Possible free-agent competition for Pistons backup point guard

The Detroit Pistons still have questions lingering over their roster with the 2024-25 regular season just days away. 

The biggest is the health of Ausar Thompson, as he has still not been cleared to play after suffering blood clots that ended his first season prematurely.

He’s already missed training camp and preseason, and considering there is still no timeline for his return, the Pistons have to carry on without him, which is troubling on many levels. 

Of lesser concern is the Pistons’ final roster spot, which they are reportedly leaving open in case any salary dump trades come their way, but if that doesn’t happen, they could still sign another player to compete for the rotation. 

Their biggest question mark is at backup point guard, though for now it seems they are comfortable staggering Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey with a splash of Marcus Sasser. 

But if the Pistons wanted some competition for that 3rd guard role, an interesting player just became available. 

Pistons free agent: Boogie Ellis 

According to Mike Scotto, the Sacramento Kings waived guard Boogie Ellis: 

The Pistons have the first claim on the waiver wire after finishing with the worst record or they could wait for Ellis to clear and potentially sign him as a free agent, either on full time or two-way contract. 

Ellis is 23-years-old and coming out of USC as a five-year college player who had a productive career. He shot 42 percent from 3-point range on 7.2 attempts per game last season while averaging 16.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3 assists and 1.4 steals per game for the Trojans. 

He showed more of that shooting prowess in Summer League and the preseason, where he shot 47 percent and 39 percent, respectively. He’s a pesky on-the-ball defender who could potentially compete with Sasser for whatever scraps of guard minutes are left in the Pistons’ rotation. 

He has deep range, as you can see in these highlights, is active in passing lanes and a strong finisher around the rim: 

Ellis doesn’t solve the Pistons’ problem, as they could use a veteran who could supply more playmaking and savvy in the half court, as Boogie, like Marcus Sasser, is more of a scorer than a facilitator. 

But competition isn’t a bad thing and Ellis looked good in the preseason in a limited role. The Pistons are undoubtedly waiting out today’s extension deadline to see if anything emerges for them, but if Detroit doesn’t make a move, using that last spot for a 3-and-D guard wouldn’t be the worst idea.