Mike Muscala's Next Team Revealed After Pistons Buyout

Earlier this week, the Detroit Pistons agreed to a buyout with the veteran center Mike Muscala. With that move, Muscala gained the opportunity to test the free agency market and find a situation where he has the opportunity to help a playoff contender.

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Muscala will join the Oklahoma City Thunder after his short tenure with the Pistons. Muscala joins the Thunder for the remainder of the season.

The Thunder now become Muscala’s third team this season. After finding himself traded to the Washington Wizards before the start of the 2023-2024 season, Muscala started the year off in DC.

Weeks before the NBA’s trade deadline kicked in, the Pistons and the Wizards struck a deal, which moved Muscala and the veteran Danilo Gallinari to Detroit. 

Both veterans suited up for the Pistons and played into the trade deadline. Shortly after the trade market closed, the Pistons agreed to a buyout with Gallinari, allowing the veteran to find an interested contending team to compete with. Gallinari ended up signing with the Milwaukee Bucks after gaining interest from multiple suitors.

Eventually, Muscala found himself in the same boat, except he’d reunite with the Thunder. From 2019 to 2023, Muscala competed in OKC. At the time, the Thunder were still working on transitioning from a rebuilding team to a contender. 

After several stops elsewhere over the past year, Muscala returns to OKC as they prepare for an eventual playoff run. At this point in the year, the Thunder are 41-18, placing them second in the Western Conference.

Muscala joins OKC after a 13-game run with the Pistons. He averaged four points and two rebounds while shooting 38 percent from beyond the arc in Detroit.