Pistons send Marcus Sasser to Mavericks as part of six-team trade
Detroit — Marcus Sasser's time with the Detroit Pistons came to an end on Tuesday night after three seasons. The Pistons took part in a six-team trade that sent Sasser to the Dallas Mavericks, a source close to the situation confirmed to The Detroit News on Wednesday morning.
The Detroit News reported last week it was expected Sasser would head to Dallas in a trade.
Sasser will join the Mavericks, where he has a chance to secure a rotational spot under former Michigan coach Dusty May. He also will play alongside reigning Rookie of the Year winner Cooper Flagg, who will benefit from having the 6-foot-1 combo guard in the backcourt.
In addition to Sasser, the Mavericks received Santi Aldama and the Memphis Grizzlies' draft rights to Tarik Biberovic. The Mavericks made the move after sending former All-Star and former Piston Khris Middleton to the Washington Wizards in a sign-and-trade. In return, the Wizards sent D'Angelo Russell to Memphis.
The trade marks a homecoming for Sasser. The Dallas native was selected in the first round of the 2023 NBA Draft by the Grizzlies, but his draft rights were later traded to the Pistons. During his rookie season, Sasser appeared poised to become an essential part of the Pistons' rebuilding efforts. He played a career-high 71 games, averaging 8.3 points in 19.0 minutes during the 2023-24 season.
In the past two years, Sasser has had difficulty securing a spot in coach J.B. Bickerstaff's rotation, resulting in his playing time dropping to 13.3 minutes per game.
He had the chance to secure a rotational spot during training camp and preseason; however, a hip injury limited his progress. Despite uncertainty about his playing time, Sasser remained productive when on the floor. In the 13 games where he played 15 or more minutes this season, he averaged 10.3 points while shooting 44.6% from 3-point range.
"For me, it's all about staying with it," Sasser said in January. "I had a good support system around me, and the team has always kept me up. It just shows the work I've put in and my confidence. Whenever my name is called, I am always ready for the moment."
The six-team deal concluded with the Pistons completing their sign-and-trade for John Collins from the Los Angeles Clippers, while acquiring Gary Harris and Taurean Prince from the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for Caris LeVert.
The trade also included the Pistons completing the deal that sent Isaiah Stewart to Memphis. In addition to Stewart, the Grizzlies also landed A.J. Johnson from the Mavericks. The Clippers received a $16.0 million trade exception when they sent Collins to Detroit.
coty.davis@detroitnews.com
@cotydavis_24
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Pistons send Marcus Sasser to Mavericks as part of six-team trade
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