Latest Pistons signing means obvious roster move is coming

The Detroit Pistons made another nod towards player development by moving Tolu Smith from a two-way contract to a two-year deal, according to Shams Charania of ESPN. 

Smith has made 13 appearances for the Pistons this season and shown himself to be a reliable rebounder and rim protector. He’s not going to spread the floor, but he’s good around the rim. 

He’ll also be cheap, so the Pistons continue to look to add productive players on the fringes, something that will come in handy when the roster starts to get more expensive with extensions coming for Jalen Duren and possibly Ausar Thompson this summer. 

Smith has dominated in the G-League, where he averaged just under 20 points and over 11 rebounds per game while shooting 65.6 percent from the floor.  

Smith is essentially a break in case of emergency big right now, but the Pistons have seen enough to think he could be third center material at some point. 

Regardless of the future plans for Smith, his signing puts the Pistons over the roster limit and will require additional moves. 

The Pistons are cutting Bobi Klintman 

The Pistons have to trim their roster, and Bobi Klintman was the obvious choice (it hasn't officially been reported by the team), as he’s the only player who hasn’t made any kind of impact this season even with all of the injuries. 

He’s also got the smallest salary to eat, so Klintman’s days in Detroit are likely over, though it’s possible he could take over the two-way slot vacated by Tolu Smith. 

It’s also possible the Pistons just let him walk, as Klintman really hasn’t progressed or shown any sign he’s going to crack the rotation at any point in the future. 

This continues a Pistons recent trend 

The Pistons have already hit on Daniss Jenkins as a two-way guy who played his way into full time contract and now Smith joins the ranks. 

Not to belabor the point, but it’s crucial to find cheap production at the back end of the payroll, so while fans aren’t going to be excited about this particular news, it’s good for the overall health of the roster. 

You can never have too many guys you know can play, and Smith looks like a player who could hold his own in a larger role down the road or when/if there are injuries. He’s already had to step in this season, so while a 4th center isn’t exciting news, it is important. 

Smith will be eligible for the playoffs, which also gives the Pistons more insurance, as there is no way Klintman was going to step on the floor anyway. This gives Detroit another player in a pinch. 

The Pistons continue to reward their developmental players, which will hopefully keep a steady stream of inexpensive talent in the pipeline.