The big names of NBA free agency have been signed up for weeks now but some quality role players were still available.
Unfortunately, for 29 of the NBA teams, one of the most promising young role players just got snatched up.
On Thursday, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that 23-year-old guard Hamidou Diallo is set to return to the Detroit Pistons on a two-year $10.4 million contract.
Diallo has been in the NBA for three seasons, spending his first two with the Oklahoma City Thunder, but really came alive in his third season.
In 52 games (split between the Thunder and Detroit Pistons), Diallo averaged 11.6 points, 1.9 assists and 5.2 rebounds per game.
Diallo also took a noticeable step forward in his jump shooting ability, knocking down a career-high 34.1 percent of his 3-point attempts for the season and 39.0 percent of his threes (2.1 attempts per game) when he joined Detroit.
Those are major steps forward from averaging just 5.2 points and 0.5 assists per game on 24.7 percent shooting from three over his first two years in the NBA.
Diallo, a rangy guard valued for his athleticism and defensive chops, was drafted 45th overall by the Brooklyn Nets in the 2018 NBA Draft following a one-and-done season for the Kentucky Wildcats. He entered his sole collegiate season as a five-star recruit and the 11th-ranked prospect in the country, per ESPN.
