In a statement put out on their official X page, the Detroit Pistons announced they have signed Aaron Estrada to an Exhibit 10 contract. With this move, the Pistons have filled their final training camp roster spot ahead of their preseason matchup tomorrow against the Phoenix Suns.
The Detroit Pistons announced today that the team has signed guard Aaron Estrada to an Exhibit-10 contract. Detroit’s training camp roster now stands at 21.
— Pistons PR (@Pistons_PR) October 7, 2024
The guard initially joined the Pistons as an undrafted free agent this year. Estrada played in five games for the team during Summer League. In those games, he averaged 5.6 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 2.2 assists. Additionally, he shot 40.7% from the field and 30.8% from the three-point line.
Estrada played for four different schools in his collegiate career–Saint Peter’s, Oregon, Hofstra, and Alabama. Of the four programs, the 23-year-old played his best basketball at Hofstra from 2021 to 2023. In his last year at Hofstra, he averaged 20.2 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 1.5 steals. He also earned CAA Player of the Year honors in both of his years at Hofstra.
Detroit Pistons Sign Former CAA Player of the Year to Training Camp Deal
Pistons Still Have One Two-Way Spot Open After Signing Aaron Estrada
The one interesting aspect of this move is that the Pistons opted not to use their final two-way contract spot on Estrada. Currently, the Pistons have two of those spots filled up by Tosan Evbuomwan and Daniss Jenkins. There is no need to rush into signing somebody to this last contract, of course. Because of this, it is possible the Pistons will elect to wait until the end of training camp and preseason to see who stands out before awarding somebody with the final contract.
Regardless of who gets it, Estrada is an intriguing candidate. He is versatile and could become a solid depth option. Given that he is already 23 years old, it is unlikely Estrada will develop into something significantly better. However, he is still a good enough player to remain a candidate for a two-way contract.
The Detroit Pistons’ Offseason
After finishing the last two seasons with the worst record in the NBA, things are finally starting to trend in the right direction for Detroit. This offseason, the team added Malik Beasley, Tim Hardaway Jr., and old friend Tobias Harris. Additionally, they drafted Ron Holland, who could make an immediate impact on the team. On the other hand, the Pistons lost a lot of players this summer as well. Most notably, the team sent wing Quentin Grimes to the Dallas Mavericks. Additionally, Taj Gibson, Evan Fournier, James Wiseman, and Malachi Flynn all departed this offseason as well.
Nonetheless, the Pistons should be a better team next season than they were the past couple of years. The team should also expect natural progression from young stars like Cade Cunningham and Ausar Thompson.
Detroit is likely still ways away from making it to the postseason, but this summer looks like the start of getting the team back on the right track.
