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The NBA trade deadline didn’t work out well for one former Wolverine, who had just staked his home on the West Coast.
Things seemed to be going well for former Michigan point guard Derrick Walton Jr. and the Los Angeles Clippers, as he played in 23 games this season, averaged 9.7 minutes and 2.2 points-per-game. However, the Steve Ballmer-owned franchise traded Walton to the Atlanta Hawks at the deadline, who promptly waived him.
It was bad news, but now Walton, a Detroit native who played high school ball at Chandler Park Academy, will have a limited shot to make good at home, per a report.
According to The Athletic’s NBA insider Shams Charania, Walton is being signed by the Detroit Pistons to a 10-day contract.
The Pistons plan to sign guard Derrick Walton Jr. to a 10-day contract, league sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 20, 2020
It’s excellent news if Walton can come in and make a spark for the Pistons, a team that just traded away Andre Drummond and released point guard Reggie Jackson — the latter of whom ended up signing with the Clippers.
In the interim, when Walton was without a team, he was in attendance for Michigan’s home game against Indiana this past weekend.
Walton originally got his NBA start playing with the Miami Heat after originally signing with the Orlando Magic as an undrafted free agent. He became a restricted free agent and ultimately signed with the Chicago Bulls, but he was quickly waived. He played overseas for two teams before he got his chance with the Clippers.