The Detroit Pistons have two second-round draft picks under contract and two undrafted players signed to two-way deals.
All four of Isaiah Livers, Luka Garza, Chris Smith and Jamorko Pickett are interesting players who had decorated college careers.
All come to the Pistons a bit older than some of the top-of-the-draft guys but all have at least one NBA-ready skill to build around and might be more prepared to contribute than some less experienced rookies.
All four of these players are going to spend time with the Pistons’ G-League affiliate this season, but do any of them have chance to make an impact for the Detroit Pistons?
Detroit Pistons: Chris Smith is unlikely to play for the Pistons this season
There is no timeline for when undrafted rookie Chris Smith will be cleared to return from an ACL injury he suffered last January.
It likely won’t be until November at the earliest, and then he’ll need some time to practice and get back into basketball shape, so I expect Smith will spend most of his season in the G-league starting for the Cruise.
Many believe that Smith would have been a first-round pick if not for this injury, so the Detroit Pistons will play the long game with him and hope that they found a gem who will eventually play his way into the league.
If Smith plays at all for the regular squad this season it will be late when rosters are expanded and only if the Detroit Pistons are out of playoff contention.