Category: Detroit Pistons Blog

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Pistons forward Chris Smith undergoes ACL reconstruction procedure

Detroit Pistons forward Chris Smith has undergone an ACL reconstruction procedure on his left knee. The procedure was performed yesterday in Chicago with consultation from team doctors.

The injury occurred during the Motor City Cruise’s March 8 G League game against the Canton Charge.

Smith is set begin rehab immediately and will be out indefinitely.

The Pistons are 20-56 this season, which ties them with the Orlando Magic for the worst record in the Eastern conference.

Their leading scorers so far in 2021-22 are Jerami Grant at 19.2 ppg, Cade Cunningham at 17.4 ppg, and Saddiq Bey at 16.3 ppg.

The team recently announced that Grant is done for the season.

Pistons sign forward Braxton Key to 10-day contract

The Detroit Pistons have signed forward Braxton Key to a 10-day contract.

Key, 6-8, 225, 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, Key has 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. He 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.

Key will wear #8 for the Pistons.

Pistons coach Dwane Casey is good at beating his former team

Coach Dwane Casey’s Detroit Pistons have been in a rebuilding phase, but despite that, his squad suddenly turns into a winner when facing his former team. Via the Toronto Star:

Toronto Raptors coach Nick Nurse, frustrated all night by a whistle that was blown a little too often for his liking, finally had it and lost it on an official.

He was ejected, but the 19,548 fans at Scotiabank Arena gave him a hero’s goodbye, cheering him back to the locker-room. Detroit Pistons head coach Dwane Casey, who Nurse replaced as Raptors head coach in 2018, cracked a smile at the scene.

Toronto was down 16 points late in the third quarter when Nurse was ejected but the Raptors almost came back in a 108-106 loss to Detroit on Thursday…

Casey had been Toronto’s head coach with Nurse working as one of his assistants until May 2018 when Casey was fired in the off-season. Casey has a 9-3 record against the Raptors including six straight victories.

Full Article

Four-team NBA trade sends Donte DiVincenzo to Kings, Marvin Bagley III to Pistons

The Sacramento Kings have acquired guard Donte DiVincenzo (DEE-vin-chen-zo) from the Milwaukee Bucks, forward Josh Jackson and forward Trey Lyles from the Detroit Pistons as part of a four-team trade that will send Marvin Bagley III to Detroit.

“We are pleased to bring Donte, Josh and Trey here to Sacramento,” said Kings General Manager Monte McNair. “Adding shooting, defense and versatility to our team are very valuable as we continue to build. We would also like to thank Marvin Bagley III and wish him all the best in the future.”

In his fourth season out of Villanova, DiVincenzo has accrued career averages of 8.8 points (.424 FG%, .343 3pt%, .745 FT%), 4.7 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.0 steals and 23.2 minutes per game in 176 games (90 starts) for the Milwaukee Bucks (2018-22) and was a member of the 2021 NBA Championship team.

A University of Kansas product, Jackson has averaged 11.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 23.6 minutes per game in 279 career games (92 starts) in five seasons with the Phoenix Suns (2017-19), Memphis Grizzlies (2019-20) and Detroit Pistons (2020-22).

During the 2021-22 season, Lyles is posting a career-high 10.4 points (.456 FG%, .784 FT%) to go along with 4.8 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 19.4 minutes per game in 51 games and three starts for Detroit. A six-year veteran out of Kentucky, Lyles has garnered a career average of 7.6 points (.438 FG%, .336 3pt%, .726 FT%), 4.3 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 425 games (106 starts) with four teams: Utah Jazz (2015-16), Denver Nuggets (2017-19), San Antonio Spurs (2019-21) and Detroit (2021-22).

In subsequent moves, the Kings have requested waivers on Jahmi’us Ramsey and Robert Woodard II.

Four-team NBA trade sends Serge Ibaka to Bucks

The LA Clippers have completed a four-team trade with the Detroit Pistons, Milwaukee Bucks and Sacramento Kings. As part of the deal, the Clippers acquired Rodney Hood and Semi Ojeleye from Milwaukee, as well as the draft rights to Vanja Marinkovic from Sacramento. Milwaukee received Serge Ibaka and cash considerations from the Clippers. The Kings received the draft rights to David Michineau from the Clippers.

Ibaka, 32, appeared in 35 games this season for the Clippers, averaging 6.6 points and 4.3 rebounds. The 6-foot-10 center has appeared in 884 games and owns career averages of 12.3 points, 7.2 rebounds and 2.0 blocks in 13 NBA seasons with the Clippers, Toronto Raptors, Orlando Magic and Oklahoma City Thunder. Prior to the NBA, he played professionally in Spain for three seasons (2006-09).

