Detroit Pistons: 3 G-League players worth 10-day contracts

Now that the Detroit Pistons have left the NBA’s trade deadline by sending out more players than they took back, they will likely have at least one roster spot to play with for the rest of the season. For rebuilding teams, they can look to the G League to give developing players some NBA time in an otherwise lost season.

If someone sticks, great. If not, oh well! Not much risk involved in trying for a team that’s at the bottom of the standings.

We have already seen Detroit look in-house to go this route, signing Motor City Cruise guard Stanley Umude to a 10-day contract on Feb. 10, one day after the trade deadline.

Umude can sign another 10-day if the Pistons want him to stick around for a bit longer. However, I wouldn’t be surprised if the team brought in a rotating cast from both the Cruise and around the G-League to give a handful of players a professional evaluation.

Here are some options for the Detroit Pistons should they want to bring in new faces for emergency help and give unlikely candidates some NBA minutes.

Detroit Pistons 10-day candidate: David Nwaba

Starting in-house, David Nwaba is a 6-foot-5 wing who’s currently playing well for the Motor City Cruise after being acquired in December.

Nwaba is averaging 16.8 points, eight rebounds, three assists, 1.6 steals and a block per game this season in the G League. Just this past week, he put up 35 points, 14 rebounds and five assists in an overtime win for the Cruise.

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He has spent parts of six seasons in the NBA, notably with the Houston Rockets in his last two.

He can play as a combo guard-forward, addressing the Pistons’ glaring hole on the wing.

Nwaba has been good enough with the Cruise to earn an NBA call-up as it is. Combined with his prior NBA playing experience, he should be a real possibility to spend some time with the Detriot Pistons this season.

Detroit Pistons 10-day candidate: Gary Clark

Gary Clark is a 28-year-old wing currently playing for the Mexico City Capitanes of the G League. With the Capitanes, he is averaging 20 points, 8.6 rebounds, two assists, along with a steal and a block per game.

Where I’m really impressed with Clark is his defensive ability, however.

He has a 107.3 defensive rating to go along with his 114.7 offensive rating, resulting in a net rating of 7.4. Thanks to his frame, Clark is able to effectively guard multiple positions on the floor, potentially giving the Pistons help where they need it most.

In Mexico City, he’s also shooting at 42 percent from three on over 10 attempts per game.

Clark has bounced around the league in recent years. He has 170 NBA games under his belt, mainly with Houston, Orlando and most recently, New Orleans.

A 3-and-D wing who is looking to prove that he belongs in the league. Clark is worthy of a shot for the Pistons.

Detroit Pistons 10-day candidate: Ryan Turell

Ryan Turell is the fan-favorite rookie with the Motor City Cruise, currently trying to become the first orthodox Jewish player in the NBA.

Ryan Turell hasn’t seen a terribly large minutes volume for the Cruise, currently averaging 14.5 minutes per game for the team off the bench.

He has been able to show some flashes in his time on the court, however.

Notably, he scored 21 points on 4-for-5 shooting from deep back in December against the Capital City Go-Go, a career-high for the young fella.

In his collegiate career, Turell was a true scorer. As a senior at Yeshiva University, he averaged 27.1 points per game which led all levels of college basketball. He also shot at a crazy 45 percent from three at Yeshiva.

The flashes have been there, both with the Cruise and prior. If the Pistons want to see what Turell can do at the highest level, the end of this season is certainly the best opportunity to do so.

A 10-day contract for Turell appears to be the best immediate path to realizing his dream of playing in the NBA.

Already an inspiration to many, Turell and the Pistons may make history this season.