April 2015 Detroit Pistons Wiretap

Draymond Green Open To Face-To-Face Visits; Pistons, Rockets, Hawks Expected To Show Interest

Jun 29, 2015 12:44 AM

Draymond Green said he would do his due diligence with all suitors when free agency arrives Wednesday and is open to face-to-face team visits with serious free agent opportunities.

Along with the Golden State Warriors and Detroit Pistons, the Atlanta Hawks and Houston Rockets are also expected to be among the teams interested in Green, according to a source.

"The one thing I've been taught is to go into this thing with no expectations," Green said. "When you do, that's when it gets frustrating. That's when it gets stressful. I just want to have fun and enjoy this process.

"So I'm not going in there with no expectations for this or expectations for that. That would take away the enjoyment. And that's what I want, I want to enjoy this."

Green arrived in Los Angeles on Sunday to meet with his agent, B.J. Armstrong.

"When [Armstrong] talks I just start laughing at him," Green said. "To hear my name mentioned like that [financially], to hear that type of stuff, it brings me back to moments like when I grew up in Saginaw, Michigan where my mom made about $14,000-$15,000 per year. It's surreal. It's like a joke and I can't believe it.

"At some point I will believe it. But it's like, 'Wow.' Who would have imagined this? You have these big goals. You hope this and hope that. You want to believe it, but it seems so far-fetched. To be in this moment, this position, it's like, 'Wow.' "

When asked about his time with the Warriors, Green said, "It was fun. I built relationships that will last a lifetime. They're a first-class organization. I had a great experience, but that probably won't change."

Marc J. Spears/Yahoo! Sports

Tags: Draymond Green, Atlanta Hawks, Detroit Pistons, Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets, NBA, NBA Misc Rumor

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Greg Monroe Plans To Meet With Knicks, Celtics, Bucks, Lakers, Blazers

Jun 28, 2015 7:42 PM

Greg Monroe said five teams have shown strong interest as he enters free agency.

Monroe said he will meet this week with the Boston Celtics, New York Knicks, Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Lakers and Portland Trail Blazers.

“(He and agent David Falk) are definitely looking at all our options,” he said. “You can see the trend is everybody’s taking shorter deals right now. So, most likely, I might take that route, too, and when the new deal kicks in, get a longer-term contract.

“I’m looking at a two-year deal plus an option” to become a free agent.

Monroe admits he is out of the Detroit Pistons' plans.

“Stan had smaller teams in Orlando (Magic) years ago,” Monroe said. “Dre is like Dwight Howard. So Stan wants to put good players around him. The team has different plans, and I respect that. I don’t want to be anywhere I’m not wanted.”

Darrell Williams/The Advocate

Tags: Greg Monroe, Boston Celtics, Detroit Pistons, Los Angeles Lakers, Milwaukee Bucks, New York Knicks, Portland Trail Blazers, NBA, NBA Misc Rumor

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Pistons Pick Up $3M Team Option On Anthony Tolliver

Jun 27, 2015 10:22 AM

The Detroit Pistons picked up Anthony Tolliver's $3 million option after the team didn't draft a power forward on Thursday, a team source confirmed. 

The Pistons could have released Tolliver for $400,000 but never intended to do so.

Tolliver was traded to the Pistons by the Phoenix Suns in December.

David Mayo/MLive

Tags: Anthony Tolliver, Detroit Pistons, NBA, NBA Signing Rumor, NBA Misc Rumor

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Tobias Harris To Pursue Near Max Deal With Pistons, Celtics Among Leading Suitors

Jun 26, 2015 12:39 PM

As Orlando restricted free agent Tobias Harris will pursue a maximum-level offer sheet on July 1 that the Magic possibly won’t match, the Detroit Pistons and Boston Celtics have emerged as leading candidates for the talented forward, league sources told RealGM.

Harris, 22, is among the top young players on the available market, and could be the most vulnerable restricted free agent to leave his team. Around the NBA, several teams are believed to be open to preparing a near-max contract for Harris — which could approach $15 million-plus per season, an area the Magic likely elect not to match given the course of extension talks last October and their current team salary structure.

For the Pistons, there is a vision of using Harris as a potential hybrid stretch-wing, capable of playing the small and power forward positions. Several NBA personnel told RealGM that Harris’ slashing and outside shooting will jibe instantly with Stan Van Gundy’s system.

In Orlando, Harris has maintained dialogue with Scott Skiles, his former coach, throughout the year, exchanging encouraging messages. Nevertheless, Orlando's desire to match a maximum-level offer sheet on Harris has been in question.

The two sides couldn’t reach an extension last offseason, Orlando sticking to offers below the $10-to-$11 million that Harris desired — and now promises to surpass. The Magic selected Mario Hezonja, 6-foot-8, with the No. 5 pick in Thursday’s NBA draft. Harris dealt with an ankle injury over a stretch of the season, giving the Magic reason to use him in a lesser role.

The Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks have also been long known as interested teams for Harris.

Out of Tennessee in 2011, Harris went to the Milwaukee Bucks with the 19th overall pick in the NBA Draft. He spent two years with the Bucks before being dealt to Orlando in 2013. Over four NBA seasons, Harris has established himself as a tremendous citizen in the community, with a strong work ethic on the court shown in year-to-year leaps. He was drafted with star potential and has sought to reach the level through offseason training.

At 6-foot-8, Harris averaged 17.1 points, 6.3 rebounds and 34.8 minutes in 68 games last season. He has made shooting improvements each season, a sign of growth every summer, and shot 36.4 percent from three-point range in 2014-15. Harris has career averages of 12.7 points and 5.5 rebounds.

