Detroit Pistons

Chicago fans hoping to see former Bull and hometown hero Derrick Rose in the skills competition during All-Star Weekend reportedly could be disappointed. 

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, the Detroit Pistons point guard plans on dropping out of the event in the Windy City. Eric Woodyard of ESPN reported Rose's withdrawal is "injury-related."

This comes after the NBA announced Rose as one of the eight participants in the competition that happens during All-Star Saturday.

The other seven participants are Bam Adebayo of the Miami Heat, Patrick Beverley of the Los Angeles Clippers, Spencer Dinwiddie of the Brooklyn Nets, Khris Middleton of the Milwaukee Bucks, Domantas Sabonis of the Indiana Pacers, Pascal Siakam of the Toronto Raptors and Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics.

While Rose was not named as an All-Star Game participant, the skills competition figured to be a way for him to perform in front of the fans who used to cheer for him in the United Center.

Rose can no longer be counted on like the player who captured the 2010-11 league MVP award as a member of the Bulls, but he has been impressive for the Pistons and is averaging 18.5 points, 5.8 assists and 2.5 rebounds in 26.4 minutes per game.

He has been a bright spot for an 18-34 squad that is in 11th place in the Eastern Conference but will apparently not put that skill set on display during All-Star Weekend.

With the NBA's trade deadline rapidly approaching, the Detroit Pistons have spoken to teams interested in acquiring veteran forward Markieff Morris, according to The Ringer's Kevin O'Connor.

O'Connor listed the Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, Milwaukee Bucks, Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics among the teams with Morris on their radar. O'Connor added the Houston Rockets also have interest, noting they could acquire Morris without eclipsing the luxury-tax threshold.

Morris is averaging 11.0 points and 3.9 rebounds per game while shooting 39.3 percent from three-point range.

The 30-year-old has a $3.4 million player option for 2020-21, so he'd either be a rental or playing on a reasonable contract next season for any team that would acquire him.

Cashing out on Morris' trade value makes sense for the Pistons, who are 11th in the Eastern Conference at 18-34. Detroit is going nowhere with Blake Griffin out indefinitely while he recovers from knee surgery, and Andre Drummond (player option) could leave as a free agent in the summer.

The team is clearly in selling mode—at least until Thursday's 3 p.m. ET deadline passes.

The number of clubs interested in Morris speaks to his reputation around the league. He's a solid rebounder and scorer who can help space the floor as well.

By joining a contender, he'd likely have to settle for a smaller role. His 21.5 percent usage rate is his highest since 2015-16, per Basketball Reference. Considering Morris has one more turnover (66) than he has assists (65), making him more of a spot-up shooter would be a natural transition.

Both in terms of money and the assets required to get a deal done, Morris is a cost-effective target for teams looking to add frontcourt depth.

The Detroit Pistons are reportedly still attempting to move center Andre Drummond ahead of Thursday's NBA trade deadline.

According to ESPN's Zach Lowe, the Pistons "haven't given up hope" of trading Drummond despite the fact that his market has cooled.

Lowe noted that even if the Pistons are able to deal Drummond, they may not receive as big of a return as they want since the big man's contract situation is scaring away teams. He has a $28.8 million player option for next season, which means he could become a free agent at the conclusion of the 2019-20 campaign if he opts out.

The 26-year-old Drummond is a two-time All-Star, and although he was not named an All-Star this season, he is enjoying another productive year with 17.3 points, 15.7 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.7 blocks per game.

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Drummond is also on pace to lead the NBA in rebounds per game for the third consecutive season and the fourth time in the past five years.

The Pistons have relied even more heavily than usual on Drummond  with Blake Griffin out injured (knee), and he has delivered. Because of the lack of talent and production around him, however, the Pistons are just 11th in the Eastern Conference at 18-33.

Since Detroit, which has the sixth-toughest schedule remaining, seems unlikely to reach the playoffs this season and could lose Drummond for nothing during the offseason, the smart play would be to cash in Drummond for assets provided there are no plans to sign him to an extension.

The Atlanta Hawks are one team known to be in the market for a center, and they were linked to Drummond recently. But ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported Monday that talks between the Pistons and Hawks have "lost momentum."

Even if Drummond wants to test the market during the offseason, he could be an ideal fit for a contending team in need of a big-man rental.

The Milwaukee Bucks, Boston Celtics, Miami Heat and Los Angeles Clippers are among the teams in playoff position who could use a center, but it is unclear how willing or able any of them would be to take on Drummond's salary.

A package including a first-round pick and a player would probably be a good return for Drummond at this juncture, but the uncertainty regarding Drummond and his willingness to opt in for next season may take a first-round pick out of the equation for most teams.

If that is the case, the Pistons may face the dilemma of either trading Drummond for far less than what he is worth or gambling on him exercising his player option for 2020-21.

Detroit Pistons point guard Derrick Rose suffered a sore left groin Sunday against the Denver Nuggets, according to the Detroit Free Press' Vince Ellis.  

