Detroit Pistons fans have been waiting for the team to make another signing and finally got their wish last night when the team inked wing Colby Jones to a two-way deal.
The Detroit Pistons are signing G/F Colby Jones on a two-way NBA contract, sources tell ESPN. Jones, 23, averaged 8.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.3 steals in the final two months of 2024-25, showing flashes as a productive rotation player in his second NBA season.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 23, 2025
This wasn’t the name some fans were hoping for, but the Pistons have made it clear that they are satisfied with their nine-man rotation right now and happy to sit on their financial flexibility until they have more data about their young core.
Coach JB Bickerstaff mainly used a nine-player rotation last season, sprinkling in minutes for a 10th man at times, which he is expected to do again next season. With Jaden Ivey joining the starting five along with Cade Cunningham, Ausar Thompson, Tobias Harris and Jalen Duren, and with Duncan Robinson, Caris LeVert, Ron Holland II and Isaiah Stewart coming off the bench, there won’t be many minutes available for the fringes of the rotation.
Right now, Marcus Sasser and Paul Reed are expected to eat up the scant minutes that remain, but there will be competition from players like Daniss Jenkins and perhaps the newly signed Colby Jones, who did get 25 minutes per game over 15 games last year for the Wizards.
Jones fits the pattern of what the Pistons have done this offseason, and though he is not flashy, his all-around game and size may give him a chance to earn minutes at some point next season.
Detroit Pistons rotation: Could Colby Jones crack the top 10?
The Pistons identified secondary ball handling as something they desperately needed after the Knicks trapped Cade Cunningham all playoffs with impunity. Jaden Ivey will certainly help in that regard, and the Pistons are also hoping free-agent Caris LeVert can handle some of those duties in stretches.
Jones fits into that mold as a guy who is not going to be a lead ballhandler but can take on secondary duties. The six-foot-six Jones was compared to Josh Hart coming out of college for his ability to fill a stat sheet in a number of ways, including assists.
He’s not a point guard by any means, but he’s a wing with size who can handle the ball, pass, rebound and shoot a little from long range. The latter may determine whether he ever gets a real shot to play for the Pistons, but his size and ability to handle the ball are intriguing.
He’s another guy along with Jenkins who could at least challenge Sasser for fringe minutes next season, especially when you consider the Pistons have a huge contract decision to make on Sasser and may prefer to go cheap on two-way guys rather than pay him over $5 million a season, a steep cost for a guy who doesn’t play much.
Detroit is hoping one of these two-way players can stick, as finding cheap depth is crucial under the new CBA. Jones will add to that competition and potentially gives them more size and depth off the bench.