Detroit, MI

Pistons encounter rare road block in loss to Magic

Published

1 year ago

January 26, 2025

Pistons encounter rare road block in loss to Magic

Orlando — The Detroit Pistons have proven to be one of the top road teams in the league this season, with several contributing factors.

Cade Cunningham headlines a group of players who have made significant individual improvements while aligning with the team’s embrace of the “Detroit versus everybody” mentality. Every time they step onto an opponent’s home court, coach J.B. Bickerstaff attributed the team’s togetherness and strong relationships to its success on the road.

“The benefits include being with the group,” Bickerstaff stated while discussing the advantages of an extended road trip. “There are not any of the other distractions. When you are in the hotels, you go to lunch together. You go to dinner together — you go to practice and lift weights together. It gives you an opportunity to bond and become even tighter. When you are on the road, that is what you need and how you become successful.”

Saturday’s contest against the Orlando Magic positioned the Pistons in the latter half of their season-longest five-game road trip. However, despite their success away from Little Caesars Arena, the Pistons fell 121-113 at Kia Center. The loss ended Detroit’s four-game road winning streak and dropped their overall record to 23-22.

Six players scored in double figures, with Cunningham leading the way with a game-high 35 points, 11 assists and five rebounds. He scored 16 points in the fourth quarter.

The Pistons received a significant boost from rookie Ron Holland II. In 15 minutes, he scored 13 points and pulled down four rebounds. Holland’s contributions coincided with those of Ausar Thompson, who added 16 points, five rebounds, four steals and a block amid a season-high 29 minutes.

“I feel great; it feels good to have reached almost the 30-minute mark,” Thompson said. “I feel great. I feel conditioned. However many minutes they need me to play, I’ll be ready to play.”

Despite the loss, the Pistons showcased their close-knit chemistry during the first quarter. After a sluggish start by both teams, Detroit began to surge halfway through the period, taking a 30-18 lead into the second quarter. They began the night shooting 43.5% from the field and hitting four of eight 3-pointers.

Injuries have derailed the Magic’s once-promising season. They entered the night on a five-game losing streak, having dropped seven of their last eight. Coach Jamahl Mosley has used his preferred starting lineup for the sixth time this season due to the ongoing injuries of Paolo Banchero, Jalen Suggs and Franz Wagner’s extended absences.

BOX SCORE: Magic 121, Pistons 113

Banchero led the Magic with 32 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists and was vital in Orlando’s comeback during the first half. He scored 11 points in the second quarter and was essential in the Magic outscoring the Pistons 25-12 in the final six minutes. By intermission, they held a 54-53 lead.

Banchero missed the first two games against Detroit due to a torn oblique. His third triple of the game gave the Magic an 84-81 lead early in the fourth quarter, igniting a 20-4 run.

Wagner (32 points, seven assists and four rebounds) appeared in his second game after returning from his respective oblique injury. His 3-point field goal at the 9:11 mark of the fourth quarter extended the Magic’s lead to 93-83. He scored 25 points in the final period. Orlando also saw the return of Suggs (eight points), who missed the last 10 games due to a back injury.

Frustration reached a breaking point midway through the fourth quarter when Bickerstaff received consecutive technical fouls, resulting in his ejection at the 6:01 mark. Detroit finished with four technical fouls.

“I thought we did a lot of good things,” Bickerstaff said. “But I thought there were some moments where we shot ourselves in the foot when we had momentum going. We got outside of ourselves. These games against teams like this are going to be extremely physical. We understand that. We are good with that. Just make sure we maintain the physicality and do not allow the officials to become a part of the game because we take it too far.”

Observations and Notes vs. Magic

▶ Magic earns tie-breaker over Pistons: With this loss, the Pistons lose the regular-season series against the Magic 2-1, losing the tie-breaker.

▶ Harris and Suggs get into a minor altercation: At the 8:55 mark of the first quarter, Tobias Harris was assessed a flagrant foul penalty 1 following a brief altercation with Suggs. The incident occurred when Suggs intentionally collided with Harris during a change of possession. Harris reacted to Suggs’ aggression by shoving him to the floor. However, the Magic did not prosper from Suggs’ actions; he missed both free throws and committed a turnover during Orlando’s offensive possession.

