The Detroit Pistons and Oklahoma City Thunder swapped players on inexpensive expiring contracts last season.
It appears to have worked out well for the Pistons.
Hamidou Diallo, traded to Detroit from the Thunder in March, re-signed with the Pistons, the organization announced on Thursday. It is a two-year deal worth $10.4 million, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Detroit acquired him from the Thunder in exchange for Svi Mykhailiuk and a 2027 second-round pick. While that pick remains in Oklahoma City, Mykhailiuk is on the hunt for a new NBA home. The Thunder initially tendered a qualifying offer but rescinded it, according to HoopsHype’s Mike Scotto.
The Oklahoma City Thunder have rescinded the qualifying offer on Svi Mykhailiuk, league sources told @hoopshype. Mykhailiuk is now an unrestricted free agent on the market. https://t.co/x22cq7zbdn
— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) August 5, 2021
Diallo played two and a half seasons in Oklahoma City. He made major strides last season, averaging 11.9 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game, but the Thunder were apparently unenthused with the idea of re-signing him. They got a second-round pick and took a chance on Mykhailiuk, billed as a potential 3-and-D player.
The Pistons saw enough positives from Diallo to bring him back. Known for his athleticism, Diallo finally began to develop a 3-point shot, hitting 39% on 2.1 attempts per game over his 20 appearances with Detroit. On the Pistons, he averaged 11.2 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 23.3 minutes per game.
Diallo can try to carve out a role alongside the other young players on the Pistons roster. He’ll have two more seasons to prove he’s deserving of another contract.
