The Pistons made it official Thursday morning, signing point guard John Lucas III to a second 10-day contract.
The deal, which will cover the first three games after the All-Star break, will bring Detroit to the trading deadline, where Stan Van Gundy can either make a move for a backup point guard or sign Lucas for the remainder of the season.
Lucas was playing in China when Brandon Jennings tore his Achilles' tendon, but came back to the United States to sign with the Pistons. On his first 10-day deal, he played six games, averaging 4.8 points and 4.2 assists in 12.8 minutes.
With the Pistons still in the race for the postseason -- there are six teams within two games of the final Eastern Conference spot -- Van Gundy needs someone that can give D.J. Augustin 10-15 minutes of rest per night, and rookie Spencer Dinwiddie isn't ready for that level of action.
Lucas, though, has done the job you would expect from a seven-year veteran who is also the son of a former NBA player and coach. He had 10 points, six assists and no turnovers at Indiana on Feb. 4, and nine points, six assists and one turnover in Wednesday's loss to the Spurs.
