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Detroit Pistons sign big man Nikola Jovanovic

By Joe Imburgia

Apr 12, 2015; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; A general shot of a basketball with a Detroit Pistons logo on it during the third quarter against the Charlotte Hornets at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Pistons beat the Hornets 116-77. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 12, 2015; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; A general shot of a basketball with a Detroit Pistons logo on it during the third quarter against the Charlotte Hornets at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Pistons beat the Hornets 116-77. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports /
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Detroit Pistons training camp is less than two weeks away with the first team practice being held on September 27th.  As camp nears, the Pistons look to be bringing in more players to ramp up the competition during training camp. Stan Van Gundy is giving himself some options with the presumably the 15th roster spot up for grabs.

The Detroit Pistons have signed big man Nikola Jovanovic from USC to a training camp deal.  In his junior season last year, he averaged 12 points and seven rebounds per game.  Jovanovic shot 54 percent from the field last year on 8.6 attempts per game.  He played with the Los Angeles Lakers and Pistons during summer league.

It’s possible Stan Van Gundy could want an extra big man instead of another point guard.  Though many of the recent signings point to Van Gundy looking for some competition for the third point guard role.  Lorenzo Brown, Ray McCallum, and now Trey Freeman look to be battling for that role.

However, if Van Gundy believes that someone like Michael Gbinije could fill the third point guard role, then the extra big man could make more sense.

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With the addition of Jovanovic, the Pistons’ roster now sits at 18 players. Teams can invite up to 20 players for their training camp roster, with only 15 making the official opening day roster.  It’s possible that Van Gundy could bring in another point guard or big man to continue to add more competition.

The Pistons roster is set for the most part, so these players vying for the 15th roster spot are climbing an uphill battle.  However, some of these players could end up on the Pistons’ D-League affiliate, the Grand Rapids Drive, if they don’t make the opening day roster.

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As training camp approaches, keep an eye out for the Pistons as they could make some more small roster moves in the coming weeks.

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