Detroit Pistons: The McGruder signing and Saben Lee
Saben Lee didn’t progress much last season outside of the G-League, where he looks like the second coming of Isiah Thomas.
Not so much in the NBA, and with Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey, Alec Burks, Killian Hayes and Cory Joseph all ahead of him on the depth chart, it’s hard to see a path for minutes for Saben Lee unless he suddenly becomes a knock-down 3-point shooter.
Given his salary and lack of trade value, Lee is a prime candidate to get waived at some point this offseason, and if he were, the Pistons could give McGruder his spot on the roster.
Neither of them are going to play much either way, but given the need for veteran leadership, McGruder could get the nod over Lee, as he can provide some value even when he’s not playing.
He did knock down nearly 40 percent of his 3-point shots last season, so McGruder also offers a skill that Lee does not.
Lee was going to have a hard time getting minutes anyway, but if there is another guard in the mix, he could end up being the odd man out.