Ex-Piston DaJuan Summers agrees to two-year deal with Italian team

DaJuan Summers decided not to wait around for a solution to the NBA's labor woes.

Summers, a former Pistons forward, agreed to a two-year deal over the weekend to play for Montepaschi Siena, a team in Italy's top professional league.

"Siena is one of the top teams in all of Europe," Summers' agent, Todd Ramasar, said Tuesday. "It gives him an opportunity to play at a high level and gives him an opportunity to stay active during the lockout."

Summers, 23, was a second-round pick in the 2009 draft (35th overall) out of Georgetown and showed some promise during a rookie season in which the Pistons were beset by injuries. But he was behind Tayshaun Prince and Austin Daye in the pecking order, and when the Pistons signed Tracy McGrady before last season, Summers was relegated to the bench.

When the Pistons used their first second-round pick in last month's NBA draft on Duke small forward Kyle Singler, Summers' fate was sealed.

Ramasar said he wasn't surprised when the Pistons declined to extend Summers a qualifying offer last month -- cutting ties with Summers and making him a unrestricted free agent.

With the current lockout of players, which began Friday, expected to be protracted, Summers and Ramasar decided to go for some certainty. No matter when the lockout is settled, Summers will play overseas for at least one season.

He can opt out of the deal after one year if an opportunity arises in the NBA.

"DaJuan is in a good situation and hopefully he comes back a better player and comes back to a good situation next season," Ramasar said.