Detroit Pistons: Will Pistons strike gold with two-way contracts again?

After officially signing Luka Garza to the second two-way contract, the Detroit Pistons roster is pretty much set.

Yes, Keith knows his name is Luka and corrected himself. Name typos aside, the Pistons have now used both of their two-way contracts for the season, and outside of re-signing Hamidou Diallo, I can’t see any other huge changes to the roster.

Two-way contracts were invented to allow NBA teams to keep two extra players on the roster who will split time between the G-League and the team.

Last season the league extended the number of games two-way players could be with the team before their guaranteed contract kicked in, which essentially allowed teams to keep two extra guys for the whole season, which is nice for young, rebuilding squads that are trying to develop talent.

Detroit Pistons: The two-way contract has been fruitful for Detroit

Last season the Detroit Pistons used their two-way contracts on Saben Lee and Frank Jackson, two players who have since been extended guaranteed deals by the team.

Both players were able to get big minutes and make an impact off the bench, as Saben Lee had some big games early in the season and Frank Jackson became the team’s instant offense off the bench and ended up shooting more than 40 percent from long range.

The Pistons have two guys in Chris Smith and Luka Garza who hope to do the same, as they will have to earn their way out of the G-League and show they belong on the full-time roster.

Will either of them do it? I think there is a strong chance that history repeats itself for the Pistons.

Detroit Pistons: Two-way player Chris Smith has high upside talent

If you are not sure who Chris Smith is, you are not alone. The senior wing out of UCLA was not drafted after being injured early in the season and his two-way signing went under the radar.

I was actually surprised that the Detroit Pistons didn’t save one of their two-way deals for Deividas Sirvydis, but Chris Smith has more upside, especially on the defensive end.

Smith is a plus athlete with great size at 6-foot-9 and also has a very quick first step that will allow him to beat bigger defenders off the dribble.

Unfortunately for Smith, he tore his ACL in January after only eight games and had to miss the remainder of his senior season. He is still only 21-years-old even though he is an upperclassman and is expected to make a speedy recover from his injury.

Before he got hurt, Smith was averaging 12.6 points, 6.4 rebounds, two assists and had hit 50 percent of his 3-point shots, albeit on a low number of attempts.

Smith is not going to shoot 50 percent from long range, but he does profile as a guy who will be a solid 3-and-D type wing in the future.

We know Troy Weaver likes players with big wingspans who can defend multiple positions, and Smith should be able to do that. If his 3-point shot continues to improve, he could definitely make an impact on a team that still lacks shooting, especially off the bench.

I expect that Chris Smith will start the season in the G-League but the Pistons don’t have a ton of depth at small forward, so if someone gets hurt or plays poorly, we could see him at some point this season.

Detroit Pistons: Luka Garza looks like a steal

The second two-way contract was offered to Luka Garza, who was picked 52nd in the NBA Draft and is already looking like a steal.

I have to admit that I was not overly excited about this pick, as Garza profiled as a slow big who wasn’t going to be able to hang in today’s NBA.

But Garza went to work in the offseason, getting himself into better shape, adding some nuance to his offensive game and having a huge Summer League.

Garza showcased improved range on his shot and that he can do more than just stand at the 3-point line. He didn’t get killed defensively (though the jury is still out here) and looked like a guy who can make an impact as a stretch-5 for the Pistons.

In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if Garza ends up getting a guaranteed deal this season, as he already offers more than Jahlil Okafor, who is basically a relic from the 90’s who can only play in the post.

If Garza can seize that third center role, I do think he’ll get some run and make an impact for the Detroit Pistons. This is a guy who knows his limitations and knows he is going to have to work harder than everyone else to make it, and I think he will.

I’m happy to eat my words on Garza and look forward to watching him try to earn minutes this season.