Good morning Pistons fans, and welcome back to the Weekly Drive. NBA Free agency is in full swing, and Detroit has been hard at work tweaking the roster…but there was a pretty big snag. Let’s get into it.

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Not Gambling on Malik Beasley

Pun intended.

Malik Beasley is a person of interest in a gambling investigation out of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, a stunning situation that has pulled the rug from under the Pistons. Beasley was, almost in-arguably, the second-best player last season for a Detroit team that won 44 games. He had a historic shooting season last year comparable to the likes of Stephen Curry.

To make matters worse for Beasley, he was reportedly being sued by his former agency (Hazen Sports) for $2.5 million. Beasley has a history of this, which The Athletic chronicled in an article here. In short, its a very, very bad situation all around. Not only will Detroit refrain from sign Beasley at all (and they were reportedly prepping a lucrative contract extension for him), but now nobody will.

Whether Beasley eventually has his name cleared or not, the Pistons were unable to wait around and find out. They had to pivot.

Pistons Free Agency Roundup

• Dennis Schroder, who took over as the Pistons’ backup point guard at the trade deadline last season, has signed with the Sacramento Kings per his agency. There was talk of a potential sign-and-trade that would have sent Malik Monk to the Motor City (a great move), but those talks have appeared to be on hold.

  • To be fair, reporting on the sign-and-trade front has gone back and forth. The Pistons don’t need to take on a player technically (could be a trade exception), but the NBA moves fast this time of year.

• Tim Hardaway Jr. reportedly signed with the Denver Nuggets on the veteran minimum, per ESPN.

  • Hardaway took the veteran minimum, per The Athletic.

• In an effort to replace Beasley, the Pistons reportedly agreed to trade Simone Fontecchio to the Miami Heat for Duncan Robinson, per ESPN. As part of the trade, Robinson will also sign a 3-year, $48 million contract.

  • At first-glance, that may seem like an overpay. But the second year is a partial guarantee and the third is not guaranteed, per Omari Sankofa of the Detroit Free Press.

• The Pistons signed former Michigan Wolverine Caris LeVert to a 2-year, $29 million deal per ESPN. LeVert, who spent last season with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Atlanta Hawks, is a capable ball-handler and scorer who should see plenty of court time.

• Detroit re-signed backup big Paul Reed to a 2-year, $11 million deal according to ESPN.

Swapping out Beasley, Hardaway, and Schroder (who all made 519 threes last season) with Robinson and LeVert (who made 296 threes last season) does not sound great on the outset, but it does give the Pistons a different look. Factor in that Jaden Ivey will be healthy and Detroit suddenly has a lot more on-ball juice with him and LeVert, plus one of the best movement shooters in Robinson. LeVert played backup point guard minutes under J.B Bickerstaff in Cleveland, and he may be tasked with some of that responsibility here as well.

Overall, good work to maintain flexibility while recovering from the Beasley fallout.

NBA Draft: The Pistons Select Chaz Lanier

Oh, and the NBA Draft happened. The Pistons selected Chaz Lanier with the 37th pick, a quick-trigger shooting guard who may get some extra playing time given the losses of Beasley and Hardaway. Our own Aaron Johnson covered Lanier here, and the guys talked about it on the podcast here:

The WNBA is Coming Back to Detroit

The WNBA made a major announcement this past week with the unveiling of Cleveland, Detroit, and Philadelphia as the next cities to receive a franchise. Cleveland and Detroit held organizations previously, but Philadelphia is a new one. It seems right to have a WNBA team in Detroit, especially given that that city has a championship pedigree in that area.

Details remained sparse for the Detroit franchise, which is not expected to debut until the 2029 season.

What do you think of the Pistons’ free agency so far? Personally, given the shocking news regarding Malik Beasley, I feel the Pistons did a pretty good job. The contracts for Robinson and LeVert are easy to trade and/or get rid of should the front office want to push their chips in for a bigger move, which may be coming sooner rather than later. The Pistons maintained flexibility, which is always good in the world of aprons and hard caps.

See you all next week.

Mike

Whew.

