8:30pm: The Pistons are also signing Tolu Smith to a two-way deal, according to Jake Fischer (Twitter link).
Smith, a 6’11”rookie forward, was waived by Detroit in training camp. He has been playing the G League Motor City Cruise. He’s averaging 20.2 points and 14.8 rebounds in four regular season G League games. He also made five appearances with the Cruise in the G League Showcase Cup.
Smith spent his freshman season at Western Kentucky before transferring and playing the final four years of his collegiate career at Mississippi State. He went undrafted in 2024 and made three preseason appearances with Detroit.
To make room for Harper and Smith, the Pistons are waiving Alondes Williams and Cole Swider, according to Fischer.
Detroit signed Williams to a two-way deal just before the start of the season after he was cut loose by the Clippers. Similarly, the Pistons signed Swider after he was waived during the latter stages of training camp by the Pacers.
7:17pm: The Pistons have agreed to a two-way deal with Ron Harper Jr., ESPN’s Tim Bontemps tweets.
Harper was waived in training camp by the Celtics and has been playing for the Maine Celtics in the G League. He averaged 22.8 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists in four regular season G League games. He also played 11 games in the G League Showcase Cup.
He went undrafted out of Rutgers in 2022 and signed to a two-way deal shortly after the draft by the Raptors. Harper only appeared in six games in the G League last year. He suffered a season-ending shoulder injury after playing in just one NBA game in ’23/24 and was waived by the Raptors in December of last year.
Detroit has all of its two-way spots filled, so it will have to make a corresponding move to bring in Harper.
With Jaden Ivey sidelined indefinitely with a fractured fibula, Harper gives Detroit more depth at the guard spots.