ORLANDO, Fla. _ When the Detroit Pistons drafted Luke Kennard, it likely sealed Darrun Hilliard's fate with the franchise.
Hilliard, 24, has been traded to the Houston Rockets in exchange for cash considerations, the Pistons said in a news release Wednesday.
After obtaining point guard Chris Paul in a trade earlier in the day, Sam Amick of USA Today reported the Rockets were seeking non-guaranteed contracts to help facilitate the Paul move.
Hilliard fits the bill with his $1.4 million contract for next season not guaranteed until Saturday.
The Pistons used the No. 12 selection to pick Kennard out of Duke during Thursday's NBA draft.
Pistons president and coach Stan Van Gundy said at the end of the regular season that Hilliard would play for the Pistons' Orlando Pro Summer League team.
But it all changed Friday when the Free Press was told that Hilliard would not even practice this week to help players prepare for the summer league opener Saturday.
Hilliard was a bit of a reach when the Pistons selected him in the second round of the 2015 draft. Many expected him to go undrafted, but the Pistons gave a late first-round grade on the Villanova standout.
He was solid his rookie season, shooting 38 percent from 3-point range in limited action.
But he regressed last season.
Hilliard appeared in a career-high 39 games last season, but averaged 3.3 points, 0.8 rebounds, 0.8 assists in 9.8 minutes per game. He made one start.
