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While it might be surprising that a team with 17 players is still circling the free agent market, it appears that the Detroit Pistons are interested in bringing back reserve point guard John Lucas III for a full season of duty.
The news comes via Marc Stein of ESPN, who reports that Orlando, San Antonio, Dallas and the Clippers are also all interested.
Lucas was signed to the last February after the loss of Brandon Jennings to an Achilles tear. Lucas played reasonably well in his abbreviated tour of duty, averaging 4.7 points and 2.9 assists in 21 game with the Pistons.
So is it worth parsing out interest in a player who is destined to be a team's third-string point guard? Let's commence with some baseless speculation.
The move is slightly interesting only because it means that either the team doesn't believe Spencer Dinwiddie is ready to be the first point guard off the bench or that the team doesn't feel it can bank on the health of Brandon Jennings. There is no indication that Jennings has had any sort of setbacks in his recovery from his Achilles tear, so the team might just think presuming his availability doesn't make good business sense.
Bringing on an 18th player also means another guy would wind up on the chopping block, with the top contenders being three out of the four of Quincy Miller (who has a non-guaranteed deal), Danny Granger, Reggie Bullock and Cartier Martin.
Alternatively, it could mean that the team is exploring trade options for Jennings. You would think the trade market for a player coming off one of the worst muscle injuries a player can suffer would be pretty bare, but then again, Wesley Matthews, who is also coming off of an Achilles tear just signed a four-year, $70 million deal, so what do I know.
All that being said, if Lucas is really garnering interest from other, contending clubs then I wouldn't be surprised if he goes elsewhere. The Clippers have Chris Paul and a whole lot of nothing, Dallas, likewise, has JJ Barea and zilch else.
What do you think, is signing an insurance point guard such as Lucas the right way to go? Which 15 players are you hoping make the final roster?