The Detroit Pistons have unearthed a gem in Daniss Jenkins this season. The undrafted guard came out of nowhere in his second year and has been an important part of the Pistons' rotation despite being on a two-way contract. Every time there has been an injury in the backcourt, Jenkins has stepped up admirably. Wednesday night was the latest example when Jenkins had a career-high 15 assists in the win against the Bulls in Cade Cunningham's absence.
Naturally, many assumed that Jenkins would be getting converted into a standard deal. Instead, the Pistons made a roster move that left Pistons fans confused about what the front office's plan is.
Wednesday was the deadline for players on non-guaranteed deals to have their contracts guaranteed. Teams either had to waive these players or guarantee their salaries for the rest of the season. The Pistons had to make this decision on Javonte Green and Isaac Jones.
Since Green is a part of the rotation, guaranteeing his salary was a no-brainer. Jones, on the other hand, only saw one minute of action for Detroit all season. Instead of him occupying the final and 15th roster spot, many thought that he would be waived to create room for Jenkins.
Pistons' Daniss Jenkins Inaction Is Difficult to Understand
Instead, Spotrac's Keith Smith confirmed that the Pistons didn't waive Jones before the guarantee deadline, making his contract fully guaranteed.
This doesn't necessarily mean that Jenkins can't be signed to a guaranteed long-term deal this season, but it certainly complicates matters. The Pistons now have to make a move ahead of the trade deadline to open up a roster spot. Moving on from Jones would have made things much easier for the Pistons. Why GM Trajan Langdon & Co. desperately want a fourth center who hasn't played all season to take up a roster spot is difficult to understand.
Players on two-way deals like Jenkins only have 50 regular-season games of eligibility. They are also not allowed to play in the postseason. Jenkins will likely be ineligible to play after the All-Star break. Considering how crucial a role he has played for the Pistons all season, Detroit would love to convert him to a standard deal so that he can be in the playoff rotation.
Jenkins has earned a multi-year contract from the Pistons, and there is mutual benefit in getting a deal done sooner rather than later. Whatever trade Langdon has to make to make room for Jenkins has to happen as soon as possible so that the Pistons can have their playoff rotation ready for the second half of the season.