Pistons to sign G Reggie Hearn to two-way deal
The Pistons are making some moves to shore up their roster, but not any of bigger deals that many are anticipating ahead of the Feb. 8 NBA trade deadline.
The team will sign shooting guard Reggie Hearn to a two-way contract, joining point guard Kay Felder as their pair of two-way signees, a source confirmed to The Detroit News on Sunday. Luis Montero, who had been on a two-way deal, will be released.
Marc Stein of The New York Times first reported the interest in Hearn, who played for the Reno Big Horns in the development league. The News reported Saturday that Felder would be signed Sunday, though Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy would not confirm the report before Saturday’s game against the Chicago Bulls.
Both Felder and Hearn will be on prorated deals that will give them about half of the 45 days that two-way signees are allowed with their NBA teams. The deadline to sign two-way players is today, so the Pistons had incentive to lock down their roster.
2017-18 DETROIT PISTONS SCHEDULE
Hearn, 26, is a 6-foot-5 shooting guard who went undrafted after playing four years at Northwestern. He averaged 14.7 points, 4.6 rebounds and shot 38 percent on 3-pointers for the Big Horns this season. It’s unclear whether Hearn will join the Pistons, as Montero had been with the team for most of the past couple of weeks while Stanley Johnson was out because of a hip flexor strain.
Felder likely will report to the Grand Rapids Drive, as the Pistons have a logjam at point guard. On Friday, they converted Dwight Buycks’ two-way deal to a guaranteed deal, to back up Ish Smith, who moved to the starting role when Reggie Jackson sustained a grade-3 sprained ankle on Dec. 26.
On the mend
Avery Bradley is bouncing back from his slump following his seven-game absence because of a groin issue. Bradley had 26 points and tied his season high with six 3-pointers in Saturday’s loss at Chicago.
In his last three games, Bradley is averaging 21 points, 4 assists and is hitting 44 percent beyond the arc. In the previous three games after returning from the injury, he was posting 10.3 points and 2.7 assists and converting only 29 percent on 3-pointers.
“He played really well offensively in the first half and (David) Nwaba did a good job on him in the second half,” Van Gundy said of Bradley, who had 19 points in the first half.
All-Star deadline
Monday is the last day to vote for players for the NBA All-Star Game, which will be held on Feb. 18 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Pistons center Andre Drummond was ninth among Eastern Conference frontcourt players, with 139,226 votes and is unlikely to be among the top three for a starting position.
LeBron James was the leading vote-getter, with 1.6 million votes, almost 150,000 more than the Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo, in the second group of returns, released last week.
If Drummond isn’t voted in, he could be selected by the coaches, who pick the reserves.
rod.beard@detroitnews.com
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