Until midnight last night, Joe Dumars had never drafted a player, been in a position to extend his rookie contract and not done so.
But the deadline for Rodney Stuckey to receive an extension has come and gone without him signing one. Really, that speaks to what Stuckey has done in Detroit – enough to keep him, not enough to believe in him.
This move makes sense. The next Collective Bargaining Agreement will likely be friendlier to teams than players. Plus, after such a busy summer of spending, few teams will have the money to drive up Stuckey’s value after this season.
Stuckey would have to have a heck of a year for this decision to backfire on the Pistons.
How Dumars handled other first-round picks
Given an extension:
Traded before eligible for an extension:
- Arron Afflalo
- Darko Milicic
- Carlos Delfino
- Rodney White
- Mateen Cleaves
Not yet eligible for an extension: