Detroit Pistons

The Detroit Pistons have been trudging through a rebuild for the past few years, and at least one league executive believes their selection of swingman Ron Holland II with the No. 5 pick in this year's NBA draft was a backward step.

Per ESPN's Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo, there are some questions about how Holland fits on a roster that sorely lacks perimeter shooting. The exec said the addition of Holland won't do much to benefit rising star point guard Cade Cunningham, whom Detroit selected with the No. 1 pick in 2021.

"I feel bad for Cade Cunningham," the exec explained. "They've been rebuilding for years even though they never planned on it, and this pick signals they might need to blow up the roster and start over again. I just don't see how [Holland] plays with Ausar Thompson, Jaden Ivey and all their other young guys. That situation is a mess. Even when Holland was scoring in Vegas, it was so ugly to watch."

Holland bypassed college to play for G League Ignite last season. He appeared in 14 games before undergoing surgery to repair a ruptured tendon in his right thumb and averaged 20.6 points, 6.6 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game. However, his efficiency left much to be desired, as he shot 44.3 percent from the field and an abysmal 24.0 percent from beyond the arc.

In a poll conducted by Givony and Woo on who was the biggest reach of this year's draft, Holland was tied for the most votes (four) with AJ Johnson of the Milwaukee Bucks. However, Johnson was selected with the 23rd pick, while the Pistons appear to have taken a big swing when they should have landed a sure thing with the fifth pick.

It appears that the 2024-25 campaign could be another lost season for Detroit, which hasn't made the playoffs since 2018-19.

Detroit Pistons legend Chauncey Billups believes the fortunes or more than one team would've been dramatically different if the Pistons had taken Carmelo Anthony second overall in 2003 instead of Darko Miličić.

Appearing on 7PM in Brooklyn, Billups contended that Detroit would've widened its championship window with Anthony on the roster. In turn, the Pistons could've fended off the LeBron James-led Cleveland Cavaliers for a little bit longer and potentially pushed LeBron out of Cleveland before his first exit in 2010:

Detroit selecting Anthony, a national champion as a true freshman at Syracuse, is one of the bigger what ifs in recent NBA history. He hit the ground running as a rookie, averaging 21.0 points and 6.1 rebounds, and was an All-Star by his fourth season with the Denver Nuggets.

Picking Miličić didn't preclude the Pistons from winning the 2004 NBA Finals, but that proved to be their zenith in the early-to-mid 2000s. They returned to the Finals in 2005 but then watched the rest of the Eastern Conference catch up to them in subsequent years.

Would the franchise's trajectory have changed with Anthony?

Perhaps but it's not as simple as slotting the 6'7" forward into Detroit's roster and basically carrying over everything he did in Denver.

For one, Anthony probably comes off the bench with Tayshaun Prince having established himself as the starting small forward as a rookie.

Head coach Larry Brown was also more inclined to lean on his experienced veterans over younger players given the Pistons' short-term ambitions. Of the top 10 players in total minutes from 2003-04, only two (Prince and Richard Hamilton) were younger than 25.

Anthony started all 82 games and logged 36.5 minutes per night as a rookie with the Nuggets and there's no way he would've been empowered to that degree in Detroit.

The biggest reason to question whether the Pistons could've had a true dynasty with Melo is the fact they didn't simply draft him. He said on All The Smoke in 2021 the organization promised him it would take him second overall before going in a different direction.

If the front office or coaching staff truly believed Anthony would've made an immediate impact on a championship contender, then he surely would've landed in the Motor City instead of Miličić, who was a more raw prospect and long-term project.

Hindsight is always 20/20.

For the Pistons, reaching back-to-back Finals and winning a title is a pretty good return even if there was potentially a better alternate reality.

The Detroit Pistons reportedly view Tobias Harris very highly after signing the veteran in free agency this offseason.

Per Yahoo Sports' Jake Fischer, the team believes Harris can be a "foundational leader" amid Detroit's rebuild.

While Harris has never been a team's first option, he will join the Pistons as one of the most experienced players and look to offer some wisdom from the perspective of a 13-year veteran.

Harris has been a reliable role player for much of the last decade. He's averaged 16.3 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.4 assists across his career and has had seasons where he hovered around the 20-point per-game mark. Last year, he put up 17.2 points per game while serving as the Philadelphia 76ers' third option behind Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey.

Harris was a member of the Pistons roster from 2015 to 2018, helping Detroit reach one of its only two playoff appearances of the last decade during the 2015-16 season. While it will take more than the addition of Harris for the Pistons to reach the playoffs this year, he could at least help them start moving in the right direction.

Detroit is coming off its worst season in franchise history, which saw it finish at the bottom of the league at 14-68. The Pistons consist mostly of young developing players, and they'll look to Harris to be a "foundational leader" for that group this year.

The Detroit Pistons announced Tuesday that veteran center Paul Reed was claimed off waivers following his release from the Philadelphia 76ers.

He'll enter a bit of a logjam at the center position with Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart already in Detroit. The team's depth chart, at present, looks as follows:

• PG: Cade Cunningham / Marcus Sasser
• SG: Jaden Ivey / Malik Beasley 
• SF: Ausar Thompson / Tim Hardaway Jr. / Ron Holland II
• PF: Tobias Harris / Simone Fontecchio / Bobi Klintman
• C: Duren / Stewart / Reed

With Reed on a non-guaranteed $7.7 million contract this season, the Pistons now have $135.3 million in cap allocations for the 2024-25 season, according to Spotrac. Currently, that leaves them with $5.2 million in cap space.

The 25-year-old Reed is a bouncy, athletic big man best suited to playing center in smaller lineups. In the 2023-24 season he averaged career-highs in scoring (7.3 PPG), rebounding (6.0 RPG) and blocks (1.0 BPG), finally handed the primary backup center duties behind Joel Embiid.

Once the Sixers signed Andre Drummond and drafted Adem Bona in the second round, however, it was clear that Reed's time in Philly had come to a close. Releasing his non-guaranteed salary helped clear up space for other moves, including the signing of Caleb Martin, as the Sixers surrounded the big three of Embiid, Paul George and Tyrese Maxey with wings and shooting.

As for the Pistons, Reed's addition was the latest in what has been an... interesting offseason thus far.

The team surprised some draft pundits by taking a chance on Holland with the No. 5 overall pick after his struggles with the G League Ignite saw his draft stock take a hit. Holland was once a highly-coveted prospect, however, so Detroit taking a swing on his ceiling was defensible.

The team then made some surprising free agency decisions, none more so than signing the 32-year-old Harris to a two-year, $52 million deal. Harris steadily declined throughout his Philadelphia tenure and was virtually non-existent for the Sixers in last season's playoffs, averaging just nine points per game against the New York Knicks.

The Pistons then traded Quentin Grimes to Dallas for Hardaway Jr. and a trio of second-round picks, re-signed Fontecchio on a two-year, $16 million deal and signed Beasley to a one-year, $6 million contract. JB Bickerstaff was also hired as the team's next head coach after just one season under Monty Williams.

Some of those moves reflected solid value. Others, like the Harris and Hardaway additions, earned some raised eyebrows:

The Pistons clearly prioritized adding veterans around the young core of Cunningham, Ivey, Thompson, Duren and Holland after last season's disastrous 14-68 campaign. It was clear the team needed a culture shift. Whether those assets were best allocated toward players like Harris and Hardaway is more questionable.

Either way, the future clearly revolves around Cunningham, who agreed to a five-year, $224 million max extension earlier on Tuesday. Whether the Pistons have added complementary young prospects and the right sort of veterans around him, however, remains to be seen.

After being rumored to be near a deal when free agency first started, Cade Cunningham and the Detroit Pistons have finally agreed to terms on a max extension.

Jeff Schwartz and James Dunleavy, Cunningham's agents, told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski the Oklahoma State alum has agreed to a five-year, $224 million extension that could be worth as much as $269 million if he makes an All-NBA team.