It was a hectic few days across the NBA with big names like Luka Doncic, Jimmy Butler, and Brandon Ingram all changing teams. But as the only team in the league with cap space, what did the Detroit Pistons do?

They solved their biggest problem: backup point guard. And it is a convoluted trade, so lets break it all down.

• Yesterday, the Pistons made a deal with the Philadelphia 76ers to acquire forward KJ Martin and two second-round picks for cash considerations. The purpose of this is to help get the Sixers some salary relief - essentially a cost-cutting move. That trade was not finalized until today because it eventually became part of a larger deal.

• Also last night, the Miami Heat and Golden State Warriors agreed on a deal to send Butler to the Bay Area, which necessitated a third and fourth team to take on salary. The Utah Jazz ended up with Dennis Schroder in the process. Detroit got in on the deal and took Josh Richardson and Lindy Waters III to help facilitate the blockbuster move.

• Then, with about 20 minutes before the deadline passed, the Pistons agreed to send Richardson, Martin, and a second-round pick to Utah for Schroder.

So, all in all, the Pistons ended up with Schroder, Waters, and two second-rounders.

Not a flashy deadline, but it was an effective one for the Pistons. They preserve financial flexibility heading into next season, acquired a smidge of draft capital, and most importantly get a backup ball handler that the team desperately needed.

Schroder was traded from the Brooklyn Nets to he Warriors earlier this season. Now, he will finish the year helping the Pistons make a run to the playoffs. The 31-year-old is averaging 14.4 points and 5.5 assists per game on 41.8% shooting, but he was much worse after getting traded to Golden State.

Nevertheless, the Pistons filled a hole on their roster and didn’t break the bank to get there. Plus, Cade Cunningham gets some relief with another playmaker on the roster.

The Detroit Pistons are sending point guard Monte Morris to the Minnesota Timberwolves for guard Shake Milton, forward Troy Brown Jr., and a 2030 second-round pick, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.

A Flint, Michigan native, the 28-year-old Morris only appeared in six games for the Pistons this season due to a right quadriceps injury. He was acquired for a second-round pick during the offseason from the Washington Wizards. He is currently averaging 4.5 points, 2 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 11.3 minutes per game.

Shake Milton signed a two-year, $10 million deal during the 2023 offseason, although the second year of that contract is a team option. He’s averaging 4.7 points, 1.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists in just 12.9 minutes per game this year. Milton has a track record of decent success as a backup guard, and at 6’5 he fits far better next to fellow “6’2” backup Marcus Sasser than the similarly diminutive Morris. His role remains to be seen, but he is a good bet to share second-string PG duties with Sasser as Killian Hayes is apparently out of the rotation in Detroit

The 24-year-old Troy Brown Jr. joins his fifth team in the last four years. He’s currently averaging 4.2 points, 1.9 rebounds and .9 assists in 11.1 minutes per game, all career lows, although he has shot 37.1% from beyond the three-point arc over the past three NBA seasons. With the acquisition of fellow forward Simone Fontecchio from the Utah Jazz earlier today, his role in Detroit is far less certain than Milton’s, as the Pistons roster currently sits at 16 players as of the writing of this article.

It appears at least one more move is coming for Detroit.

Featured image: Brad Rempel/USA TODAY Sports

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According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the Pistons have acquired Simone Fontecchio from the Utah Jazz.

In return, Detroit will send forward Kevin Knox, a 2024 second-round pick, and the draft rights to Gabriele Procida.

Fontecchio, 28, has appeared in 50 games for the Jazz this season - averaging 8.9 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists per contest. He is a 39.1% 3-point shooter. At 6’8”, he brings the ability to play either forward position.

The Italian native is under contract through the end of this season, and will hit restricted free agency in the summer. Part of the reason the Pistons made this trade, per Wojnarowski, is to retain him long-term and now it will be easier for them to do just that.

Knox joined the Pistons earlier this season as a mid-season signing. In 31 games with the team, he averaged 7.2 points, 2.4 rebounds, and shot 33% from the 3-point line.

Featured Image: Jeff Swinger/Associated Press

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The Detroit Pistons have acquired forward Danilo Gallinari and center Mike Muscala from the Washington Wizards in exchange for Marvin Bagley, Isaiah Livers, and two second-round picks according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

Omari Sankofa of the Detroit Free Press added that the second-round picks included by Detroit are in 2025 and 2026.

