Detroit Pistons sign rookie Ausar Thompson, add 2 players on two-way contracts
The Detroit Pistons have signed the No. 5 overall draft pick.
Ausar Thompson signed his rookie scale contract, the team announced Sunday. Jared Rhoden and Malcolm Cazalon were also signed to two-way contracts.
The terms of Thompson's contract weren't announced, but the deal is estimated to be worth $36.2 million over four years with a starting salary of $8 million this season. Rookie scale contracts are guaranteed for the first two years, and carry team options on Year 3 and Year 4.
Thompson will be eligible for a contract extension after three seasons in 2026.
The 6-foot-7 wing was a standout in the Overtime Elite league last season, averaging 16.3 points, 7.1 rebounds, 6.1 assists, 2.4 steals and 1.1 blocks against mostly teenagers. He shot 29.8% on 3s but was named the league's regular-season MVP and then earned Finals MVP.
Rhoden returns from last season after initially signing a two-way deal Dec. 27. The 23-year-old appeared in 14 games with the Pistons and played significantly more minutes with the Motor City Cruise, averaging 18.1 points, 7.2 rebounds and two assists while shooting 46.9% overall and 37.4% from 3. A 6-foot-6 Seton Hall alumnus, he averaged 15.5 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.2 assists as a senior in 2021-22 before going undrafted.
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Cazalon is a 21-year-old, 6-6 French wing who spent the past three seasons playing for KK Mega Basket, a team based in Belgrade, Serbia. Last season in 25 games he averaged 11.3 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.7 steals in 25.5 minutes per game.
The Pistons, thanks to the new collective bargaining agreement, have an additional two-way spot available. It's unclear if Buddy Boeheim, who signed a two-way contract last season, will return. However, he's on the Las Vegas Summer League roster alongside Cazalon and Rhoden.
It has been a weekend of transactions for the Pistons, who traded for Joe Harris and Monte Morris in separate deals on Friday.
Pistons waive Eugene Omoruyi
The Pistons waived forward Eugene Omoruyi on Saturday. The move happened a few days after the team picked up his nonguaranteed option for the 2023-24 season.
Omoruyi signed a two-year deal in March, following consecutive 10-day contracts. He made a good impression on the front office and averaged 9.7 points and 3.5 rebounds in 17 games with the Pistons.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Pistons sign Ausar Thompson, add 2 players on two-way deals