Shams Charania and James Edwards III reported on June 30 that the Pistons were planning to sign Cunningham to a five-year rookie max extension.

In the 10 days that passed without a formal announcement from the Pistons or Cunningham's camp, it left open the possibility that the two sides might have been haggling over terms.

Cunningham becomes the third member of the 2021 draft class who has agreed to a max extension this offseason. The Orlando Magic extended Franz Wagner on Sunday. Scottie Barnes signed a five-year extension with the Toronto Raptors on Monday.

The Pistons have had a busy offseason so far as they attempt to improve on last season's 14-win campaign. They have added Tobias Harris and Tim Hardaway Jr. and reached agreements with Malik Beasley and Simone Fontecchio.

All of the moves the Pistons made were in service of providing support for Cunningham. After being limited to 12 games in 2022-23, the 22-year-old had the best season of his young career during the 2023-24 campaign.

Cunningham led the Pistons in scoring (22.7 points per game) and assists (7.5) in 62 starts. He set career highs in field-goal percentage (44.9) and three-point percentage (35.5).

New head coach J.B. Bickerstaff will be tasked with turning around a club that is coming off the worst season in franchise history and hasn't made the playoffs since the 2018-19 season.

It's a tall task for anyone to take on at this point, but Cunningham's continued growth into a No. 1 option gives Bickerstaff a key building block. The Pistons have left no doubt they believe in him as their franchise player with this extension that could keep him in Detroit through the 2029-30 season.

Malik Beasley's time with the Milwaukee Bucks is over after one season.

The starting guard agreed to a one-year, $6 million-plus contract with the Detroit Pistons, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium.

Beasley made 79 appearances with the Bucks as he averaged 11.3 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 2023-24.

He shot a career-high 41.3 percent from deep while attempting 6.9 three-pointers per game.

Beasley's catch-and-shoot offense helped space out the floor for Bucks stars like Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard.

The guard went through a three-point shooting slump later in the season, however, and at times struggled defensively while forming a backcourt duo with with Damian Lillard.

His production also decreased during the first round of the Bucks' playoff run, as he averaged 8.8 points and 2.5 rebounds through six games before Milwaukee's elimination at the hands of the Indiana Pacers.

Beasley still shot over 40 percent from behind the arc during the postseason, earning the three-point threat a raise over the $2.7 million veteran's minimum contract he signed with Milwaukee last offseason and potentially pricing him out of the Bucks' budget.

With Beasley gone, the Bucks may give more time to Andre Jackson Jr. this season.

Jackson, a 2023 second-round pick, played limited minutes off the bench while at times filling in for Beasley last season.

Even if the Pistons decide to rely on another guard to be their primary perimeter defender, Beasley's quick-shooting success with the Bucks shows he can provide a boost to the Detroit offense from deep.

The Pistons have had an interesting offseason by agreeing to a trade with the Dallas Mavericks for Tim Hardaway Jr. and agreeing to a two-year contract with Tobias Harris in free agency.

None of these moves will be enough to close the gap for the Pistons, coming off a 14-win season, to be a playoff contender. But they should be much better, particularly on offense, than they were in 2023-24 when they had the fourth-worst offensive rating in the league.

The Detroit Pistons added a much-needed veteran presence to their roster on Monday, as ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the team agreed to a two-year, $52 million deal with former Philadelphia 76ers forward Tobias Harris.

With Harris added to the mix, Detroit's projected depth chart for the 2024-25 season now looks like this:

PG: Cade Cunningham, Marcus Sasser

SG: Jaden Ivey, Tim Hardaway Jr.

SF: Ron Holland, Ausar Thompson

PF: Tobias Harris, Taj Gibson

C: Jalen Duren, Isaiah Stewart

Harris' deal coupled with the reported massive five-year, $226 million max rookie contract extension received by star guard Cade Cunningham on Sunday brings the Pistons' salary-cap allocations to $194.9 million for next season, per Spotrac.

