If Keifer Sykes was your favorite Detroit Pistons player, I have bad news
Former Indiana Pacers player Kiefer Sykes was signed by the Detroit Pistons, and then released 72 hours later, before he could even take the court in training camp. But do not be surprised if you see him playing in Detroit this season, just maybe not with the Pistons at the start.
If you watched the Pacers last season and liked their little guard Keifer Sykes, and hoped the Pistons could get him, well, I have some good – and bad – news on that front.
On September 14, the Pistons signed Sykes to an Exhibit 10 contract. On September 17, it was announced that Detroit had waived Sykes.
That means you will not see Sykes in Pistons training camp next week, but it does not mean you can not buy tickets and see Sykes play in Detroit.
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Sykes is an interesting player. Fans of Big 10 basketball might remember him playing for Wisconsin. After leaving the Badgers, Sykes signed with the San Antonio Spurs back in 2015, but did not make the team.
He then spent the next six-and-a-half years traveling the world (from Turkey to China) or playing in the G League.
Sykes actually would not make his NBA debut until he was 28-years-old, as he began playing for the Indiana Pacers last December. In 32 games, as a sort of instant offense off the bench, Sykes averaged 5.6 points.
Why was Keifer Sykes signed and then cut by Detroit Pistons?
Don’t be too upset, it is actually a good thing for him.
An Exhibit 10 signee can get as much as a $50,000 bonus fif he plays for the G League team of the NBA team they signed with for 60 days. The catch is, you must be on the NBA team’s roster when you sign the Exhibit 10.
So, Sykes was on the Pistons expanded off-season roster when he signed, and then was released. But the Exhibit 10 is still in effect for G League rewards.
Detroit has had to do this a couple times, sign and release, as they have a crowded roster, exacerbated by Kemba Walker still taking up a roster spot.
So fans should expect to see Sykes playing for the Motor City Cruise to start the season, after that, who knows? Sykes got promoted to the Pacers after playing well for their G League team, the Fort Wayne Mad Ants.
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The Pistons open camp on September 26, and it will be interesting to see what Exhibit 10 players get to participate – if any.