With less than two weeks remaining before the November 2 deadline for rookie-contract extensions, mum has surprisingly been the word on Detroit Pistons center Andre Drummond. But by delaying the deal, the Pistons will have an extra $12.7 million in salary cap space to attract free agents or facilitate trades next summer.
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Pistons coach and chief decision-maker Stan Van Gundy informed assembled media of this surprising development on Tuesday afternoon. In the 2014-15 preseason, the Pistons distribution of shots was 44.6 percent around the rim, 29.5 percent from three-point land, and 25.9 percent from everywhere else.
The Pistons have two years to convince Drummond to re-sign, and one of those years, he’ll be a restricted free agent.
This is probably why Van Gundy was more than a little strident in announcing the decision. I’m into winning and trying to make my team as good as possible.
The situation is similar to how the San Antonio Spurs handled Kawhi Leonard. Still, for those assuming that this would be a fineable offense, understand that this is exactly what this $8.1 million “cap hold” is for. It added Stanley Johnson through the draft and Marcus Morris and Aron Baynes through free agency. The Hornets turned the ball over 13 times and allowed Detroit to shoot 51.4 percent from the floor.
Bullock came into training camp in a competition with Danny Granger, Darrun Hilliard, Adonis Thomas and others for one of the final roster spots with the Pistons but now his concern should be about playing time as he has left the competitors for the final roster spots in the dust.
With so many new pieces to the roster, Van Gundy has tried to play his starters more, to try to establish chemistry among the main rotation.
Convince Drummond NOT to sign an extension. Drummond and the Pistons mutually agreed to delay the deal until next summer in the hope of signing another top free agent in July next year. Drummond could choose to do the same (working at over $4 million in 2016-17; not attempting restricted free agency as Detroit would match any offer) and try his luck in 2017.
Partly due to foul trouble, Morris has averaged the fewest minutes of the trio, 23 to Ilyasova’s 26 and Johnson’s 28.
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And Andre Drummond, despite his convictions, will still have options.