According to ESPN's Bobby Marks, the Pistons are now approximately $24 million under the cap.

The Pistons are coming off the worst finish in franchise history, posting a 14-68 record this past season. Detroit has been trudging through a rebuild for quite some time now, so the team is hoping that adding veterans to its youthful roster will be beneficial in the long run.

Harris started all 70 of his appearances this past season and averaged 17.2 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.1 assists. Unfortunately, he disappeared in Philadelphia's first-round playoff series against the New York Knicks, averaging 9.0 points as the Sixers fell in six games.

The 31-year-old provides versatility on both ends of the floor and 13 years of NBA experience, which is something no one else on Detroit's roster can boast. While Harris likely won't be competing for a title during his tenure with the Pistons, he will have an expanded role as one of the primary offensive options alongside Cunningham.

In addition to landing Harris, the Pistons also acquired veteran swingman Tim Hardaway Jr. from the Dallas Mavericks. The 32-year-old didn't see much playing time during the Mavs' run to the NBA Finals, so he is surely motivated to prove he's worthy of a bigger role. He's a consistent three-point shooter who should provide floor spacing around Cunningham and shooting guard Jaden Ivey.

Detroit still has room to add a few more veterans to fill its other roster holes, so perhaps the new-look squad will be able to help bring the franchise to the next stage in its rebuild.

After spending six seasons with the Philadelphia 76ers, Tobias Harris is going to play for the Detroit Pistons in 2024-25.

Per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the 31-year-old has agreed to a two-year, $52 million deal with the Pistons.

Harris played out the final season of his five-year, $180 million contract signed in July 2019. He made $39.3 million in 2023-24.

Philadelphia's decision to extend Harris comes as a bit of a surprise because it locks the team into a lot of future money, but he's been a steady performer for a club that routinely makes the playoffs as long as Joel Embiid is healthy.

The Sixers also would have been taking a significant risk with potentially losing another key player after the James Harden trade early in the season. Tyrese Maxey's ascent to a potential All-Star does give the team two cornerstone pieces to build around.

Harris had been mentioned in trade rumors several times during his tenure with the Sixers, but they never found a deal to their liking as they looked to take another step forward in Nick Nurse's first season as head coach.

All of the roster turnover in Philadelphia often meant Harris had to shoulder a heavier burden than normal. He was good in Nurse's system with 17.2 points on 48.7 percent shooting and 6.5 rebounds per game in 70 starts.

If he brings that level of production to the Pistons, they will be very happy with this signing. He's a limited player in some respects, but as long as his new club is realistic about his ceiling as the third- or fourth-best player on a contending team, he will fit right in.

Detroit's roster is built around young players like Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey and Ausar Thompson. That's an incredibly promising trio, but it hasn't translated to anything resembling success on the court.

The Pistons finished last season with the worst record in the NBA (14-68) and tied a league record with 28 consecutive losses.

Harris is a solid veteran presence who is almost certain to average around 15.0 points and 6.0 rebounds per game with efficient shooting numbers. He's not going to substantially impact winning if he's asked to be more than the third- or fourth-best player on a playoff contender, but the upside is solid for a Pistons team in need of talent and leadership.

The Detroit Pistons' franchise player is reportedly staying put for the immediate future.

Detroit plans on signing guard Cade Cunningham to a five-year, $226 million max rookie contract extension, according to The Athletic's Shams Charania and James L. Edwards III.

The Pistons already exercised club options in 2023-24 and 2024-25 on Cunningham's previous deal, and he was eligible for an extension during the offseason ahead of the 2024-25 campaign. That left Detroit with a decision, which wasn't necessarily as easy as it seemed on the surface.

On the one hand, Cunningham is a franchise player and the No. 1 overall pick of the 2021 NBA draft who has shown far more than just flashes of excellence during the early portion of his career.

He has looked like a building block for years to come, which is underscored by the decision to sign him to an extension.

On the other hand, Cunningham's presence hasn't exactly led to many wins. The Pistons went 23-59 in his rookie season, 17-65 in his second season and 14-68 in his third.

