Due to injuries and a COVID-19 outbreak, the Detroit Pistons have been playing without the majority of their main roster. A cadre of G League players on 10-day contracts have filled in the gaps. But it appears the Pistons could see most of their players return soon.
Cade Cunningham, Killian Hayes, Saben Lee, Rodney McGruder, Cory Joseph, Trey Lyles and Josh Jackson all exited the NBA’s health and safety protocols on Friday evening.
All seven players all still listed as “OUT” for Saturday’s game against the San Antonio Spurs due to “return to competition conditioning,” but they can now rejoin the team after missing multiple games.
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Isaiah Stewart is the lone Piston still in health and safety protocols.
If they don’t return on Saturday, they could potentially do so Monday against the Milwaukee Bucks.
Cunningham became the Pistons’ first player to enter protocols this season on Dec. 22. Hayes, Lee and McGruder joined him a day later, and were followed by Lyles on Christmas and Joseph and Jackson a day later.
With Jerami Grant, Kelly Olynyk and Frank Jackson injured, the Pistons were down to just two proven rotation players — Saddiq Bey and Hamidou Diallo — during the second half of Wednesday’s home game against the New York Knicks.
Bey and Diallo were flanked by seven G League players that the Pistons signed to 10-day contracts over the course of the last nine days. They signed an eighth G League player, Jaysean Paige to a 10-day deal on Friday.
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