Detroit Pistons

Kelly Olynyk is on the move again after agreeing to a deal with the Detroit Pistons on Monday.

His agent, Jeff Schwartz, relayed the news to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, who tweeted that Olynyk will sign a three-year, $37 million contract.

Olynyk played 27 games for the Rockets at the end of last season after being acquired in a trade with the Miami Heat on March 25. The 30-year-old had one of the best stretches of his career after moving to Houston. 

He averaged 19 points on 54.5 percent shooting with 8.4 rebounds and 4.1 assists per contest. 

An eight-year veteran, Olynyk has established himself as a solid role player whose shooting ability makes him an efficient scorer and size lets him battle opposing big men down low for rebounds. 

Since the start of the 2015-16 season, Olynyk has shot 37 percent from three-point range. He averaged a career-high 5.3 attempts behind the arc in 2020-21. 

The Pistons will look to take advantage of Olynyk's versatile scoring ability in their quest to make a playoff run this season. He's a proven player who helps increase the depth for head coach Dwane Casey.

The Pistons made their big acquisition in the draft by selecting Cade Cunningham with the No. 1 overall pick. 

Everything that Detroit's front office should be focused on now is surrounding the rookie point guard with young talent that can develop alongside him, as well as seasoned veterans who can give production on the court and leadership in the locker room. 

Olynyk is a solid veteran presence for the Pistons given where they are at. He can boost the offense thanks to his three-point shooting prowess and rebounding skill. 

The Pistons also have the benefit of potentially flipping Olynyk at the trade deadline to acquire more long-term assets for the future.

Coming off a productive 2020-21 season, Nerlens Noel is reportedly going to have his share of suitors as a free agent. 

Per Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, Noel is expected to receive interest from the New York Knicks, Detroit Pistons, Sacramento Kings and Toronto Raptors.

From that group, the Knicks are the most familiar with Noel. The 27-year-old spent last season with the team, starting 41 games when Mitchell Robinson was sidelined with injuries. 

The Raptors have been linked to several centers so far this offseason. B/R's Jake Fischer reported the Cleveland Cavaliers view Toronto as their "biggest threat" to retaining Jarrett Allen as a restricted free agent. 

Fischer also listed the Raptors and Knicks as potential landing spots for Richaun Holmes. The Kings' interest in Noel could depend on what happens with Holmes, who spent the past two seasons in Sacramento. 

The Pistons have an opening at center after agreeing to trade Mason Plumlee and the 37th overall pick in the 2021 draft to the Charlotte Hornets for the 57th overall pick in Thursday's draft, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. 

Drafted sixth overall in 2013, Noel has bounced around the league over the past eight seasons. Prior to his time in New York, he had stints with the Philadelphia 76ers, Dallas Mavericks and Oklahoma City Thunder. 

Noel averaged 5.1 points on 61.4 percent shooting, 6.4 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game in 64 appearances for the Knicks last season.    

One of the crown jewels in the 2021 NBA draft class is now a member of the Detroit Pistons after Oklahoma State star Cade Cunningham came off the board with the No. 1 overall pick. 

Bleacher Report Draft Expert Jonathan Wasserman's Scouting Report

Player: Cade Cunningham

Position: PG/SG

Height: 6'8"

Pro Comparison: Luka Doncic

Scouting Report: Cunningham started the season viewed as the draft's top prospect, and then backed up the hype with next-level shot-creation and accurate shooting. He projects as a top option, but Cunningham can also double as a playmaker capable of generating offense from either backcourt position.

  

The 19-year-old was pegged as a potential top-five pick when he joined the Cowboys for the 2020-21 season. He largely lived up to the hype by averaging 20.1 points, 6.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists while shooting 43.8 percent from the field and 40.0 percent from beyond the arc.

The Arlington, Texas, native has the size (6'8", 220 pounds) and the game to thrive at the next level. He can be the lead playmaker and No. 1 scorer for the Pistons.

Fans in Detroit didn't have much to cheer about this past season, but getting Cunningham makes all of the losing worth it.

Pistons Active Roster and Average Salary (Expiration Year)

Jerami Grant, PF: $20M (2023)

Cory Joseph, PG: $12.4M (2022)

Cade Cunningham, PG: $8.1M (2025)

Killian Hayes, PG: $5.4M (2024)

Rodney McGruder, SG: $5M (2022)

Josh Jackson, SG: $4.9M (2022)

Sekou Doumbouya, SF: $3.4M (2023)

Isaiah Stewart, C: $3.2M (2024)

Saddiq Bey, SG: $2.8M (2024)

Jahlil Okafor, C: $2M (2022)

Deividas Sirvydis, SF: $1.4M (2023) 

Tyler Cook, PF: $1M (2022)

     

Free Agents

Dennis Smith Jr., PG: RFA

Wayne Ellington, SG: UFA

Hamidou Diallo, SG: RFA

Saben Lee, PG: RFA

Frank Jackson, PG: UFA

He's also exactly the kind of cornerstone the franchise needs to serve as the face of its new era.

