Detroit Pistons sign Buddy Boeheim to two-way contract for 2 years
The Detroit Pistons made a move Thursday, hours ahead of their return from the All-Star break — just when you thought they were finished tinkering with the roster.
The Pistons are signing guard Buddy Boeheim to a two-way contract for two years, the team confirmed. The move comes a day after the Pistons waived guard Malcolm Cazalon from his two-way contract Wednesday, and came two hours before the NBA announced a three-game suspension for the Pistons' Isaiah Stewart.
Boeheim joins Jared Rhoden and Stanley Umude as the other two-way players signed by the Pistons, who can move between the NBA club and the G-League affiliate Motor City Cruise.
Boeheim, 24 and 6 feet 5, has showcased his ability as a knockdown 3-point shooter. In 20 regular season games this season, he is averaging 15.6 points (46.1% from the field, 43.8% from 3 on 7.7 attempts), 3.8 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 26.7 minutes per game. He increased those averages from 12.1 points (41.5% from the field, 37.4% from 3), 2.7 rebounds and 1.6 assists over the same minutes in 18 regular season games last season.
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In the 2023-24 G-League showcase, an annual scouting tournament that showcases the best minor league talent for NBA teams, Boeheim averaged 12.6 points (42.5% from the field, 39.1% from 3) and 2.3 rebounds across 21.4 minutes per game in 16 appearances.
Boeheim is the son of legendary retired Syracuse basketball coach Jim Boeheim. He signed with the Pistons on a two-way contract after going undrafted in 2022 out of Syracuse. He primarily remained in the G-League with the Cruise during his rookie season, but was pulled up to the Detroit roster at the end of the season to fill in minutes for the injured parent club that was tanking in hopes of landing the No. 1 pick, Victor Wembanyama.
Boeheim appeared in 10 games in March and April last season in limited minutes. He scored in four of his 10 appearances, with a career-high of eight points against the Wizards last March.
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Each NBA team is allowed to have three players on two-way contracts in addition to the 15 players on the official roster. While a team can only have 15 players active for a game on any given night, they can use two-way players to fill in open roster spots throughout the season, moving them between the G-League and the NBA level. For example, Rhoden and Umude played for the Pistons during their back-to-back that aligned with the trade deadline to fill in minutes vacated by players on the move.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Pistons sign Buddy Boeheim to two-way contract
