Stan Van Gundy to Adonis Thomas: Pistons roster changes could still be coming

When the Detroit Pistons signed Adonis Thomas to a two-year deal with only small guarantees, it seemed to be yet another in the summer's long stretch of low-impact training camp deals.

After all, the Pistons were facing a roster crunch even before adding Thomas, with 17 guaranteed contracts on the roster. Joining a cadre of wings, all potentially fighting for the same roster spot, Thomas stood out as the most obvious preseason cut.

But head coach Stan Van Gundy wouldn't concede as much, telling Thomas that changes could still come, according to David Mayo of MLive:

The day I signed my contract, he told me, 'Hey, I know you're looking at the roster, at 17 guaranteed guys, and you're the only non-guaranteed guy or partially guaranteed guy.' He said that anything can change. He said, 'We're looking to make some changes soon. We're not really focused in on who's on the roster right now. We're going to let go of maybe some guaranteed guys, or we're making some changes soon, or trades could be made.'

The Pistons' rebuild under Van Gundy has been gradual, and he's already shown a willingness to eat some salary in order to roster the best team possible.

If Thomas, who flashed some potential in six games as a rookie in 2013-14 and proved a capable scorer in the D-League last season, plays his way onto the team, Van Gundy may very well pay someone with a guaranteed contract to leave. Failing major changes to the roster before October, Reggie Bullock, Cartier Martin, and Danny Granger are likely the other players competing with Thomas for a spot.

Trades are more rare at this time of the year, with roster spots relatively scarce, but dumping a veteran by those means remains a possibility, too.