| Detroit Free Press
Detroit Pistons GM Troy Weaver: We wanted to ‘attack the NBA draft’
Detroit Pistons GM Troy Weaver speaks after the NBA draft about his aggressive mindset, Killian Hayes and the team’s huge draft haul, Nov. 18, 2020.
If it wasn’t already clear, it became more so Thursday: General manager Troy Weaver is aggressively remaking the Detroit Pistons‘ roster, and almost everything appears to be on the table.
The Pistons are trading Tony Snell and Khyri Thomas to the Atlanta Hawks for Dewayne Dedmon, a league source confirmed to the Free Press. Dedmon is set to make $13.3 million per year through the next two seasons. His contract is partially guaranteed $1 million in its final season.
Dedmon, a big man, averaged 5.8 points, 5.7 rebounds and nearly a block in 44 games with the Hawks and Sacramento Kings last season.
[ Pistons’ stunning NBA draft haul revealed something huge about their future ]
Detroit moves on from Thomas two years after drafting him 38th overall in the 2018 draft. The Pistons traded two future second-rounders (2021, 2023) to Philadelphia to acquire Thomas. Partially because of injuries, the shooting guard was unable to find traction in the Pistons’ rotation during his two seasons. The Hawks will reportedly waive Thomas.
Snell, who the Pistons acquired on draft night in 2019, averaged eight points, hit 40.2% of his 3s and all 32 of his free throws during his lone season in Detroit.
OUR TURN: Grading Pistons’ 2020 NBA draft haul: Two A’s and a whole lot of hope
NEW ERA: Why Detroit Pistons chose Killian Hayes to lead the rebuild
GET TO WORK: Troy Weaver’s approach in NBA draft, free agency: ‘Attack everything’
Dedmon could be traded again, per league sources, as the Pistons are looking to create cap space ahead of Friday’s free agency. Wednesday’s flurry of trades reduced Detroit’s cap room from $30 million to less than $10 million, ahead of free agency negotiations opening Friday at 6 p.m.
Contact Omari Sankofa II at osankofa@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @omarisankofa. Read more on the Detroit Pistons and sign up for our Pistons newsletter.