA partners for once again choosing Paris for this regular-season game. Paris vibrates with the sport of basketball all year long and this major event will contribute to further developing what is such a dynamic sport, so I have no doubt Parisians will be excited by this news.”

Accor Arena CEO Nicolas Dupeux: “The Accor Arena proudly hosted the first-ever regular-season NBA game in France in 2020, which captivated fans and showcased our world-class facility to a global audience. It is therefore an honor to once again host a regular-season game in 2023, which will provide fans with a great show of sportsmanship and entertainment as boldness and excellence continue to guide our programming.”

Pistons sign forward Braxton Key to two-way contract, waive forward Chris Smith

The Detroit Pistons have signed forward Braxton Key to a two-way contract.

And in a related move, the team waived forward Chris Smith.

Key, 6-8, 225, signed a 10-day contract with Detroit on March 24. In five games with the Pistons this season, he’s averaging 6.8 points and 5.2 rebounds in 20.4 minutes per game.

Prior to Detroit, Key averaged 18.9 points (48% FG, 39% 3FG), 7.6 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 2.1 steals and 1.5 blocks in 28.2 minutes per game with the Delaware Blue Coats, the NBA G League affiliate of the Philadelphia 76ers, this season. In 43 career NBA G League games, he averaged 14.8 points, 6.1 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.3 blocks in 23.7 minutes, all with the Blue Coats. Key also appeared in two games with the 76ers this season.

A native of Charlotte, N.C., Key began his collegiate career at the University of Alabama where he played two seasons and was named to the 2016-17 SEC All-Freshman team. He played his final two seasons at the University of Virginia where he was a member of the 2019 NCAA Championship team. In 125 career games, he averaged 8.6 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 26.6 minutes per game.

Smith signed a two-way contract with Detroit on August 16, 2021. In 18 games with the Motor City Cruise, the G League affiliate of the Pistons, he averaged 8.7 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.1 assists.

Detroit Pistons sign guard Carsen Edwards

The Detroit Pistons have signed guard Carsen Edwards to a contract.

Edwards, 5-11, 200, was the 33rd overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft by the Philadelphia 76ers and traded to the Boston Celtics as part of a draft-day deal. In 68 career NBA games, he’s averaged 3.6 points, 1.1 rebounds and 0.5 assists, all with the Celtics.

In 31 games this season with the Salt Lake City Stars, the NBA G League affiliate of the Utah Jazz, Edwards averaged 26.7 points, 2.7 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.5 steals in 35.9 minutes per game.

A two-time All-American at Purdue University, Edwards was named to the First Team All-Big Ten team after leading the Boilermakers to a school-record 30 wins as a sophomore. He also won the Jerry West Award as the top shooting guard in the nation, that season.

Edwards will wear jersey #20 for the Pistons.