Just when it appeared that Detroit Pistons president Joe Dumars had gone as far as he could in shaping together his team’s 2013-14 NBA roster, he pulled off one more move Tuesday.
It was the boldest move of all.
USA Today Sports, is reporting that the Pistons will be getting Brandon Jennings from the Milwaukee Bucks, and they’ll be shipping guard Brandon Knight, center Viacheslav Kravstov and forward Khris Middleton to the Bucks.
It’s a sign-and-trade deal as the Pistons are giving Jennings a three-year, $24 million contract, according to the report.
Jennings was a restricted free agent and wasn’t getting a deal until the Pistons stepped in. They had signed Josh Smith, another free agent, and now appear more than poised to make a return to the playoffs for the first time since 2009. Knight at one time was considered an untouchable for the Pistons, although only Andre Drummond seems to be in that category for Detroit right now.
Knight had two promising seasons, averaging 13.1 points per game. The Pistons now have less of a glut of post players with the departure of Kravstov and Middleton, two seldom-used rookies last season.
Jennings will be a more reliable player than Knight at guard. The deal also shows that Dumars wants to pull out all the stops in getting a winning team back in Detroit. He’s obviously feeling the heat from owner Tom Gores.
Last season, Jennings averaged 17.5 points and 6.5 assists per game. He should blend in nicely with Chauncey Billups in the Pistons backcourt.