His exit comes amid rumors regarding his future with the Pistons. The Athletic's Shams Charania reported Detroit is "open to discussing deals" for Rose and wants to receive a "lottery-level first-round pick."

Rose missed the Pistons' loss against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday with right knee soreness. The 31-year-old has dealt with a lingering knee ailment throughout the first half of this season, costing him seven games. 

These have been minuscule compared to injuries Rose has endured in the past.

The 2010-11 league MVP has seen his career derailed by injuries more than once. Rose suffered a torn ACL during a playoff game against the Philadelphia 76ers in April 2012. He would not return to the court until Oct. 29, 2013, and subsequently tore the medial meniscus in his right knee on two separate occasions in November 2013 and February 2015.

Rose, whom the Bulls drafted No. 1 overall in 2008, had brief stints with the New York Knicks (2016-17), Cavaliers (2017-18) and Minnesota Timberwolves (2017-18, 2018-19) before landing in Detroit on a two-year, $15 million deal.

The three-time All-Star's tenure in Minnesota ended with an arthroscopic elbow surgery in late March, but that has not affected his 2019-20 campaign in the slightest.

With the Pistons, Rose has averaged 18.9 points, 5.9 assists and 2.6 rebounds in 26.7 minutes across 43 games (nine starts). He had an especially torrid 10-game stretch in January:

Rose's production gave head coach Dwane Casey no choice but to move him from the bench into a starting role. When Rose misses time, the 17-33 Pistons can lean on Reggie Jackson and Bruce Brown to run the point. 

If Derrick Rose gets his way, he will remain with the Detroit Pistons after the NBA trade deadline on Feb. 6. 

Per Vincent Ellis of the Detroit Free Press, Rose addressed the trade rumors and possibility he could be dealt within the next five days.

"It's up to the front office," he said. "[Pistons vice chairman] Arn [Tellem] gave me his word that if something were to happen, he will text or call, but I told him that I want to stay here, but it's not up to me. You already know how that goes.”  

Rose has been one of the most talked about players in the league leading up to the trade deadline. 

B/R's Ric Bucher reported the Los Angeles Clippers and Los Angeles Lakers could make a play for the former NBA MVP but added the likely cost of a first-round pick and young player may keep him in Detroit. 

Another title contender reportedly interested in Rose is the Philadelphia 76ers, per Yahoo Sports' Chris Haynes. 

Rose would be able to help any of those three teams because of his scoring and shooting ability, but it's unclear if one of them would be willing to meet the Pistons' lofty asking price. 

Signed by the Pistons in July, Rose has an affordable contract with a $7.3 million base salary this season and $7.7 million owed in 2020-21.

With Blake Griffin out indefinitely after having knee surgery on Jan. 7, Rose has taken over as Detroit's most valuable player. The three-time All-Star is averaging 18.9 points and 5.9 assists per game and shooting a career-high 49.9 percent from the field.

The Detroit Pistons are open to trading Derrick Rose before next Thursday's deadline, but it appears the asking price is high.

Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported the Pistons are looking for a "lottery-level" pick in exchange for Rose, who is in the midst of an excellent season in Detroit. Rose is averaging 18.9 points and 6.0 assists while knocking down a career-high 49.8 percent from the field.

"I haven't really thought about it. Me and [agent] B.J. [Armstrong] haven't talked about it," Rose told NBC Sports Chicago's K.C. Johnson of the trade rumors. "When we have talked, it was more about All-Star and what appearances I have for adidas. It wasn't anything else as far as like what teams are calling, this and that. We were pretty straightforward. We talk about how I play."

It seems unlikely any team will part with a lottery pick in exchange for Rose despite his Sixth Man of the Year candidacy. Teams interested in the 2011 NBA MVP are title hopefuls looking for a boost off their bench; that alone essentially takes their picks out of the lottery level. While some middling teams may express interest with Rose under contract for just $7.7 million next season, the asking price appears high.

The Chicago Bulls could use help at the point guard spot, are currently a lottery team and would represent a homecoming for Rose. However, it's hard to see how Rose fits with a rebuilding roster filled with young talent—many of whom need the ball in their hands to be effective.

If the Pistons start their asking price with a lottery pick and settle for a late first, they'll likely be able to get a deal done by Thursday. If not, Rose will continue putting up numbers for a Detroit team that's looking primed for a rebuild itself. 

The Detroit Pistons announced point guard Derrick Rose will miss Monday's game against the Cleveland Cavaliers with right knee soreness.

Rose enjoyed a bounceback 2018-19 season, averaging 18.0 points and 4.3 assists. He also shot a personal-best 37 percent from beyond the arc.

Rose's biggest highlight came in a 128-125 win over the Utah Jazz on Oct. 31, 2018, when he scored 50 points.

Injuries limited the three-time All-Star to 51 games, though, maintaining the general theme of his career. He eventually underwent elbow surgery in March, which ended his year.

