I don’t know how Ben Gordon’s and Charlie Villanueva’s contracts are structured, so this is just an estimate. I project each of them to receive $500,000 raises each year.
And since Villanueva’s total salary has been reported as $35 and $40 million, I used $37.5 million.
So, here’s how the Pistons’ salaries break down:
| Player | 2009/10 | 2010/11 | 2011/12 | 2012/13 | 2013/14 |
| Richard Hamilton | $11,625,000 | $12,650,000 | $12,650,000 | $12,650,000 | $0 |
| Tayshaun Prince | $10,324,380 | $11,148,760 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Ben Gordon | $10,000,000 | $10,500,000 | $11,000,000 | $11,500,000 | $12,000,000 |
| Charlie Villanueva | $6,500,000 | $7,000,000 | $7,500,000 | $8,000,000 | $8,500,000 |
| Jason Maxiell | $5,000,000 | $5,000,000 | $5,000,000 | $5,000,000 | $0 |
| Kwame Brown | $4,100,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Rodney Stuckey | $1,805,040 | $2,767,126 | $3,868,442 | $0 | $0 |
| Fabricio Oberto | $1,800,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Austin Daye | $1,398,200 | $1,503,100 | $1,875,500 | $2,875,142 | $4,019,448 |
| Arron Afflalo | $1,086,240 | $1,959,577 | $2,906,053 | $0 | $0 |
| Will Bynum | $825,497 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Walter Sharpe | $736,420 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| TOTALS: | $55,200,777 | $52,528,563 | $44,799,995 | $40,025,142 | $24,519,448 |
Team Option, Qualify Offer, Player Option
The salary cap was set at $58.68 million last year, according to Larry Coon. It’s expected to go down slightly this year, so the Pistons are basically done.
Unless Gordon’s and Villanueva’s contracts are very back-loaded, Detroit just has room to sign a very low-paid player – if that.
Let’s say the cap returns to the 2008-09 number for the 2010-11 season. The Pistons would have more than $6 million in cap room.
If they trade Richard Hamilton or Tayshaun Prince, that jumps to the $17-19 million range (minus any contracts they acquire). That’s enough to land a top-level free agent.