Detroit Pistons roster set (for now) with Garza, Pickett contracts

With training camp coming up, the Detroit Pistons solidified their roster with upgrades to contracts for center Luka Garza and forward Jamorko Pickett.

After the Sekou Doumbouya/Jahlil Okafor trade, the Detroit Pistons had an open spot on its roster. That is no longer the case.

With training camp about to open, some speculated Pistons general manager Troy Weaver might want to keep that spot unfilled, to give him maneuverability, in case he wanted to make a move (FYI, Weaver always wants to make a move).

But why did Weaver upgrade the status of two players who were going to be at the Henry Ford Performance Center on Tuesday for camp anyhow? Most likely, Weaver figured he might lose them to another NBA team, unless he made their Pistons status more permanent.

Detroit has now filled in all the spots, and will enter camp with the full 15-man NBA roster and two two-way contracts allowed. The moves also freed up a training camp position, which is reportedly going to former Duke standout Cassius Stanley.

Stanley, Anthony Tarke and Michigan native Derrick Walton Jr. will all be training camp-invitees, looking to earn a spot with their play.

Here are the two major NBA roster moves that were made by the Detroit Pistons:

My name is Luka, I am now a member of the Detroit Pistons

It is hard to call the consensus National College Basketball Player of the Year getting a standard NBA contract an underdog story, but it true with Luka Garza.

Garza, despite a great career at Iowa, was deemed by many (most?) draftniks as too slow-footed to be effective in the NBA. He slid all the way to No. 52, before being plucked by the Pistons.

The almost 7-foot center did not rest on his college accomplishments. With help from his father, Frank, Garza dropped 30 pounds to be lighter on his feet and diligently worked on perfecting a three-point shot.

It all paid off at the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. Garza averaged 15 points and was named second team All-Summer League, quite an accomplishment considered pretty much every first-round pick, and selected NBA players, were there.

Garza was rewarded on the final day of the summer league with a two-way contract, which has now been converted to a regular NBA deal.

What is the difference? A lot, and we not just talking financially.

Garza will still, one would suspect, spend a lot of time with the Motor City Cruise, the Pistons’ new G-League team based at Wayne State. But before, he was mainly going to be a G-League player, with some time possible with the Pistons

Now, with an NBA contract, Garza can play for the Cruise strictly for development.  The 45 days with the main club restriction of a two-way, is lifted.

The reason for the upgrade is simple: Detroit really does not have any pure centers, except for Garza, now.

Free agent signee Kelly Olynyk and Isaiah Stewart, who is 6-foot-8 and whose future might lie in being a power forward, were the only players who played center on the roster. Jerami Grant has also been talked about as a situational small-ball center.

But as for a legitimate big guy, there was none. Garza, at 6-11, 235-pounds, is at least a wide body Detroit can use, if needed.

Garza is never going to be confused with Rudy Gobert, but if he can be passable on defense, this signing will look like a steal in the future.

From Hoya to Pistons: Jamorko Pickett

After Georgetown forward Jamorko Pickett was not selected in the NBA Draft, Pistons general manager Troy Weaver immediately contacted Pickett’s agents to let them know of his interest.

Weaver started out as an AAU coach in the Washington D.C. area, so he is very plugged in on players from that area (Garza played his high school ball in D.C.).

The 6-foot-9 forward looked very good playing for the Pistons in summer league. After an 0-2 start in Vegas, Pickett was put in the starting lineup and scored 13 points in the first quarter, as Detroit went on to beat the Knicks.

He displayed a good three-point shot and solid defense. Importantly, Pickett looked smooth playing alongside Cade Cunningham, Saddiq Bey and Killian Hayes.

A week after summer league, Pickett signed an Exhibit 10 contract with Detroit. That gave him a slot at training camp but little else, except a bump in pay if he got cut and ended up in the G-League.

Weaver judged that the odds were good some NBA team would sign Pickett to a two-way deal if he did get cut, so it was a smart move to lock him up before camp started.

Pickett will still play mainly with the Cruise, but can be up with the Pistons for as much as 45 days. To get him, another team would now have to offer him a spot on their NBA roster.

Detroit Pistons: What are the expectations for Pickett and Garza?

This season, not a lot.

Both will gain a lot of experience playing in the G-League. But these are not wet-behind-the-ears kids, as both played four years of college basketball, Garza is about to turn 23 and Pickett will soon be 24-years-old.

Their ceiling is: Garza likely becoming a legitimate backup center in the league and Pickett turning into a rotation player.

Since these are not kids, you can expect to see Garza and Pickett in action for the Pistons sooner than most rookies if needed. They have a lot more experience under their belt than the average first-year player.

Of course, things might further change depending on the play of Walton, Tarke or Stanley. They will be there in camp as well, with nothing guaranteed and everything to prove. Both Stanley and Walton have NBA experience, so they know how to play at this level, they just have not found a home with a club (including Walton having a brief stay with Detroit).

Tarke also had a good summer league with the Pistons and is known for his defense, which is a major plus with coach Dwane Casey.

Fine play by any of the trio could cause another roster restructuring.

Roles could also change, even more, if GM Troy Weaver decides there is a trade he likes.

One never knows what the future holds. A 15th-player who made the roster only due to an injury two years ago named Christian Wood, turned out a lot better than expected.