Shams Charania/RealGM

Tags: Tobias Harris, Boston Celtics, Detroit Pistons, Orlando Magic, NBA, NBA Signing Rumor, NBA Misc Rumor

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Teams Feel Mario Hezonja's Camp Trying To Get Him To Pistons

Jun 25, 2015 1:09 PM

Mario Hezonja just finished his season with Barcelona, but there have been complaints from some teams about the lack of information coming from his camp ahead of the draft.

Hezonja is represented by Arn Tellem, who recently was hired by the Detroit Pistons for an executive position effective on Aug. 1.

Those teams feel Hezonja's camp is "trying to pull a Kobe, to get him to Detroit," writes Givony.

The Pistons have a need for a wing with a strong perimeter game as Hezonja possesses. Detroit owns the eighth overall pick and there are several teams drafting ahead of them that have strong interest in Hezonja.

Jonathan Givony/Draft Express

Tags: Mario Hezonja, Detroit Pistons, NBA, NBA Misc Rumor, NBA NBA Draft, NBA Draft General

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Pistons Zeroing In On Stanley Johnson At No. 8

Jun 23, 2015 3:24 PM

The Detroit Pistons are targeting Stanley Johnson with the eighth overall pick assuming Mario Hezonja is off the board, according to a source.

The expectation is that Hezonja and Emmanuel Mudiay will not be available to the Pistons at No. 8 with the Sacramento Kings (6th) and Denver Nuggets (7th) drafting ahead of them.

Johnson averaged 13.8 points and 6.5 rebounds per game at Arizona during his freshman season.

Andrew Perna/RealGM

Tags: Stanley Johnson, Detroit Pistons, NBA, NBA Misc Rumor, NBA NBA Draft, NBA Draft General

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Pistons Could Move On From Reggie Jackson If Mudiay Slips To No. 8

Jun 23, 2015 2:50 PM

The Detroit Pistons would have interest in Emmanuel Mudiay if he falls to them at No. 8.

The Pistons traded for Reggie Jackson at the deadline, but he'll be a restricted free agent.

"They're not 100 percent sold on Reggie," a league source said.

The Pistons also like Justise Winslow and Mario Hezonja at No. 8.

Ken Berger/CBS Sports

Tags: Reggie Jackson, Emmanuel Mudiay, Detroit Pistons, NBA, NBA Signing Rumor, NBA Misc Rumor, NBA NBA Draft, NBA Draft General

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Pistons Interested In Tim Hardaway Jr. Deal With Knicks

Jun 22, 2015 11:16 AM

The Detroit Pistons have tried to engage the New York Knicks on a trade for Tim Hardaway Jr.

The Pistons could be looking to trade away Brandon Jennings as they acquired Reggie Jackson at the deadline. Jackson is a restricted free agent this offseason.

Jennings is entering the final year of his contract and will make $8.3 million next season. In a Jennings-for-Hardaway Jr. swap, the Knicks would likely have to use their trade exception and adjust their outgoing assets to make the deal work.

Ian Begley/ESPN

Tags: Brandon Jennings, Tim Hardaway Jr., Detroit Pistons, New York Knicks, NBA, NBA Trade Rumor, NBA Misc Rumor

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Bucks Trade Ersan Ilyasolva To Pistons For Caron Butler, Shawne Williams

Jun 11, 2015 4:18 PM

The Milwaukee Bucks traded forward Ersan Ilyasova to the Detroit Pistons, according to sources.

The acquisition of Ilyasova gives the Pistons a power forward to replace Greg Monroe.

Detroit sent forward Caron Butler and Shawne Williams to Milwaukee in the trade.

Adrian Wojnarowski/Yahoo! Sports

Tags: Ersan Ilyasova, Caron Butler, Shawne Williams, Detroit Pistons, Milwaukee Bucks, NBA, NBA Trade Rumor, NBA Misc Rumor

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Pistons Interested In Moving To Downtown Detroit

Jun 9, 2015 12:18 PM

The Detroit Pistons will explore moving from the suburbs of Auburn Hills into downtown Detroit.

That likely would mean a meeting with Chris Ilitch and Mike Ilitch from Olympia Entertainment, which has launched a $650 million arena and business project.

 

"We will put Arn in charge of helping us analyze how we can talk to the other business leaders," Tom Gores said. "We are going to charter Arn to study that (moving downtown). It will be one of his first things."

The NHL's Detroit Red Wings are moving into a new arena in 2017 that the Pistons could move into as well.

There is also a less viable option to tear down the half-built Wayne County Jail and build an arena in conjunction with Quicken Loans chairman Dan Gilbert.

Gilbert owns the NBA's Cavaliers, who play in Quicken Loans Arena in downtown Cleveland. He is pushing for Gores to move the Pistons to downtown Detroit.

The team played at Cobo Arena until 1978, when owner Bill Davidson moved the franchise to the Pontiac Silverdome rather than join the Red Wings at Joe Louis Arena. The Pistons also played games at Olympia Stadium just outside of downtown.

Terry Foster/Detroit News

Tags: Detroit Pistons, NBA

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Wasserman Group Won't Hire Replacement For Arn Tellem

David Aldridge/NBA.com

Pistons Hire Arn Tellem For Senior Management Position

Adrian Wojnarowski/Yahoo! Sports

Drummond Tired Of Losing, Hopes To Become Better Leader

Vince Ellis/Detroit Free Press

Cartier Martin Exercises Vet Minimum Player Option With Pistons For 15-16

Shams Charania/RealGM