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Jonny Flynn Reportedly Invited To Pistons Training Camp

The Pistons continue to look toward backcourt improvement with recent offer to Jonny Flynn.

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19 Total Updates since June 30, 2012
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Jonny Flynn Reportedly Invited To Pistons Training Camp

The Detroit Pistons are looking to improve in any way they can, and that includes bringing in players who had a lot of potential, but couldn't make the transition to the next level. For the Pistons, that means bringing in point guard Jonny Flynn, according to The Detroit News. Flynn has been invited to the Pistons' training camp in October, according to the piece.

Flynn has decent career averages, with 9.2 points and 3.9 assists per game, but injuries have plagued his career to this point. SB Nation's Detroit Bad Boys had a lot to say about Flynn's career and his skills thus far:

For Flynn its been nothing but struggles, however. He was traded out of Minnesota and struggled with injuries and sparse playing time in Houston and Portland. The Pistons are thin at point guard with only Will Bynumbacking up Brandon Knight. Flynn has zero offensive game to speak of, but in the 18-game stint he had with the Blazers he showed that he could be a capable ball distributor off the bench, averaging 3.8 assists in only 15.6 minutes per game.

They go on to note that the odds of Flynn making the roster are not in his favor, as it would need to result in Detroit trading somebody away or releasing someone else. Still, he's just 23 years old and if he manages to get over his injury troubles, he could prove himself worth a roster spot, though it's hard to imagine him showing he's worth the high draft status initially invested in him.

This story originally appeared at SBNation.com. For more on the Detroit Pistons, go to Detroit Bad Boys. Also, be sure to keep updated on news and analysis from around the league at SB Nation's main NBA hub.

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Former No. 11 Pick Terrence Williams Reportedly Agrees To Training Camp Deal With Pistons

Hoping to bolster their backcourt heading into the new season, the Detroit Pistons reportedly added former first-round pick Terrence Williams on a training camp contract on Thursday, according to Adrian Wojnarwoski of Yahoo! Sports.

The 6'6 Williams is known as one of the most athletically-gifted players in the league, but has struggled to find a home in the NBA after being selected with the 11th overall pick by the Nets franchise in 2009. After being traded a mere months into his second season, then cut by Houston and then finally allowed to hit the free-agent market by Sacramento this summer, Williams appears to be the epitome of a budding journeyman at only 25 years of age.

With the Pistons currently lacking a true pass-first option in their backcourt right now, however, a versatile player like Williams could prove to be a huge addition in head coach Lawrence Frank's offense. The former Louisville standout won over both Frank and the Nets' entire organization with his blend of raw skills back in 2009, and could be poised to resurrect his career now that he's back under Frank's watchful eye.

Be sure to check out Detroit Bad Boys for more Pistons coverage, and head over to SB Nation's NBA hub for more news from around the league.

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NBA Free Agency: Former Pistons Center Vernon Macklin To Sign With Turkish Team, Per Report

Former Detroit Pistons forward/center Vernon Macklin has signed with the Gaziantep club in Turkey, according to Hoopshype. Macklin's agent Greg Nunn spoke to Hoopshype about the decision:

"Vernon decided to turn down three NBA camp invites," Nunn said. "He feels he needs to play to showcase his talents and return to the NBA next year."

Macklin averaged 2.0 points and 1.5 rebounds per game in 23 games as a rookie after Detroit picked him in the second round in 2011. He also had an impressive showing in the D-League. The Pistons reportedly liked Macklin. He played with the team in the Orlando Summer League despite not being under contract, but their roster situation made it difficult to keep him. The team currently has a full roster, including five rookies — Andre Drummond, Khris Middleton, Kim English, Kyle Singler and Slava Kravtsov. Plus, if Ben Wallace decides to play one more season, the Pistons will need to find a roster spot for him, as well.

For more coverage of free agency, stay with this StoryStream. For more Pistons coverage, head over to Detroit Bad Boys. And for more NBA news and analysis this offseason, make sure to visit SB Nation's NBA hub.

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Pistons Officially Sign Ukrainian Center Vyacheslav Kravtsov

On Thursday, it was noted that the Detroit Pistons were likely to sign Ukrainian center Vyacheslav Kravtsov to a deal, and that the team had already verbally agreed to terms with him. The Detroit Free Press is now reporting that it's a done deal and that Kravtsov is signed to a multi-year contract with the team. Unfortunately, there are no official details on the number of years or contract dollars.