Rose signed a two-year, $15 million contract with the Pistons in the offseason. Through 41 games, he's averaging 18.8 points and 6.0 assists, continuing the relative renaissance he started in Minnesota.

The 2010-11 season was the last time Rose appeared in at least 70 games, so Detroit likely planned for a scenario in which he would be out for a stretch of 2019-20.

But Rose provides much-needed depth for a team that has struggled to fill out the bench with so much of its payroll committed to Blake Griffin and Andre Drummond ($61.5 million combined this year). Griffin is out indefinitely after undergoing knee surgery.

After Reggie Jackson was sidelined with a back injury, Bruce Brown emerged as the starting point guard—albeit while playing out of position. As a result, losing Rose won't leave the Pistons in an unfamiliar position, but it does leave them short-handed at the point.

The Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics and New York Knicks are reportedly "bypassing further pursuit" of Detroit Pistons center Andre Drummond ahead of the 2020 NBA trade deadline Feb. 6. 

Shams Charania of The Athletic reported Friday the market for Drummond is "stagnant" with the Pistons' asking price of a first-round pick or a "quality young player" not leading to serious talks.

Drummond's contract situation is likely a major factor in the lack of legitimate offers.

The 26-year-old UConn product is in the final guaranteed season of a five-year, $127.2 million contract with the Pistons. Yahoo Sports' Chris Haynes reported last week the NBA's rebounding leader will use a player option to opt out of the deal's final season to become an unrestricted free agent in the summer.

It would be tough to justify giving up an asset like a first-round pick or an impact young player for a couple months of Drummond unless a team believes he's the last piece of their championship puzzle.

For his part, the two-time All-Star said in early January said he'd like to stay in Detroit.

"I'm not a quitter, for one," Drummond told reporters. "I was never brought up to be a quitter. If I start somewhere, I try to finish there, try to complete the mission, which is to win a championship here. It will never be me that wants to go anywhere ... I love being here. I would love to play here the rest of my career."

Drummond is averaging 17.3 points, 15.7 rebounds and 1.8 blocks while shooting 53.1 percent from the field across 42 appearances during the 2019-20 season.

With the Pistons not getting the type of offers they desired, the question becomes whether the asking price will decrease with less than two weeks until the deadline and the front office facing the prospect of losing the star center for nothing in free agency after the season.

So far it doesn't sound like anything is close, so Detroit has a lot of work to do if it's going to move Drummond before Feb. 6.

Detroit Pistons center Andre Drummond will miss the team's game Wednesday against the Sacramento Kings because of facial injuries he suffered against the Washington Wizards Monday, per Keith Langlois of Pistons.com. 

According to Langlois, Drummond "lost a tooth and gashed his lip" in the team's 106-100 loss to the Wizards. He saw a dentist but "the lip was too swollen to make repairs." 

Drummond suffered the injury late in the fourth quarter while going up for a rebound. Washington's Thomas Bryant, also going up for the board, accidentally caught him in the face with a flailing arm. 

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After the game, Drummond and his head coach, Dwane Casey, weren't pleased that a foul wasn't called:

It's been a tough season for Drummond and the Pistons. The team is just 16-28 and it appears their best player, Blake Griffin, is out for the season:

The Pistons are still just three games out of the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference, so all is not lost. But there will be plenty of interest around the NBA in veterans like Drummond and Derrick Rose, and it wouldn't be shocking if the Pistons were sellers come February. 

Another factor Detroit could consider is that Drummond has a $28.7 million player option for next season, a figure he'll probably decline to become a free agent. It's possible that Detroit could lose him in free agency without obtaining any assets in return. 

The 26-year-old is having another solid season, averaging 17.3 points, 15.7 rebounds, 2.1 steals and 1.8 blocks per game, shooting 53.1 percent from the field. He'll have suitors if the Pistons decide to make him available. 

The Detroit Pistons received a $9.2 million disabled player exception with Blake Griffin likely to miss the remainder of the 2019-20 NBA season, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium.

Detroit announced Jan. 7 that Griffin had undergone arthroscopic surgery on his knee, with no timetable for his return to the court.

Applying for the exception made sense because it was an available option for the Pistons. ESPN's Bobby Marks highlighted how the DPE has rarely yielded tangible benefits, however:

The Pistons already have 15 players on the roster, so they can't use the exception to sign a player without releasing somebody first. They're also just $3,668 under the luxury tax, per Spotrac, which further complicates matters.

Should Ed Stefanski, the team's de facto general manager, choose to go into selling mode ahead of the Feb. 6 deadline, the DPE could provide a bit more flexibility.

The Pistons are only three games back of the eighth-seeded Brooklyn Nets, but with Griffin's injury and Andre Drummond's impending free agency, some may argue Detroit is better off taking a longer view with the roster.

Yahoo Sports' Chris Haynes reported the Atlanta Hawks are no longer interested in Drummond but that Derrick Rose is on the radar for contenders looking to strengthen for second half of the season.