Detroit could have waited before finalizing a new deal down the line since he was still previously under contract until the summer of 2025. Even then, he would have been a restricted free agent, meaning the team could have matched any offers and kept him on the roster.

The Pistons' front office still had plenty of team control and didn't necessarily need to rush into a decision.

Still, this gives a franchise that has struggled for years something to rally around moving forward.

Cunningham has shown steady improvement through his three seasons in the league, and the 2023-24 one was his best individual effort. He averaged 22.7 points, 7.5 assists and 4.3 rebounds per game while shooting 44.9 percent from the field and 35.5 percent from deep.

The points, assists, field-goal percentage and three-point percentage were all career-best numbers.

There might finally be some reason for optimism in Detroit, as Cunningham is just 22 years old. What's more, Jaden Ivey—the No. 5 overall pick of the 2022 draft—is also 22, while Jalen Duren—the No. 13 overall pick of the 2022 draft—is just 20.

Cunningham is now with the Pistons for the long run and will look to reestablish the only NBA team he has ever known as a winner.

The Detroit Pistons and J.B. Bickerstaff reached a five-year agreement to be the franchise's new head coach on Sunday morning, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

There is no more challenging NBA head coaching job than the one Detroit presents. The Pistons have not won a playoff series since their last series of glory days in the 2000s, when the team reached six straight Eastern Conference Finals, won two East titles and earned the 2003-04 NBA Finals crown after a massive upset over the Los Angeles Lakers.

Since 2008-09, Detroit has made the playoffs just three times. The Pistons haven't earned a winning record since 2015-16, and that's the only time the team has finished over .500 since 2007-08.

Now the team has reached its franchise history low point with a 14-68 record last year. That capped a stretch in which the Pistons went 20-46, 20-52, 23-59 and 17-65 before the 2023-24 debacle.

Detroit entered last year under new leadership with head coach Monty Williams coming aboard after inking a six-year, $78.5 million contract, which at the time was the richest deal ever given to a coach.

However, the team still underperformed. In fairness, the roster, which was constructed by since-fired general manager Troy Weaver, did not work out. Numerous players who carried higher expectations did not pan out, most notably Killian Hayes, the No. 7 overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft.

Injuries stunted the entire roster and the growth and development of younger stars. But overall, the team just failed, finishing 27th in offensive efficiency and 26th in defensive efficiency.

The Pistons made big changes after the season, parting ways with Weaver and naming New Orleans Pelicans general manager Trajan Langdon as their President of Basketball Operations on May 31. Just over two weeks later, the Pistons parted ways with Williams, signaling a fresh start.

Word emerged on Thursday, June 20 from Wojnarowski that Detroit planned to interview Bickerstaff, Minnesota Timberwolves top assistant Micah Nori and Dallas Mavericks assistant coach Sean Sweeney.

Bickerstaff, 45, is best known for his time as the Cavs' head coach. He was very successful in Cleveland, leading the team to three straight winning seasons from 2021-22 to 2023-24 and the playoffs each of the past two years.

Last season marked the best Cavs postseason finish since 1993 outside the LeBron James eras, with the team going 48-34 and reaching Round 2 of the playoffs.

However, the Cavs parted ways with Bickerstaff after the season. GM Koby Altman gave this reason to reporters.

"Someone with a new approach, someone with a different voice, a fresh set of eyes to help us move forward," Altman said. "We've accomplished a lot in the last few years, getting to a conference semifinal, and we don't want to be complacent.

"We feel we're not far off."

Frankly, that's a puzzling response, especially given how well the Cavs did. They just so happened to run into a Boston Celtics juggernaut in the second round of the playoffs, ending their season. Perhaps there were behind-the-scenes concerns, but there's no denying how well Cleveland, a team that has been mostly bad outside LeBron James' time in town, did with him leading the way.

Now he gets an immediate second coaching shot in Detroit, a much more challenging position but one where he should be granted some time to get work done in a new era.