Quincy Miller hoping facial fractures don't hurt chances with Pistons

Sometimes, figurative punches in the face can be literal, too.

Quincy Miller was on the eve of Summer League, on the eve of a pivotal offseason where he'd try to convince the Detroit Pistons that his partially non-guaranteed contract is worth keeping on the roster for 2015-16. And then an errant elbow in practice last week caused fractures in his nose and right orbital floor.

As a result, Miller's been ruled out of Summer League and he's unsure if the hard work he's been lauded for will have the opportunity to pay itself off.

"I hope so," Miller said. "It's like Christmas comes around and it's cancelled. I've been working ever since summer started with our coaches in Detroit, just getting my body right and my game right, and it's unfortunate it just happened like that."

There's still ample time for Miller to recover and fight for a spot ahead of the season, and head coach Stan Van Gundy was complimentary in acknowledging Miller's work ethic. But Miller is a combo-forward, an area the Pistons have significantly solidified in adding Marcus Morris, Ersan Ilyasova, and Stanley Johnson this offseason.

Should the Pistons opt to use Miller's roster spot on a different position or player type, they'll only be on the hook for a small chunk of change - $50,000 if he's waived by July 15, and $100,000 if he's waived any time before the season starts. Keeping him at $981,348 remains a possibility, but the 22-year-old could struggle to find playing time.

A second-round pick in 2012, Miller was let go by the Denver Nuggets last summer. He worked his way through the D-League to short-term deals with the Sacramento Kings and the Pistons, getting into 10 NBA games. He played sparingly in those but impressed in 18 D-League contests, averaging 23.8 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 3.2 blocks while knocking down 35.5 percent of 3-point attempts.