The Detroit Pistons have elevated guard Daniss Jenkins from a two-way deal to a standard NBA contract and will waive forward/center Dario Saric to open a roster spot, according to multiple league sources on Friday.
Jenkins’ new agreement spans two seasons at a total value of $8 million, representing the largest single-season payout ever for a player moving up from a two-way slot. Detroit is using part of its bi-annual exception to complete the signing, and the pact includes a team option for the 2026-27 campaign.
By converting the contract, the 24-year-old becomes eligible for the remainder of the regular season and the playoffs, something not permitted under two-way rules. He had reached the two-way maximum of 50 active games earlier in the evening during Detroit’s lopsided win over New York.
Head of basketball operations Trajan Langdon indicated before that game that the organization planned to promote Jenkins over the weekend. The move follows the guard’s decision in late January to decline a two-year, minimum-salary offer.
Undrafted out of St. John’s in 2024, Jenkins told the Detroit Free Press he remains driven by being overlooked. “For me, going undrafted is insanity to me, literally insanity, and that burns inside of me every single day,” he said recently.
Through 42 appearances this season, Jenkins is averaging 8.2 points, 3.3 assists, 1.8 rebounds and 0.9 steals in 16.8 minutes while shooting 43.0% from the field, 39.1% from three-point range and 80.0% at the line. He has served as Cade Cunningham’s primary backup for much of 2025-26.
The bi-annual exception can be used only once every two years, meaning Detroit will not have access to it in the 2026-27 season.
Saric, 31, is earning a guaranteed $5,426,400 this year, most of which was already paid by Sacramento before a Feb. 1 trade sent him to Chicago. The Bulls dealt him to Detroit a few days later in the Kevin Huerter–Jaden Ivey swap. The veteran appeared in just five games for the Pistons after logging 16 contests with Denver last season.
Source: Hoops Rumors