The Pistons committed to a painful rebuild when they traded Andre Drummond for pennies on the dollar ahead of the 2020 trade deadline. Then came Blake Griffin's buyout after the organization tabbed Troy Weaver to lead the front office.

Although the Jerami Grant signing has worked out better than expected, Detroit lacked a young star whom you could envision leading a possible title contender down the line. Weaver and head coach Dwane Casey now have that player in Cunningham.

The Pistons have their new franchise cornerstone.

And Cade Cunningham is about to get his new contract.

Detroit selected the Oklahoma State guard with the No. 1 overall pick of the 2021 NBA draft on Thursday. The next step is officially signing him, and there is a framework in place to estimate what the contract will look like before he hits the court.

RealGM provided a scale for rookie contracts while pointing out that first-round picks can sign for as little as 80 percent of the rookie scale or for as much as 120 percent of it.

For the No. 1 pick, the first-year salary is $8.4 million, the second-year salary is $8.8 million and the third-year option salary is $9.2 million.

What's more, the fourth-year option is a 26.1 percent increase over the third-year salary, and the qualifying option is a 30.0 percent increase over the fourth-year salary.

If Cunningham plays like he did during his one season at Oklahoma State, the contract will be well worth it.

He was a consensus All-American and the Big 12 Player of the Year behind 20.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.6 steals per game. He also hit 40.0 percent of his shots from three-point range and helped lead the Cowboys to the Big 12 tournament championship game and second round of the NCAA tournament.

Cunningham brings everything a team could want from a guard.

He shoots from the outside, creates his own looks off the dribble, attacks the basket, rebounds from the backcourt and facilitates for teammates when defenders collapse on him.

"The eye test shows a special passer (especially dating back to Montverde Academy), even if his 3.5 assists per game seem pedestrian," Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman wrote. "His vision and delivery skill, coupled with his creativity, suggest he can occupy the same high-usage initiator role that Luka Doncic does for the Dallas Mavericks."

That is quite the comparison, but Cunningham figures to be a matchup nightmare at 6'8" in the backcourt.

It will not be a surprise if he is a multitime All-Star and a franchise cornerstone for years to come.

That is exactly what a Pistons team that is coming off a 20-52 season and hasn't won a playoff series since the 2007-08 season needs.

The history of the NBA is filled with transcendent stars making the difference between mere playoff appearances and championship-caliber roster, and it has been quite some time since Detroit had one of those on the team.

While that is plenty of pressure to put on a rookie's shoulders, there is a reason Cunningham was taken with the first overall pick. Now he will look to deliver on those elevated expectations.

The Detroit Pistons have reportedly "finalized" their decision to select Oklahoma State guard Cade Cunningham if they keep the first overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft Thursday night.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported full details of the Pistons' decision-making process and noted there's still an outside chance of a trade before Detroit is on the clock:

Trade offers to move up the board -- including to No. 1 -- continue to come, so there's always the possibility that a proposal could blow the Pistons away. But if they're taking the pick for themselves at No. 1 tonight, they're taking Cade Cunningham, sources tell ESPN. https://t.co/qYbIEvOeTL

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 29, 2021

The Pistons have played their cards close to the vest since winning the No. 1 pick in the lottery, and that remained true in the days leading up to the draft.

"I said it from the onset: We're going to have a process, and we're going to turn over every stone," Detroit general manager Troy Weaver told reporters Tuesday.

Passing on Cunningham, whether via a trade down or selecting another prospect, would have come with ample risk given his perennial All-Star potential, though.

The 19-year-old Texas native should be a high-impact NBA player from Day 1. He averaged 20.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.6 steals across 27 games at Oklahoma State. He also knocked down 2.3 threes per game while shooting 40 percent from beyond the arc.

He already features an NBA frame (6'8'', 220 pounds) with the size of a wing but the playmaking ability of a guard. He's capable of defending multiple positions, and his turnover problems started to fade late in his time with the Cowboys, tallying just six over his final 103 college minutes.

Simply put: Cunningham is the total package. He's the perfect prospect for the modern game, and his overall offensive efficiency should only improve as he gains more experience.

While there have been myriad rumors about the different directions Detroit could go, it always felt like staying at No. 1 to select the reigning Big 12 Player of the Year was the team's best option. He's the cornerstone it needs to send rebuilding efforts into overdrive.

Other top-five prospects, including Jalen Green and Evan Mobley, appear destined for long, successful NBA careers of their own, but Cunningham has appeared a step above the rest throughout the process.

Now it sounds like he's a few hours away from becoming the new face of the Pistons franchise.

