The Detroit Pistons will likely cut Isaac Jones before his contract becomes fully guaranteed, which will give them an open roster spot.
The Pistons have until January 10th to cut Jones and save the rest of his $1.95 million salary for this season, which they almost certainly will given that he has only played one minute so far for Detroit, even with all of their injuries.
Jones has played well in 11 G-League games for the Motor City Cruise, but the Pistons will eventually need his roster spot, so expect some action soon. It will leave the Pistons with an open roster spot, and though they don’t have to fill it immediately, there is an obvious choice already in the mix.
Daniss Jenkins deserves a full-time contract and the chance to be in the playoffs
Daniss Jenkins has already played in 28 games this season, more than half his allotted amount as a two-way player.
If the Pistons don’t sign him to a full-time contract before his 51st appearance, then Jenkins would not be eligible for the playoffs. Right now, Jenkins is arguably the most viable option at backup point guard, and as we saw last night, he’s a guy who can get hot and win you a game.
Given all of the injuries and uncertainty they’ve had at guard, the Pistons may have to lean on Jenkins in the playoffs, so signing him seems like a no-brainer, but Detroit also has to think about their roster flexibility at the trade deadline.
Not so fast, Daniss Jenkins
I certainly think Jenkins deserves a full-time deal, but the Pistons may want to go into the trade deadline with some amount of roster flexibility and the ability to take back more players than they send out in a trade.
Jenkins still has plenty of eligibility left, so Detroit doesn’t have to be in a rush to sign him, especially if he is in and out of the rotation as he has been lately.
They can let this play out until the deadline, see how it goes, and convert him then. The Pistons only have 16 more games until the trade deadline, so even if Jenkins plays in all of them, he’ll still be under 50 games on the season.
Jenkins has played well enough to deserve a full-time deal and looks like a player who can give production from the backend of the payroll, which is crucial in the tax apron era, but it doesn’t have to happen right away.
The Pistons have one imminent roster move, but after that, can slow play and gather more information before the February 6th trade deadline.