The Detroit Pistons have plenty of cap space to utilize to their advantage, rumored to be making themselves available for trade offers in the NBA.
HoopsHype reported on trade rumors going on for several teams, noting the Pistons are looking for draft compensation on top of taking salaries from teams looking to avoid the luxury tax and second apron thresholds.
“The Detroit Pistons are seeking a future first-round pick as a facilitator using their $14 million cap space in multi-team trade scenarios, league sources told HoopsHype,” the report said.
“Teams looking to dump unwanted salaries to duck below the luxury tax threshold and second apron have circled with interest.”
The Pistons continue to make some noise as they attempt a push for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
They have a 23-24 record, putting them at the eighth spot of the Eastern Conference. They trail the Miami Heat and Orlando Magic by 0.5 games, Indiana Pacers by 3.5 games, and Milwaukee Bucks by four games.
Despite seeing Jaden Ivey go down due to a significant leg injury, the Pistons persevered with multiple players stepping up. They are 4-6 in the last 10 games, but they have already shown progress by long eclipsing last season’s win total of 14 wins.
Cade Cunningham leads the way with 25 points, 9.3 assists and 6.4 rebounds on 45.4% shooting from the field and 36% from beyond the arc. Malik Beasley comes next with 17.6 points and 2.9 rebounds, Tobias Harris puts up 12.7 points and 6.2 rebounds, while Tim Hardaway Jr. provides 10.9 points and 4.1 rebounds.
Detroit is moving forward in the right direction as they look to reach the postseason for first time since 2019, on top of earning their first playoff win since 2008. If they can clinch a spot in the Play-In Tournament, their chance is as good as it gets.
The Pistons will close out January with Friday’s matchup against the Dallas Mavericks at 7 p.m. ET, then start their February slate against the Chicago Bulls on Sunday at 3 p.m. ET.
More must-reads:
The Milwaukee Bucks announced Tuesday at point guard Cole Anthony, signed in the buyout market this offseason, will wear no. 50, the number his father Greg wore during his half-season in town. Anthony Sr. reposted the announcement on social media with a sign of his approval. No. 50 returns to Milwaukee Bucks franchise, two of its bearers now Anthony’s Greg ended up in Milwaukee after the Bulls released him during the 2001-02 season, appearing in 24 games for the Bucks before hanging up the laces. He also played for the Knicks, the Vancouver Grizzlies (before the franchise moved to Memphis), the Seattle Super Sonics, and the Portland Trail Blazers. Now 57, Anthony has gained a substantial following as an analyst for NBA TV and TNT. He retweeted the team’s jersey annoucement later on in the evening. Not only is Cole paying homage to his father, he’s also restitching the number 50 on a Bucks jersey for the first time in several seasons. The last Milwaukee player to wear it was forward Bonzie Colson, who spent eight games of his single NBA season with the Bucks. The only other player to don the big five-zero was center Dan Gadzuric, who did so from 2003 until 2010. Tito Horford, the father of the legendary Al, is also included among Bucks who wore the number. Cole to play key role on roster All due respect to his father, Cole should have a bigger role on this version of the team. Most likely, he will typically come off the bench behind starting point guard Kevin Porter Jr., running the second unit as a sixth or seventh man scorer and facilitator. Limited to 18 minutes per night in Orlando last season, Anthony averaged 9.4 points but reached 16.3 PPG in 2021-22. The Bucks expect him to provide something between those figures on the improved efficiency he has demonstrated over the past two years. Reputed as a great teammate and locker room guy by those in the Magic community, he seems like a fantastic fit for the Bucks’ bench alongside fiery sixth man Bobby Portis. Having signed a one-year, $2.3 million deal, he might not stick around so much longer than Dad. Whatever he does after this season, fans hope he does enough to make the same organizational imprint Greg did in his short time here.
