Free agent John Lucas III wants to return to Pistons

There is one free agent viewing the Detroit Pistons as a destination franchise.

Free-agent point guard John Lucas III, who played 21 games for the Pistons toward the end of the season, would love a return engagement.

That's the message Lucas relayed to the Pistons at the end of the season, according to his agent.

"Obviously, he would love to come back," Toronto-based agent Bernie Lee told the Free Press last week. "When we did his end-of-the-year deal last year, one of the things we talked about was something that covered (next season) as well, but we kind of decided at the time to kind of table it because it just seemed like his situation with the team could be dictated by other situations that have to work themselves out this summer.

"We kind of said we would revisit it this summer."

The Pistons needed another point guard when Brandon Jennings suffered a ruptured Achilles in January. After the trade deadline acquisition of Reggie Jackson, the Pistons added Lucas, fresh from a stint in China.

Lucas was traded from the Utah Jazz in July 2014 to the Cleveland Cavaliers, then sent to the Boston Celtics and was waived in September. With little time to catch on with another team, he signed with a Chinese team.

When the opportunity with the Pistons arose, his Chinese team let him out of his contract a week early, and the 5-foot-11 point guard would sign consecutive 10-day contracts with the Pistons before being signed for the rest of the season.

He helped the Pistons with 15 points in a 10-point upset of the Atlanta Hawks, who eventually reached the Eastern Conference finals.

With Jennings still rehabbing, his status for next season is uncertain and won't be known even at the beginning of camp.

It's a safe bet the Pistons will hedge their bet and bring in a point guard for the veteran's minimum to back up Jackson and Spencer Dinwiddie with Jennings' status uncertain.

Lucas, 32, likes the fit in president/coach Stan Van Gundy's system and thinks the franchise is headed in the right direction.

"They just had at the end of the year there a close-knit group, and they could all kind of see they were building for something. You know what I mean?" Lee said. "So, I think John would be happy to be able to continue with that, no question."

Contact Vince Ellis: vellis@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @vincent_ellis56.