The Detroit Pistons likely completed the back end of their roster after releasing Ron Harper Jr. and signing Colby Jones to a two-way deal.
Mike Scotto first reported that the Pistons were waiving two-way player Harper Jr., which opened up the final two-way spot for Jones.
The Pistons now have Daniss Jenkins, Tolu Smith and Colby Jones as their three two-way deals, which will likely be the trio they go with heading into the season.
Next season could be one in which the Pistons have to rely on the two-way players, especially if there is an injury, as they have precious little depth at certain positions, though still have the financial flexibility to add other players in an emergency.
It would be far better if the Pistons could rely on these two-way players to contribute if needed, and they have a chance for that with the three guys they currently have.
The Detroit Pistons’ two-way contracts
Daniss Jenkins
Jenkins will be the most likely to see some kind of action next season, as the Pistons are thin at point guard, and he showed a steady hand in Summer League.
Detroit doesn’t have a real point guard behind Cade Cunningham, so Jenkins may have an outside shot if there is an injury or if the Pistons have other plans for Marcus Sasser, who is due a big pay raise after next season with a team option the Pistons have to exercise or decline by the end of October.
Tolu Smith
Smith has at least shown that he can rebound and block an occasional shot, attributes he showed off in five Summer League games where he averaged 13 points, eight rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game in 21.5 minutes.
With the Pistons’ lack of size coming off the bench, it’s possible Smith could see minutes as an emergency backup at some point next season, but let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.
If the Pistons thought he was ready for rotation minutes, they may not have re-signed Paul Reed.
Colby Jones
Jones has already played a handful of NBA games and had some good performances for the Wizards last season, though Washington was essentially a G-League team. He scored 20 or more points three times in 15 games, including 20 points, 10 rebounds and four assists against the Heat to finish the season.
I admittedly don’t know much about Jones, but after watching his highlight reel from last season, there is a lot to like.
Jones can attack off the bounce and has a nice little floater game. This is a massive SMALL SAMPLE SIZE alert, but he hit 70 percent of his shots under five feet for the Wizards last season and 69 percent of his mid-range jumpers.
He has good size for a wing at 6-foot-6 and can do a little of everything, including handle the ball, which could give him a shot at minutes at some point next season, again, depending on what happens with Marcus Sasser.
It’s doubtful that these three players start the season in the rotation, but it would be nice for the Pistons to get something out of these spots and develop a low-cost player for the back of the bench.