Gallinari has appeared in 26 games for the Wizards this year, averaging 7.0 points and 2.9 rebounds per game. His younger brother, Federico, is a player development coach for Detroit’s G League team, the Motor City Cruise.

Muscala has appeared in 24 games this year for Washington, averaging 4.0 points and 3.1 rebounds in 14 minutes per game.

Instant Analysis

I’d have to imagine another move is coming for Detroit. Livers was starting games for this team as of late and was one of the few wings on the roster. Neither Gallinari nor Muscala are wings. This leaves Bojan Bogdanovic, Kevin Knox, and Ausar Thompson as the only true wings on the roster.

All reports have suggested Detroit wants to improve the roster right now, and this trade doesn’t really move the needle for them in that direction.

Muscala is better than James Wiseman, however, I’d anticipate Wiseman will remain the team’s backup center with how committed Detroit seems to be to him.

Gallinari is a power forward, I guess. He’s 35, doesn’t move all too well anymore, and isn’t the scorer that he used to be. He’s shooting just 31% from the 3-point line this year.

However, he is on an expiring contract so if Detroit doesn’t buy him out this year, he’ll be off the books in the offseason.

More cap space for Troy Weaver to operate with…

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Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren is expected to miss two weeks after suffering a sprained left ankle in Wednesday's loss to the Memphis Grizzlies, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic:

Duren, who only recently turned 20 years old, has proven to be one of Detroit's most intriguing young building blocks during his short career. Unfortunately, he has struggled with nagging ankle injuries and has missed a decent amount of time on the court over his two seasons. Only time will tell if Duren is ready to go in two weeks or if he will simply be re-evaluated when that deadline comes.

The Detroit Pistons finally provided updates on three key injuries, though only two of them represent positive news.

Sharpshooter Bojan Bogdanovic, who has missed all of the regular season with a calf strain, has been cleared for full contact and has begun a return to play progression. The anticipation is that Bogdanovic will be able to practice with the team in coming days ahead of a return to the court. That would be a big boon to the Pistons' offense that ranks 26th in the league, and is near the bottom in number of three-pointers attempted. Bogdanovic was the team's leading scorer last season.

Center Jalen Duren is also on his way back and is expected to return to practice this week. Duren has missed the last five games with an ankle injury. Detroit suffers on the defensive end without Duren, allowing 7.9 fewer points per 100 possessions with him on the court versus off per Cleaning the Glass. The rim protection with him on the floor makes a big difference.

The downer part of the report is in relation to point guard Monte Morris. The Pistons say he received a platelet-rich plasma injection, used to help heal damaged tendons or muscles, and will be re-evaluated in 6-8 weeks. That does not necessarily mean he will return to the court in 6-8 weeks, but that the team will likely provide a clearer update as to when he could come back. That is a tough blow to a team that could have used Morris as a stable presence with the ball in his hands. Detroit is dead last in the league in turnovers per game, while Morris has averaged no less than one turnover per game for his career.

Photo: Zariq Turner/Bully Ball

The Pistons have struggled to maintain a healthy roster throughout the first month of the 2023-24 season. Injuries to key players such as Bojan Bogdanovic and Jalen Duren have played a role in derailing a season set with higher expectations, while injuries to anticipated rotation players Monte Morris and Isaiah Livers haven’t helped either. That being said, it does appear the team is finally starting to get a bit healthier, and reinforcements should be on the way soon. Here’s what we know about each injured player’s current status:

Isaiah Livers

After missing the team’s first 14 games of the season, Livers made his season debut on Monday night against the Denver Nuggets, finishing with six points on 1-7 shooting in 22 minutes along with four rebounds and an assist. The Pistons have been making do with minutes on the wing from the recently signed Kevin Knox and two-way forward Stanley Umude, making the return of Livers significant. Livers has appeared in just 72 games over the course of his career, with several injuries derailing portions of each of his three seasons in the league. The University of Michigan product appeared in 52 games last season (22 starts) and averaged 6.7 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 0.5 blocks per game on 36.5% shooting from the 3-point line. 