▶ Head injury for Tobias Harris: Harris’ night ended early after he suffered a head injury. Two minutes into the third quarter, he was struck in the jaw during a shot attempt by Banchero. Bickerstaff substituted Harris after he fell to the floor. Following a quick evaluation from the team doctors, Harris walked to the back and did not return.

▶ A tough night for Stew: Isaiah Stewart faced a challenging game in Orlando. The physical nature of the match led to foul trouble for Stewart in the first half, limiting his usual impact off the bench. He also found himself in multiple altercations with several players from Orlando.

Up next

The Pistons will travel to Cleveland to face the Cavaliers on Monday night. They will then close the road trip in Indiana on Wednesday when they will face the Pacers. Tip-off between the Pistons and Cavaliers is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.

Coty.Davis@detroitnews.com

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Detroit, MI

Lions save nearly $1.3 million with Malcolm Rodriguez contract trick

Published

59 minutes ago

March 20, 2026

Press Room

Lions save nearly .3 million with Malcolm Rodriguez contract trick

Earlier this week, contract details on the Detroit Lions’ re-signing of Malcolm Rodriguez came out, and if you were to just look at the Over The Cap outline of the deal, it would probably be pretty confusing.

Rodriguez has a salary of over $2.5 million—all guaranteed—a signing bonus of $137,500, and a workout bonus of $50,000. Combine all of those, and it should equal a salary cap hit of a combined $2.7 million. Yet, per OTC, the Lions’ cap charge for Rodriguez’s deal is just $1,402,5000.

There are no void years. This isn’t a misprint. The Lions are just using a salary cap stipulation that rewards teams for developing players and staying loyal to them.

How to qualify for the Four-Year Player Qualifying Contract

The relevant Collective Bargaining Agreement rule is called the “Four-Year Player Qualifying Contract.” You can read the entire terms of this rule, but here’s the short of it. In order to qualify for this advantage, a player has to have:

Four or more Credited Seasons whose contract with a Club has expired after four or more years of continuous, uninterrupted service with that Club

In Rodriguez’s case, he played through the entirety of his four-year rookie contract, so both he and the team are certainly eligible for this benefit.

What is the actual benefit?

Essentially, a team can award a one-year contract to these players that acts as a veteran minimum salary deal when it comes to the overall cap hit, but they are able to increase these players’ salaries from the minimum by a fixed number that will not count against the cap.

In Rodriguez’s case, the veteran minimum for a player with four accrued seasons is $1,215,000. According to the CBA, for the 2026 season, the “Four-Year Player Qualifying Contract” can increase the salary by a maximum of an extra $1.55 million.

So if you look at the actual cap hit, it’s based on that veteran minimum salary:

Vet minimum salary: $1,215,000
Signing bonus: $137,500
Workout bonus: $50,000

Add those together, and you get $1,402,500—Rodriguez’s cap hit for 2026.

But the actual payment Rodriguez will be getting in 2026 is this:

Actual salary: $2,562,500
Signing bonus: $137,500
Workout bonus: $50,000

For a total of $2,700,000 in earnings. In short, the Lions are saving nearly $1.3 million by using this salary cap tool. And for Rodriguez, the benefit is that everything but the workout bonus is guaranteed. Note that no player is obligated to accept this kind of contract, but for a player like Rodriguez, who is coming off an injury-shortened season, it’s a nice little guaranteed payday that he may not have been able to get elsewhere. And for the Lions, it’s a way to pay a player his value while also getting some savings on cap space.

This isn’t the first time the Lions have used this cap trick. They used it with Jalen Reeves-Maybin back in 2021, and they’ll likely use it again.

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Detroit, MI

3 Trades That Would Instantly Elevate Detroit Lions

Published

13 hours ago

March 19, 2026

Press Room

3 Trades That Would Instantly Elevate Detroit Lions

With a majority of the big name free agents off the board, the focus for the Detroit Lions becomes acquiring depth or players that have a plus side as starters.

