Gransberry to sign contract with Pistons

Former USF center Kentrell Gransberry, passed over in Thursday's NBA Draft, said Friday he expects to sign a free-agent contract with the Detroit Pistons and play for them in the NBA's summer league in Las Vegas.

"It was the best situation," said Gransberry, who reports to Las Vegas on July 7, trying to make the team as an undrafted rookie. The league runs July 11-20 with 21 teams participating.

Detroit was one of seven teams that Gransberry worked out for before the draft, and he said that while it was difficult to watch the draft come and go Thursday night without the news he'd hoped for, he's focused on trying to keep a spot on one of the NBA's most successful teams.

"It was disappointing because you want to hear your name called," Gransberry said. "But it's not the end of the world. You just have to keep working hard and trying to do what it takes to get into the league."

Detroit traded away its first-round pick from Thursday's draft, but Gransberry will be competing with three rookies drafted in the second round: power forwards Walter Sharpe (6-9) of UAB and Trent Plaisted (6-11) of BYU, along with small forward Deron Washington (6-7) of Virginia Tech.

The Pistons can be a tough roster to crack -- last year, second-round pick Sammy Mejia of DePaul was among the preseason cuts. Four players from Detroit's summer league team last year were regulars for the Pistons this season, but all had been drafted -- '07 first-rounders Rodney Stuckey and Arron Afflalo, '05 first-rounder Jason Maxiell and '05 second-rounder Amir Johnson.

Detroit went 59-23 this season, finishing second in the Eastern Conference and losing in the Eastern finals to the Boston Celtics, who went on to win an NBA championship. It's the third year in a row Detroit lost in the conference finals. Given the long odds he faces to make Detroit's roster, Gransberry could wind up with Detroit's affiliate in the NBA Developmental League, the Fort Wayne Red Ants.

Comments

[RR]

He won't make that roster.

[Dave W]

KG in a "Red Ants" uniform will look hilarious. I think he'll struggle in the Summer League; he's still way too out of shape to deal with the guys that will be there (especially in Vegas). However, after some adjustment to the D-League, I think he'll post similar rebounding numbers to what he did here. The NBA won't call him up next year, but after a second Summer League, he could have a legit shot for a bad team in training camp.

He's a bad fit for Europe; he'd be killed in Euroleague on defense. Those shooting bigs would exploit him, and like American bigs in the Olympics, the trapezoid lane would keep him too far away from the rim to be effective.

Brumbaugh must have known how delusional he was being. At least Mike Taylor proved he could he handle himself as a professional. Maybe he could be a Red Ant, too.

[G.A.]

The thing to remember with Brumbaugh is that he wasn't a lock to get in with a major college basketball program. Academics aside, a coach would likely have to go to bat for someone with the number of off-field problems Brumbaugh has had. He's certainly behaved since he's been in Tampa at HCC, but I don't think we should presume that in choosing the NBA Draft he was turning down a sure thing with college basketball. He's persevered through other things more trying than not being drafted, and I'm sure he'll get a chance as a free agent.

DAve W your an a -hole

rr your an a-hole you guys need a life!

[Ari Hinkelberger]

Grans..

Good luck buddy.

If it wasn't for you, we would have lost every Big East game we have played in.

[The Champ]

Stan Heath and Dumars relationship has already paid off.I figure that had something to do with Gransberry getting signed by the Pistons who certainly had no reason to pursue him.

Gook luck to him this summer and I hope he tears it up.I am a Pistons' fan and will be watching their summer team play in Vegas.I think Stuckey will play on the team and Amir Johnson should also play.The Pistons normally have one of the better summer teams in the NBA.

[The Champ]

Sorry G.A. it should be Good not Gook, but you know me by now.