When the Pistons refused to convert Daniss Jenkins to a standard contract by the January 10th deadline to guarantee contracts, it spoke volumes about his future status. Jenkins has been great this season in a two-way role between the Pistons and G-League Motor City Cruise. But he still needs to prove his worth in a crowded guard rotation to earn a proper NBA contract.
Daniss Jenkins still has work to do for a standard contract
Instead of making room for Jenkins to join on a standard contract, the Pistons kept Isaac Jones. Jones has mostly played for the Cruise since joining the Pistons organization, so there was rampant speculation of his own conversion to a two-way deal. However, the Pistons opted to keep him on a standard contract - where his biggest value would probably be as trade filler.
Regardless of Jones' future, it's clear that Jenkins still isn't guaranteed a full-time roster spot or contract. The Pistons have been getting solid contributions from plenty of guards recently, which could give them some hesitation about converting Jenkins. Although he gives Detroit a solid ball-handling and shooting option off the bench, he's not the only player on the roster capable of providing those skills.
Jenkins may also be less essential in the playoffs when the Pistons' rotation will likely shorten. Superstar point guard Cade Cunningham is likely to play even more minutes and dominate the ball during his time on the court. If Cade is expected to carry a huge load, the Pistons might be more interested in frontcourt depth to complement him rather than guard depth to back him up.
For the moment, though, Jenkins still has a crucial role to play for the Pistons. Cade has missed the last couple games with injury and the Pistons offense has struggled at times without him. Jenkins has the perfect opportunity to prove his worth as a natural point guard by running the offense in Cade's absence.
Compared to the other solid guards on the roster, Jenkins is a better playmaker and that can help him shine without Cade. He recently had a career game with 15 assists, and will need to bring more of that spark to establish his role on the team. With or without Cade, Jenkins can still be a valuable contributor for the Pistons between his shooting, passing and defense.
But it won't be smooth sailing the rest of the season for Daniss Jenkins. Although he's stepped up big time this season, he has to continue proving himself to earn a full-time NBA spot. It's definitely not too late for the Pistons to convert him to a full-time contract, but he will have to keep clawing his way there in the meantime.