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The Lions have addressed two glaring holes so far in free agency, with the signings of Cade Mays and Tyler Conklin plugging holes at center and tight end depth, respectively. Now, the focus for acquiring talent can be with remaining free agents or the NFL Draft.

However, there is a third option that general manager Brad Holmes can explore. The Detroit Lions can look to acquire the crucial depth and starting-level talent with trades.

Trades do require giving up players or picks to acquire talent, and here are players that Holmes can trade draft picks for this year. These are players on the last year of their contract with their current team’s.

Safety Jeremy Chinn (Las Vegas Raiders)

Jeremy Chinn would provide a crucial depth piece at safety with the Lions facing an unknown future and Week 1 status for starters Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch, along with reserve Dan Jackson missing all of 2025.

Chinn signed with the Las Vegas in free agency before last season, and he took a two year deal with $12 million guaranteed. With the Raiders pressing against the cap, especially after the Maxx Crosby trade was revoked by Baltimore, Chinn could be a trade piece to help offset their spending spree.

The one concern for Detroit here is that Chinn missed the ending two games of the 2025 season with a back injury after 114 tackles and two forced fumbles in 15 starts. He is productive, but another player off the injured reserve could scare away the Lions as a suitor.

OT Dawand Jones (Cleveland Browns)

Jones is a player facing an uncertain future after seeing his season shut down in September last year with a knee injury. Cleveland made the former Buckeyes’ status even more cloudy with a trade for Tytus Howard earlier this offseason.

The Lions have their own uncertain future at offensive tackle, with longtime stalwart Taylor Decker released to free agency. The Lions did acquire Larry Borom during the free agency cycle, and his contract suggests he is a swing tackle option that can start. However, Borom is a downgrade from Taylor Decker in terms of tackle production.

Additionally, depth is needed beyond Borom, as tackle Giovanni Manu struggled in his limited appearances in 2025 before ending the year injured.

Jones provides a proven right tackle option, as he earned All-Rookie honors at right tackle after an injury to Jack Conklin forced him into a starting role as a fourth-round pick.

The concern on Jones is, much like Chinn, his injuries. He has ended the year on injured reserve for lower body injuries in all three seasons in the league, in addition to needing an offseason knee surgery last February.

CB Deontae Banks (New York Giants)

Banks is a former first round selection that has struggled to meet expectations since entering the league out of Maryland, and enters his fourth season with the Giants recently announcing there was no consideration of picking up his fifth year option.

He struggled in 2025, with his limited snaps having little to show for them. Banks ranked No. 112 of 114 qualifying corners among PFF grades last season, despite only ranking 88th of the 114 in snaps.

However, he has speed and athleticism, along with a knack for returning kicks. Last season saw the athlete blaze in his first career touchdown, which is a spot that is now a need for Detroit after Kalif Raymond left to reunite with Ben Johnson in Chicago.

The Giants might be looking to ship Banks off before losing him for no cost, with his current play unlikely to even factor in for a seventh-round compensatory selection. With Detroit needing depth at corner and a potential starting return man, Banks provides hidden value for Detroit.

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Detroit, MI

Report: Cade Cunningham suffers collapse lung, out for extended period of time

Published

1 day ago

March 19, 2026

Press Room

Report: Cade Cunningham suffers collapse lung, out for extended period of time

article

DETROIT, MICHIGAN – JANUARY 31: Cade Cunningham #2 of the Detroit Pistons looks to drive around Olivier-Maxence Prosper #8 of the Dallas Mavericks during the second half at Little Caesars Arena on January 31, 2025 in Detroit, Michigan. Detroit won th

(FOX 2) – Detroit’s star point guard Cade Cunningham is expected to miss an extended period of time after being diagnosed with a collapsed lung.

First reported by ESPN, the loss to the Pistons’ offense happens as the NBA’s regular season reaches its conclusion.

Big picture view:

Cunningham appeared to suffer a back injury during Detroit’s game against the Washington Wizards. He played a little more before being subbed out for the rest of the game.

Cunningham has led the Pistons to its best season in years. The Pistons are currently seeded No. 1 in the Eastern Conference.

It’s possible he could be back in time for the playoffs, but much of his condition is unknown.

The Source: ESPN first reported the injury update.

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