Pistons bringing back forward Anthony Tolliver for one-year, $3.3 million
Vince Ellis
LAS VEGAS – Anthony Tolliver is returning to the Detroit Pistons.
Tolliver texted the Free Press: “Excited to be back.”
A person with firsthand knowledge of the process told the Free Press later that they had landed Tolliver.
It's a one-year deal worth $3.3 million.
Earlier today, the Free Press reported that the team was engaged with Tolliver, a Sacramento Kings free agent.
The team was also engaged with another former Piston, Boston Celtics free agent Jonas Jerebko, and “several other” power forwards with outside shooting capability.
Tolliver’s first stint with the Pistons began the day before Christmas in 2014 when they traded seldom-used forward Tony Mitchell to the Phoenix Suns for the 6-foot-8, 240-pounder.
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At the time, the first year of the Stan Van Gundy reign was off to a rocky 5-23 start.
But the move – coupled with the earlier jettisoning of Josh Smith – ignited the Pistons on a 12-3 run that ended when point guard Brandon Jennings went down for the season with a ruptured Achilles tendon.
Tolliver, 32, provided a bench spark and leadership the moment he joined the Pistons and it culminated with a playoff appearance in 2016.
The Pistons let him walk before this past season, and the team stumbled to a 37-45 mark and failed to reach the playoffs.
He signed with the Kings, playing one season, before being waived earlier in the off-season.
He is a career 36% three-point shooter.
The Pistons now have 14 guaranteed contracts for next season.
The Vertical first reported the news.
Gbinije likely out: The Pistons have a Saturday deadline to guarantee second-year swingman Michael Gbinije’s $1.3 million for next season, but it appears unlikely that he will be brought back.
He was selected in the second round of the 2016 NBA draft.
Contact Vince Ellis at vellis@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @vincent_ellis56.