Milwaukee Brewers Jacob Misiorowski was back on the mound on Tuesday night against the Seattle Mariners, and even though he pitched just 3.2 innings, he continued to show why he is one of baseball's most exciting young talents. Prior to be pulled after 64 pitches, he allowed just three hits, walked one and struck out seven to continue his stunning start to his big league career. He also continued to light up the radar gun in a way that no other pitcher in the modern era has. Following Tuesday's start, where he regularly clocked in at over 101 mph, he has now thrown 39 pitches this season that have eclipsed 101 mph on the radar gun. He has done that in just 29.1 innings over six starts. By comparison, every other starting pitcher in Major League Baseball has tallied just 17 pitches of 101 mph or higher — combined. But it's not just about how he stacks up with pitchers this season that is staggering. It's that he is near the top of the list for 101 mph pitches for a career. Here are two of his 101 mph heaters from Tuesday. The ball just erupts out of his hand at the hitters. When you add in his mid-90s change-up and high-90s breaking pitches he is already one of the nastiest pitchers in the majors. It is that sort of electric stuff that made him a National League All-Star after just five appearances. For the season, he has now struck out 40 batters in 29.1 innings of work (that is 12.27 per nine innings), allowed only 15 hits and just eight earned runs. And five of those earned runs against came in only one start. Given his age and with the way teams today are extremely protective of their pitchers, he is probably going to see his pitch counts and innings closely monitored this season. When he is on the mound, though, he is quickly becoming appointment viewing.
Caitlin Clark might be the most popular figure in women's basketball right now, but she continues to draw shots left and right, both on and off the court. The Iowa product has stayed even keeled and mostly unrattled, but that doesn't mean she won't fight back. That's why, in the light of Kelsey Plum's recent comments, she decided to take matters into her own hands and clapped back at her with a simple, six-word message. Plum shared a picture of her during the WNBA's All-Star Weekend, which showed half of a Nike logo in the background. Clark was quick to spot it and just wrote "Thank u for the Nike ad." This happened just hours after Plum seemingly took a shot at Clark and her Team Clark teammates for reportedly not getting involved in their pre-game protest. “The T-shirt was determined this morning. Not to tattletale, but zero members of Team Clark were very present for that,” Plum revealed. “That really needed to be mentioned,” Sabrina Ionescu added while both laughed. WNBA All-Stars warmed up with a T-Shirt that read 'Pay us what you owe us,' ahead of their new CBA agreement, which is expected to be signed in the offseason. WNBA players get around 9 percent of the league's revenue, and they're asking for a bigger share since most of them also have to play overseas during the offseason because of the salary disparity. Plum is the vice president of the WNBPA, so it's not surprising to see her so involved in the protest and the demands. Then again, it's hard to understand the reasoning behind the tattle telling, as not only does it show that there might not be a united front ahead of these negotiations, but it also drives attention away from where it should be.
The Chicago Blackhawks, a crowded goaltending situation and trade rumors involving the Edmonton Oilers have fans wondering if the Stars' rivals could soon upgrade their crease before training camp. With training camp approaching, Chicago general manager Kyle Davidson has five goalies under contract, including Spencer Knight, Arvid Soderblom, Drew Commesso, newly signed Stanislav Berezhnoy, and veteran Laurent Brossoit. Only two NHL roster spots are available, which has fueled speculation that Brossoit could be moved to a contender, with Edmonton emerging as a leading candidate. For Stars fans, seeing the Oilers potentially bolster their crease should raise eyebrows. Edmonton, fresh off a deep playoff run, is looking to avoid the same issues that hurt them late in the postseason. "The Blackhawks have too many goalies and not enough spots, and Brossoit's contract and experience make him a natural trade chip for a team like the Oilers."-Julien Trekker Chicago's goalie logjam and Berezhnoy's recent signing are detailed further at NHL.com. Dallas could see its rival upgrade as Blackhawks explore trading Laurent Brossoit Brossoit, 32, carries a $3.3 million cap hit for one more season. Drafted by Calgary in 2011, he's appeared in 140 NHL games, including time with Edmonton, Winnipeg, and Vegas, where he helped the Golden Knights win the Stanley Cup in 2023. While Chicago decides, Drew Commesso continues to push for NHL time after posting a .911 save percentage over 39 AHL games. For a deeper look at Commesso's performance, his full profile is on Elite Prospects. I think if Edmonton lands Brossoit or even Commesso, Dallas may have to plan around a deeper Oilers team come playoff time, especially given how tight the Western race looks on paper.
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!