Interested teams reportedly "continue to pepper" the Detroit Pistons with trade offers for the No. 1 overall pick in Thursday's 2021 NBA draft.

Kevin O'Connor of The Ringer reported he's hearing "increased chatter" that the Pistons could trade down or select Jalen Green over presumptive top choice Cade Cunningham, but he noted Cunningham "remains the favorite" to come off the board first.

It's rare for draft night to arrive with so much uncertainty around the No. 1 selection, both in terms of who will be taken and which team will make that choice.

The key may be how far the Pistons are willing to move down if another front office offers a king's ransom for the top spot. It's one of the deepest classes in years, which works in Detroit's favor, though Cunningham is the safest bet of the top prospects to become a superstar.

Green, Jalen Suggs, Evan Mobley and Scottie Barnes headline the other players with a strong chance to land in the top five. It would likely take a monumental offer for the Pistons to consider moving outside the first five picks.

Detroit general manager Troy Weaver confirmed to reporters Tuesday that his front office remains flexible:

"I said it from the onset: We're going to have a process and we're going to turn over every stone. That's what we're doing. Everybody's made the pick but us. But we're going to continue to do our work, turn over every stone and land where we're going to land. We're confident in our work and we're enjoying the process."

The Pistons are still a couple of years away from contention, even with adding a top prospect, so a trade offer that keeps them inside the top five and adds a major haul of future picks will be intriguing.

That said, Cunningham may be too good to pass up.

The 19-year-old Oklahoma State product is NBA-ready after averaging 20.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 2.3 threes and 1.6 steals across 27 appearances during his only season with the Cowboys. He should be an offensive asset right out of the gate.

Detroit has some promising building blocks, led by Saddiq Bey, Josh Jackson and Isaiah Stewart, and veteran forward Jerami Grant earned a place on Team USA for the Olympics with a breakout season. But the team is still seeking the cornerstone piece in its rebuild.

Cunningham would fill the void, so it would be a surprise if the Pistons don't take him No. 1 despite the ample rumors during the final hours before the draft.

The Detroit Pistons reportedly may be closing in on finalizing their decision to select Oklahoma State guard Cade Cunningham with No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NBA draft.

According to ESPN's Jonathan Givony, Cunningham's standing with the Pistons has "strengthened" throughout the predraft process, and it will be "extremely surprising" if Detroit doesn't take him with the top pick.

Givony added that a Detroit committment to Cunningham as the No. 1 overall selection "could be imminent."

The draft is set for Thursday night at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, and it will begin at 8 p.m. ET.

Since the start of the 2020-21 season, Cunningham has been the favorite to go No. 1 overall in the 2021 draft.

He arrived at Oklahoma State as the No. 1 player in the 2020 recruiting class, per 247Sports, and nothing he did as a freshman dropped him from that perch.

During his one season with the Cowboys, the 6'8" guard averaged 20.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 2.3 three-pointers made and 1.6 steals per game. He also shot 43.8 percent from the field, 40.0 percent from beyond the arc and 84.6 percent from the free-throw line.

Cunningham also helped lead Oklahoma State to the NCAA tournament, where it reached the second round.

The Arlington, Texas, native has only met with the Pistons throughout the predraft process.

According to Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press, Cunningham said: "I wanted to meet with the team with the No. 1 pick, and I feel like I'm the No. 1 pick. I met with Detroit; they're the ones that had the pick."

Cunningham has also already ingratiated himself to the city of Detroit, saying:

"I love Detroit. I've already been listening to Detroit music and things like that, way before the draft lottery, any of that stuff. I was already hip to the culture in Detroit. It's a city that has a lot of things going on, and I feel like getting the sports team rolling again would be huge for the city. Detroit fits me, that's the main thing I'm going to try to do is step in and embody the swag that people from Detroit walk with, the people from Michigan in general. They have an underdog, go-get-what-you-want feel to them and I like that about the city. 

"If I am able to go in there and be the No. 1 pick, I'm going to try to carry that same swag, in how I walk on the court and make the most out of it and wear the red, white and blue for sure."

The Pistons are coming off back-to-back 20-win seasons, but they may not be far from getting back into playoff contention.

In recent years, a team has only needed to be around .500 to compete for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, and Detroit could be in that mix if Cunningham is as good as advertised.

The Pistons already have some quality holdovers, including Jerami Grant coming off a career year and rising youngsters Saddiq Bey, Hamidou Diallo, Isaiah Stewart, Killian Hayes and Sekou Doumbouya.

There are some other quality players with All-Star potential in this year's draft as well, including G League guard Jalen Green, USC center Evan Mobley and Gonzaga guard Jalen Suggs.

While all of them figure to be strong picks in the top five, Cunningham has seemingly always been a cut above the rest, and is the clear favorite to go No. 1 overall.

