Detroit Pistons vets: Rodney McGruder (for now)
As of this writing, guard Rodney McGruder is still a member of the Detroit Pistons. That could change as his $5 million owed for next season only becomes guaranteed if he is still on the roster as of August 15. The Pistons do not owe him a dime if he is released before that day.
The fact McGruder was not cut at the start of free agency is a sign that Detroit is seriously considering retaining him. If they just wanted to take the $5 million and apply it to the salary cap space, they could have let him go already.
Troy Weaver is usually pretty good about thinking of player’s welfare. If he had no intention of keeping McGruder, he probably would have let him go early, giving him a better chance to latch on to another team.
With the draft, the initial waves of free agency and NBA team’s summer league rosters filling up, letting McGruder actually go on August 15 would make it harder for him to find a new club.
Of course, the Pistons could do with McGruder what they did with Cory Joseph. Cut him and then re-sign at a lower price. So a release of McGruder does not necessarily mean he won’t be with the team.
McGruder is 30, so he is not part of any young core the Pistons are building.
But he is a 6-foot-4 guard who can play both the point and shooting guard positions. He only got into 16 games last season, but, when he actually got a chance to play, he was not bad. He scored 20 points against the Raptors and versus the Knicks and Spurs, two teams noted for defense, he had 13 points in both games.
Casey talked during the season about how, as a veteran, he could trust McGruder when he was in the game, as a veteran, to play any guard position.
Importantly, it was mentioned frequently how great an influence McGruder was in the locker room all season. When you see a vet who is not getting much playing time act in a professional manner, it is harder for a young player to complain about PT.
On a 15-team roster, not everyone is going to play in games. You need someone who won’t complain about riding the bench but will be ready to contribute when called upon. And there are even more young players to mentor this year.
Do not count out McGruder being on the team again.