Pistons trade Rodney McGruder to Nuggets for Bol Bol

The Pistons will be sending veteran shooting guard Rodney McGruder and a future second-round draft selection to the Nuggets in exchange for intriguing young power forward Bol Bol, per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. Denver will be adding a future 2022 second-round pick that Detroit originally acquired from the Nets, per Woj and James Edwards III of The Athletic.

There is more personnel news out of Denver. The Nuggets will upgrade the contract of guard Davon Reed, currently signed to his third 10-day hardship exception contract, to a two-way deal, according to Mike Singer of the Denver Post. To make a two-way slot available for Reed, Denver will release current two-way player Petr Cornelie.

In 12 games with Denver, including two starts, Reed is averaging 4.4 points on a .457/.350/.800 shooting line, along with 3.0 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.2 steals.

Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press notes that the addition of Bol will help a depleted Detroit squad up front, which Sankofa identifies as one of the 8-30 club’s key weaknesses. Woj also tweets that the addition of the 7-foot-2 Bol will be an opportunity for the rebuilding Pistons to take a flyer on a young big man with upside.

This season, the 22-year-old Bol is averaging 2.4 points and 1.4 rebounds in 5.8 minutes per game. Last season across eight games with the Windy City Bulls, Bol averaged 12.0 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.3 blocks.

ESPN’s Bobby Marks notes that, by sending the expiring $2.15M deal of Bol out in exchange for the $1.7M expiring deal of McGruder, the Nuggets will carve out additional space below the NBA’s luxury tax. Denver is now $2.4M under the luxury line.

The 6-foot-4 McGruder, 30, has not made much of an impact during his two seasons in Detroit. This season, he is averaging just 2.5 points and 1.6 rebounds during 9.5 minutes per game, in 17 of the club’s 38 contests.