Photo: Zariq Turner/Bully Ball

Jalen Duren

Monty Williams said pregame on Monday night that Duren is playing 3-on-3, and he expects the sophomore center to return “soon.” He’s missed six games due to a nagging right ankle injury - an injury he also missed time for last season. Duren started off the 2023-24 campaign strong, averaging 18 points, 15.3 rebounds, 4.0  assists, and 2.7 blocks in the team’s first three games of the season, but cooled off shortly after. Detroit has been surviving his absence by committee, with Isaiah Stewart, Marvin Bagley, and James Wiseman soaking up minutes in his leave. 

The Pistons desperately need Duren to come back strong as the frontcourt has struggled mightily in his absence. 

Monte Morris

While there haven’t been too many official updates regarding the return of Monte Morris, the guard has taken to social media a few times to say he’s nearing a return. Morris was one of the bigger offseason additions to Detroit’s roster, and his veteran presence should bring a sense of stability to a backcourt (and team) struggling to protect the basketball all season. Morris boasted a 5.4 assist-to-turnover ratio last season, the best in the league. The Pistons currently are dead last in turnovers per game, committing 17.4 each contest. 

Photo: Monte Morris/Bully Ball

Bojan Bogdanovic and Joe Harris

There hasn’t been an official update from the Pistons regarding Bojan Bogdanovic since October 24th when the team said he’d be evaluated in four weeks. Keeping that timeline in mind, an update should be coming in the near future. Bogdanovic has been around the team, both at home and road games, throughout his absence. The 33-year-old forward led the team in scoring last season and was set to be a key piece this season as a member of the starting lineup. 

There’s speculation around the league that teams are monitoring Bogdanovic’s return with hopes of trading for him if he’s healthy and playing well. When he returns, Bogdanovic should play a crucial role for Detroit - as long as he remains a member of the organization. 

Harris has been out with a right shoulder sprain but was seen on the court pregame getting shots up on Monday night. He’s been out since November 7th and is scheduled to be reevaluated in 10-14 days from the 7th. 

Only five players have appeared in every game for Detroit this season: Cade Cunningham, Isaiah Stewart, Ausar Thompson, Marvin Bagley, and Marcus Sasser. Alec Burks has missed six games and Jaden Ivey sat out four games with an illness. Health has been tough to come by for the team sporting the worst record in the league. 

With the return of Isaiah Livers and a positive update on Jalen Duren, the hope is that the team will be getting more expected rotation players back sooner rather than later.

https://youtu.be/5eg9rcnTSro

This trade comes as a cap-clearing move for the Wizards, who created a $9.8 million trade exception with this deal. Meanwhile, the Pistons continue to add guard depth by taking on contracts teams are looking to unload, similar to Detroit's acquisition of Joe Harris earlier on Friday.

Morris, who averaged 10.3 points and 5.3 assists per game as Washington's starting point guard last season, will provide an immediate upgrade over Killian Hayes and Cory Joseph as Detroit's primary backup point guard.

Hampton, who stands at 6-foot-4 and 175 pounds, has struggled as a combo guard in the NBA since being drafted by the Denver Nuggets in 2020. He has shown flashes of scoring and playmaking in Orlando, but lost his role with the team as the Magic continue to rise toward playoff contention. The third-year guard will be yet another player looking to rejuvenate his career in Detroit.

The 23-year-old Bagley, who Detroit inked to a three-year, $37 million extension this offseason, has proven to be a serviceable offensive option at times as the team's third big. However, his defensive woes and outdated offensive repertoire have kept him from progressing as the Pistons had hoped. In 25 games this season, Bagley has averaged 10.3 points and 5.9 rebounds per game on 53.7% shooting and a ghastly 27.3% from deep.

During his absence, it is likely that Nerlens Noel and Kevin Knox will see increased roles. Isaiah Stewart and Jalen Duren will also be asked to shoulder a heavier burden in the frontcourt for the foreseeable future.