"We are pleased to add Vyacheslav Kravtsov to our roster and welcome him to the organization," said Joe Dumars, Pistons President of Basketball Operations, in a release. "He's a young player with good size, rebounding and shot-blocking ability. He will provide us with some quality depth at the center position."

There was some confusion about his contract with his Ukrainian team, which said that Kravtsov still had one year remaining on his deal, but apparently that's not an issue, as the signing has gone through. There wouldn't likely be a release from the team if they thought there was still potential for some kind of issues regarding the contract.

Kravtsov went undrafted in June, and teams were potentially scared away by the misinformation regarding his height. He measured in at 6-foot-8, while he was previously listed as a seven-footer. That being said, he's a very solid prospect in regards to his shot blocking ability, and if he is able to make the transition into the NBA, he could be a good get for the Pistons.

For more on the Detroit Pistons, check out Detroit Bad Boys. You can also check out professional basketball news from around the league over at SB Nation's NBA page.

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NBA Free Agency: Pistons Reportedly To Sign Ukranian Big Man Slava Kravtsov

The Detroit Pistons went with a big guy in the NBA draft just as predicted when they selected Andre Drummond out of UCONN. Unfortunately, Drummond is widely considered not ready to play in the NBA quite yet because of his immense abilities but very raw use of them on the court.

To make up for that, it looks like the Pistons will be picking up some foreign talent in Ukranian big man Vyacheslav 'Slava' Kravtsov. Pistons.com writer Keith Langlois broke the story on Twitter on Monday morning that Kravtsov was planning to sign with Detroit:

The 24 year old 6'11'' center was considered a possible NBA draft pick back in 2009 -- though he went unpicked -- and will likely be the first big guy off the bench for the Pistons in 2012/2013 as they get Drummond ready for prime time. He could also be the big, defensive partner for Greg Monroe that the team has reportedly been looking for in the off season.

Keith had confirmation straight from the Pistons shortly after:

For more on the Pistons, head over to Detroit Bad Boys. For more NBA news and analysis, check out SB Nation's NBA hub.

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Pistons Expect To Sign 2011 2nd Round Pick Kyle Singler On July 11

After opting to play his first year of professional basketball overseas in Spain, former Detroit Pistons second round pick Kyle Singler is ready to join a lockout-free NBA, and the team expects to sign him on July 11 according to the Associated Press' Larry Lage.

Singler tallied 8.0 points per game over just 19.8 minutes per night with Real Madrid in Spain this past year, and continues to hold no regrets about his decision to spurn the league last summer. A complete all-around talent with an impressive 6'8" frame, Singler's 43.1% three-point number through 36 games also offers a nice glimpse of his perimeter shooting ability.

Assuming everything goes to plan and Dumars is able to sign him in the coming weeks, Singler would join a promising 2012 rookie class that includes Connecticut center Andre Drummond, Texas A&M forward Khris Middleton and Missouri guard Kim English.

For more on the Pistons, head over to Detroit Bad Boys. For more NBA news and analysis, check out SB Nation's NBA hub.

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Pistons' PF Jason Maxiell To Pick Up $5M Option

In the least surprising news you'll hear today, Jason Maxiell will pick up his $5 million option on the final year of his contract with the Detroit Pistons.

It was long assumed that he would do so, but Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press had it confirmed by someone who would know on Wednesday:

Pistons president of basketball operations Joe Dumars confirmed in an e-mail tonight that power forward Jason Maxiell will pick up his player option for $5 million next season.

Dumars inked Maxiell to the deal after the power forward averaged 7.9 points and 5.3 rebounds in 21 minutes per game in 2007-2008. Unfortunately for the Pistons, those numbers have not improved since then. Ellis is right to point out that his move to the starting lineup played a role in Detroit's 21-21 finish this past season, however.

For more on the Pistons, head over to Detroit Bad Boys. For more NBA news and analysis, be sure to visit SB Nation's NBA hub.

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Pistons Trade Ben Gordon And Future 1st-Round Pick To Charlotte For Corey Maggette

The Pistons sent shooting guard Ben Gordon and a protected future first-round pick to Charlotte on Tuesday in exchange for 6-foot-6 veteran forward Corey Maggette and his expiring deal.

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