The Detroit Pistons will keep their options open heading into Thursday's NBA draft, but they are still projected to draft Cade Cunningham at No. 1 overall.

"Sources across the NBA feel, by far, the most likely outcome is that the Pistons select and keep Cunningham," Sam Vecenie of The Athletic reported.

Vecenie still noted "it’s not a done deal" in his latest mock draft.

Cunningham is widely considered the top prospect in the class, including by Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman. The Pistons are still doing their due diligence with Jalen Green and Evan Mobley, per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

"One league source insists that one of the factors keeping the Pistons from committing fully to the selection of Cunningham is Jalen Green’s recent stellar workout that apparently made the strongest of impressions," NBA reporter Marc Stein reported.

Detroit will also have the opportunity to trade back and acquire more assets to help its ongoing rebuild.

The Houston Rockets currently have the No. 2 pick but are "aggressively pursuing" the No. 1 spot, per Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium. Bleacher Report's Jake Fischer reported the Oklahoma City Thunder offered Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the No. 6 pick for No. 1 overall.

The Pistons still seem destined to stay put and draft Cunningham, who was one of the biggest stars in college basketball as a freshman last season.

The Oklahoma State product averaged 20.1 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game in 2020-21 while shooting 40.0 percent from three-point range. At 6'8", he has the size to play and defend multiple positions while also possessing the skill set to create openings for himself and others.

Detroit must determine if his upside is enough to turn down the other opportunities available.

The Detroit Pistons have a lot of options with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NBA draft, but the team could stick with the obvious choice of taking Oklahoma State guard Cade Cunningham.

"Front-office executives around the league expect Detroit to stay at No. 1 and pick Cunningham," Kevin O'Connor of The Ringer reported.

Jonathan Givony of ESPN reported earlier this month that the Pistons were exploring trade opportunities and that the Cleveland Cavaliers, Houston Rockets, New Orleans Pelicans and Oklahoma City Thunder were considering a move up to No. 1.

Shams Charania of The Athletic added the Rockets were "aggressive" in trying to move up from No. 2 to No. 1.

The Pistons, however, appear likely to stay put and select the best player in the class.

Cunningham entered last season as the top recruit in the class, per 247Sports, and a great freshman year at Oklahoma State didn't change that perception.

The guard averaged 20.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.6 steals per game, winning Big 12 Player of the Year and being named an All-American. He shot 40 percent from three-point range and displayed the ability to create his own shot with consistency, helping him make an easy transition to the NBA.

After the Pistons finished 20-52 last season, the organization needs an infusion of talent, and Cunningham could be an immediate go-to option.

Detroit could also consider top prospects Jalen Green and Evan Mobley, both of whom could contribute on both ends. Green is a polished perimeter scorer, while Mobley has elite upside as a versatile center.

Trading back could also add assets to speed up the rebuild.

That said, few Pistons fans will complain if they stay put and select Cunningham with the first pick.

It doesn't appear Jalen Green expects to fall past the No. 2 pick in the 2021 NBA draft.

ESPN's Jonathan Givony and Adrian Wojnarowski reported Green will work out for the Detroit Pistons, who have the top overall selection. He's also reportedly "currently only planning on conducting one additional workout" with the Houston Rockets, who follow Detroit in the draft.

Cade Cunningham is widely expected to land with Detroit, so that would seemingly lock Green in with Houston.

Givony reported June 29 teams around the league believed the Rockets value the G League Ignite star more than USC big man Evan Mobley. Zach Harper of The Athletic described the team as "heavily leaning toward" Green and that Gonzaga guard Jalen Suggs was in the mix too.

Kevin Porter Jr. played well after joining the Rockets midway through the season, averaging 16.6 points and 6.3 assists. But Green is the kind of dynamic scorer and playmaker who can be the franchise cornerstone for the future.

The 19-year-old put up 17.9 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game during his one season in the NBA G League.

The emergence of Christian Wood as a valuable starting option at the 5 also lowers the need to add another frontcourt player such as Mobley so early in the draft.

The situation could be this straightforward, in which case Mobley likely winds up with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Action Network's Matt Moore reported the Cavs have turned their focus toward the 7-footer with the belief Green will be off the board.

Should the Rockets shock everyone and take Mobley or Suggs instead, Cleveland could be stuck in a difficult position. Green would be available in this scenario, but Cavs personnel may not have gotten to see him work out ahead of the draft.

While acknowledging the two things may not have been connected, Givony reported during the 2018 draft that Cleveland passed on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander after he indicated he didn't want to play for the team. The Cavaliers selected Collin Sexton instead.

Based on Tuesday's report, Green isn't singling the Cavs out since he also omitted the Toronto Raptors and Orlando Magic, who pick fourth and fifth, respectively.