Pistons sign Dwight Buycks to two-way contract

The Detroit Pistons have signed point guard Dwight Buycks to a two-way contract. The deal was first reported by Michael Scotto, with details on the two-way status shared by Chris Reichert.

Buycks spent the past two years in the Chinese Basketball Association. Last season he averaged 25.1 points and 6.4 assists per game last season. He’s played 20 games in the NBA split between the Toronto Raptors and Los Angeles Lakers, most recently in 2015.

The hardest of hardcore Pistons fans might recall Buycks as the star of the Dallas Mavericks’ Orlando Magic Summer League team. In the championship game against Detroit Buycks scored 28 points.

What Detroit’s ultimate plan for Buycks is unclear. The Pistons roster currently stands at 14 players so they do have an open roster spot. But the back court is already crowded with Reggie Jackson, Ish Smith, Langston Galloway, Avery Bradley, Luke Kennard and Reggie Bullock.

Galloway has spent much of his career playing point guard but it is anticipated he plays mostly at the off guard position in Detroit, but could also serve as the team’s third point guard.

As a player under a two-way contract Buycks could also float between the NBA G League and could be with the Pistons for up to 45 days without counting against the 15-player roster limit. For every day a player on a two-way contract is with an NBA club the player receives a pro-rated portion of the NBA’s league minimum salary. When with the G League they would receive a pro-rated portion of their maximum $75,000 salary.

Whether that G League team is Detroit affiliate the Grand Rapids Drive is unclear. According to Dan Feldman, who knows his stuff, says Buycks’ G League rights are held by another club so he wouldn’t be available to the Drive. However, he doesn’t say which team that is, and I can’t seem to track down who owns his rights or if a two-way player can be shuttled between an NBA team and go to a G League team not affiliated with that NBA team.

Unlike Detroit’s other two-way player, Luis Montero, Buycks seems much more like high level insurance than a developmental prospect. Buycks is already 28 years old compared to 24-year-old Montero.