Detroit Pistons News: Journeyman Center Inks 10-Day Contract As Team Spirals

Well-traveled journeyman center/power forward Chimezie Metu has signed on with the Detroit Pistons on a 10-day contract. Detroit announced the good news in a press statement, shared via its PR team's Twitter/X account. It's his first deal since being cut by the Memphis Grizzlies shortly after this year's NBA trade deadline (he had been flipped there by the Phoenix Suns).

A Los Angeles native, Metu was a two-time All-Pac-12 honoree while toiling under Andy Enfield's USC Trojans from 2015-18. Across 34 contests as a senior (33 starts), Metu averaged 15.7 points on 52.3% shooting from the field, 7.4 rebounds, 1.7 blocks, 1.6 assists and 0.8 steals a night. The 6'9" big man was chosen with the No. 49 pick by Gregg Popovich and R.C. Buford's San Antonio Spurs front office in 2018. At the time (and, to an extent, still), the club's brain trust was seen as one of the elites in the league.

Metu failed to take off for the rebuilding Spurs. He didn't carve out consistent minutes for San Antonio in either of his first two seasons with the team. He was subsequently waived by the Spurs ahead of the 2020-21 season (which, as you'll recall, started in December due to the 2019-20 season's COVID-19-delayed conclusion).

Things improved in 2020-21, for a time. Metu was picked up by the Sacramento Kings on a two-way deal initially. After his first 28 contests with Sacramento, the Kings inked him to a multi-year contract. He earned more consistent rotation minutes with the Kings. Through his 36 games that year (six starts), Metu logged averages of 6.3 points on a .508/.351/.721 slash line, 3.1 rebounds, 0.8 assists and 0.5 blocks in 13.6 minutes per.

Metu saw his highest usage the next season, 2021-22. In 60 games with the Kings that year (20 starts), Metu averaged 8.9 points on 45.2% shooting from the floor and 78% shooting from the foul line, 5.6 rebounds, one assist and 0.9 steals. His saw a reduced role last season, as the Kings made their first return to the postseason in decades under new head coach Mike Brown's tutelage. Metu's minutes were slashed in half, from 21.3 in '21-'22 to 10.4 in '22-'23, and his statistical output suffered accordingly. All those counting stats represent career highs.

He then inked a one-year, $2.3 million minimum deal with a star-laden Phoenix Suns club last summer. The Suns at the time looked like a surefire contender for a championship berth, with a roster led by All-Stars Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal. The team has struggled to thrive on offense the way many had expected. Metu averaged five points on 50.8% shooting with the Suns and three rebounds across 37 bouts (five starts). Phoenix eventually traded him to Memphis, who then cut him. Now, he's joining a Pistons club that has already been eliminated from the playoffs, and sports a miserable 12-56 record on the year. He's playing for his NBA future, essentially, and will do his darnedest to stand out on a rebuilding squad loaded with young prospects.