“Serge is one of the best rim protectors of his era and we are grateful to have had him with us for the past two seasons,” said Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank. “We all saw the tremendous amount of work he put into his recovery from back surgery. He was determined to contribute this season, and he did, providing valuable shooting and defense.”

Hood, 29, appeared in 39 games for the Bucks this season, averaging 3.3 points and 1.7 rebounds in 14.9 minutes. Originally selected with the 23rd overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft out of Duke University, Hood has appeared in 435 career games with the Utah Jazz, Cleveland Cavaliers, Portland Trail Blazers, Raptors and Bucks, averaging 10.6 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.7 assists. The Meridian, Miss., native has also played in 44 postseason contests, averaging 7.9 points and 2.2 rebounds.

Ojeleye, 27, has played in 20 games for the Bucks this season, averaging 2.9 points and 2.9 rebounds in 15.4 minutes. The Overland Park, Kans., native has appeared in 274 career games with the Boston Celtics and Bucks, averaging 3.4 points and 2.2 rebounds. The 37th overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, he was the AAC Player of the Year from Southern Methodist University in 2017.

Will the Pistons trade Jerami Grant?

Will the Pistons trade forward Jerami Grant? Here’s the Detroit Free Press on it:

The NBA trade deadline is nearly two weeks away and the rumor mill ahead of Feb. 10 is heating up. (Ah, if only it could thaw the winter freeze here in Michigan…)

The prevailing theory is the Pistons might accept a young player and first-round pick for Grant, but will anyone meet that requirement? How flexible are the Pistons with their price? And how flexible is Grant in taking a lesser role on a better team? So far, reports are that’s not what he wants, which would dwindle his market and hurt the Pistons’ leverage…

In a bold move, Grant and his representatives have reportedly shown the Pistons a list of teams he would prefer to be traded to if dealt. He will be eligible for a contract extension this summer and can get up to $112 million over four years — $28 million per year. He signed a three-year deal worth $60 million with the Pistons in 2020.

The Pistons are 11-35 this season and in a rebuilding situation. Whatever moves they make are with the future, not present, in mind.

Nuggets trade Bol Bol to Pistons for Rodney McGruder. UPDATE: TRADE NULLIFIED

UPDATE: The Detroit Pistons/Denver Nuggets trade of Rodney McGruder and draft consideration in exchange for Bol Bol has been rescinded because medical clearance was not received for all players involved.

ORIGINAL POST

The Detroit Pistons have acquired Bol Bol in a trade with the Denver Nuggets for Rodney McGruder and draft considerations.

Bol, 7-2, 220, has seen action in 53 career NBA games (two starts) with the Nuggets and averaged 2.7 points and 1.2 rebounds in 6.2 minutes per game. Drafted 44th overall in the 2019 NBA Draft by the Miami HEAT, Bol was traded to the Nuggets on draft night and signed a two-way contract on Sept. 4, 2019. He signed a regular NBA contract on Nov. 24, 2020.

Bol played one collegiate season at the University of Oregon where he averaged 21.0 points, 9.6 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 2.7 blocks per game in 29.8 minutes.

A native of Sudan, Bol is the son of former NBA player, the late Manute Bol.

McGruder, 6-4, 205, played in 17 games for the Detroit Pistons this season, averaging 2.5 points and 1.6 rebounds while shooting 38.6% from the field in 9.5 minutes. Over six seasons, McGruder has appeared in 251 games (118 starts) for Miami, Los Angeles Clippers and Detroit, holding averages of 5.6 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.3 assists, shooting 41.7% from the field and 33.7% from three in 20.1 minutes per game.

The 30-year-old went undrafted in the 2013 NBA draft after playing four seasons at Kansas State University. McGruder played internationally in Hungary during the 2013-14 season and then in the G League from 2014-16 before signing with the Miami Heat.

Pistons sign Cassius Stanley to second 10-day contract

The Detroit Pistons have signed Cassius Stanley to a second 10-day contract using the COVID-related hardship allowance.

Stanley, 6-5, 190, signed his original 10-day contract with the Pistons on Dec. 25 and averaged 10.7 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.0 steals in 27.7 minutes over three games (one start). He has appeared in 12 games (one start) this season with the Motor City Cruise, tallying averages of 10.0 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 23.6 minutes.

Stanley has one year of prior NBA experience with the Indiana Pacers (2020-21), posting clips of 1.5 points and 0.8 rebounds in 3.9 minutes over 24 games. The Los Angeles native played one year at Duke University and was the 54th overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft.

He will wear No. 14 for the Pistons.