The Detroit Pistons have claimed center Isaac Jones off waivers from the Sacramento Kings, with Jones getting the 15th and final roster spot on the team. Jones fits the DNA of the Pistons as a versatile,
hard-nosed, defensive-minded big man.
It is unclear what the larger plan for the Pistons is here, but it seemingly eliminates the potential of the team reuniting with free agent guard Malik Beasley unless Detroit makes a corresponding move to free up a roster spot.
Beasley remains unsigned after being embroiled in a larger NBA betting scandal on the eve of free agency. Beasley has not been charged, but it remains unclear if he is out of jeopardy from a legal standpoint.
Jones, 25, also doesn’t fill an immediate need for the Pistons, but he is a promising prospect, was a fan-favorite of Kings fans, and could be viewed as simply a value play to grab an available big man prospect.
The Pistons already have two entrenched young centers in starter Jalen Duren and reserve Isaiah Stewart. The Pistons also have big man Paul Reed. Adding Jones seemingly gives them the deepest center rotation in the league.
Isaiah Stewart, who moonlighted as a power forward of the future for a season under Troy Weaver has been pressed into additional forward minutes thanks to the ankle injury to Tobias Harris. Stew is one of the best defenders in the league this season, regardless of the position he plays, and he is again unleashing shots from the perimeter at a respectable clip. He is tied for second in the NBA with 19 blocks this season. He also has 11 three-pointers, which is just six behind his total from last season.
As the Pistons are assessing their team’s strengths and weaknesses, some things are already clear. Jalen Duren is having a career season this year and … so is Isaiah Stewart. They need to create as many minutes for both as possible. It is also clear that the Pistons do not have a surplus of effective 3-point shooting this season.
That is no surprise with the team wanting to find a lot of playing time for Ausar Thompson and Ron Holland Jr., and is compounded by the fact that the team is missing Jaden Ivey and Marcus Sasser to injury. That means the Pistons need Stewart on the floor to create spacing, as sad as that sounds.
Back to Isaac Jones. While he has some developmental promise as a rangy defender, he has been an effective, efficient scorer in the G League and in college. He stands at just 6-foot-9, but has a 7-foot-3 wingspan (similar to Stewart, but a little taller and not quite Beef Stew’s gargantuan 7-4.75 wingspan).
Additionally, he is on a non-guaranteed contract. That is partially why the Kings waived him as they looked to create room to sign veteran big man Precious Achiuwa. His guarantee date appears to be the standard date of Jan. 10, per Hoops Rumors.
As an undrafted rookie on a two-way deal last season, he averaged 21.4 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks in the G League. He also tried to expand his range to the three-point line, shooting three a game and making almost 30%.
He appeared in 50 games for the Kings as a rookie last season, and averaged 3.4 points and 1.4 rebounds in 7.6 minutes per game. He only appeared in three games this season with minimal impact. The Kings waived him to make room for veteran center/forward Precious Achiuwa.