Detroit Pistons star Cade Cunningham will be shelved indefinitely and could require surgery with a possible stress fracture in his shin, according to Marc Stein of the NY Times:

Previously expected to return Sunday against the Sacramento Kings after a five-game absence, the league-worst 3-14 Pistons will be forced to carry on without their star player. In his absence, Jaden Ivey, Killian Hayes, and Alec Burks will all have elevated roles.

Cunningham has shown signs of greatness this season, especially just prior to his absence. In just 12 contests this year, the second-year guard has averaged 19.9 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 6.0 assists but struggled with efficiency after adding weight in the offseason.

Featured Image: Carlos Osario/AP

McGruder has proven to be a respected veteran in Detroit's locker room over the past couple of seasons. He will continue to provide guard depth to a team looking deeper in the backcourt than in recent years.

In two seasons and 67 games with the Pistons, McGruder has posted an average of 5.4 points per game. With the additions of Jaden Ivey and Alec Burks, McGruder hopefully will not need to see the court much this season.

In another salary-dumping move between the Knicks and the Pistons, New York is sending veteran guard Alec Burks and defensive center Nerlens Noel, along with two second-round picks and $6 million in cash to Detroit, per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN:

The Pistons are reportedly excited to utilize the two veterans next season. Detroit is lacking veterans with their recent youth movement and could certainly use some more seasoned presences in the locker room.

Both vets were key cogs of the Knicks' playoff run in 2021. Last season, Burks averaged 11.7 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 3.0 assists while shooting 40 percent from deep. Noel played the role of a key defensive stopper with New York averaging 5.6 rebounds and 1.2 blocks off the bench.

Featured Image: Raj Mehta/USA TODAY Sports

Now, hours before tip-off against the Miami Heat, things did indeed get worse. As if the Pistons roster wasn't already depleted enough, Killian Hayes, Isaiah Stewart, and Saben Lee will now be joining Cunningham in protocols, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

Following Detroit's contest against the Knicks on Tuesday, New York center Nerlens Noel was forced into protocols, immediately spiking the anxiety for the entire Pistons roster. Now, that fear has become a reality, as the 5-25 Detroit Pistons will head into their upcoming game down four starters.

Walton, who spent four years in college with the Wolverines, has struggled to latch on with a team early in his NBA career. The floor general played in three games for the Pistons in 2019-20 after signing a 10-day contract with the team, but has yet to play for in the NBA since. The 24-year-old will now likely spend most of the season with the Cruise, where he can continue to improve his game in hopes of earning a roster spot.

In 42 career games, Walton has averaged 2.0 points and 1.0 assists per game on 41 percent shooting from three.

Jackson found his niche in Detroit last season as a sharpshooter after the trade of Svi Mykhailiuk in March. At 6'3", Jackson had been used primarily as a point guard, but proved to be a much more valuable weapon as an off-guard, as he provided a consistent threat from three-point range on an otherwise underwhelming shooting team. Jackson should have an opportunity to secure a role as Detroit's backup shooting guard next season.

Joseph, who was waived on Sunday by Detroit, has re-signed with the Pistons on a much more modest deal. The revamped contract will save the Pistons roughly $5 million as Detroit now has their veteran point guard to help mentor Killian Hayes, Cade Cunningham and Saben Lee.

The 29-year-old was excellent in his first 19 games with the Pistons, averaging 12 points and 5.5 assists on over 50 percent shooting.

In his senior season, Garza averaged 24.1 points and 8.7 rebounds on an very efficient 55/44/70 splits. Despite dominating at the college level, he was never a highly-touted NBA prospect, allowing the Pistons to nab him late in the draft. Garza could get an opportunity to compete for backup center minutes next season.

The Pistons already selected a fellow Big 10 alumni in Isaiah Livers with the 52nd overall pick.

Notably, Cunningham's only scheduled workout is with the Pistons:

Cunningham, the longtime front runner for the top overall selection, is not planning on conducting any additional visits, sources said, and would be extremely pleased to land in Detroit. Green, the No. 2 prospect in the ESPN 100, is currently only planning on conducting one additional workout, at the training facility of the Houston Rockets, owners of the No. 2 pick.

While Cunningham remains the favorite to be picked first, Detroit's front office is making sure to leave no stone unturned as they look to add a future star to the franchise's budding young core.