NBA Notes: Pistons, Bulls, Matas Buzelis, Bucks, Taurean Prince

Pistons

The Pistons still have some unfinished business this offseason, per Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press.

With Simone Fontecchio no longer on the roster, Detroit could use another proven floor-spacer at power forward. Ausar Thompson and Ron Holland may get opportunities behind Tobias Harris, though both are considered undersized for that spot.

The Pistons do have a $14.3 million trade exception stemming from the Dennis Schroder sign-and-trade with the Kings. While it could be used in a number of ways, there’s no immediate urgency, as the exception doesn’t expire until next summer.

Detroit is also expected to work on rookie scale extensions with starters Jalen Duren and Jaden Ivey.

 — Meanwhile, new acquisition Duncan Robinson, who arrived via sign-and-trade with the Heat, told The Athletic’s Hunter Patterson that his focus is as much mental as it is physical. “Having resilience has been, sort of, the calling card of who I aspire to be,” Robinson said. “I’m a big believer in that, learning how to deal with setbacks and challenges is a skill as much as shooting or dribbling.”

Bucks

Veteran forward Taurean Prince waived his implied no-trade clause as part of his new deal with the Bucks, per Keith Smith of Spotrac.

Prince signed a two-year, veteran’s minimum contract earlier this month. The second year includes a player option, and if Prince is traded and opts out, he would lose his Early Bird rights. That gave him the implied ability to veto a trade, but he has chosen to waive it.

Bulls

Bulls forward Matas Buzelis is expected to take on more playmaking duties in his second season, including initiating the offense, according to Julia Poe of the Chicago Tribune.

Buzelis began to get a feel for the role during Summer League play, as the Bulls drew up plays with him in mind as a creator.

“Being a primary, secondary ball handler is like second nature to me,” Buzelis said. “I used to play (point guard) when I was younger, so it’s not really anything new to me. I think it’s just going to get better with time.”