The Detroit Pistons have hit on most of their goals for the offseason, but just one thing remains: extending Kentavious Caldwell-Pope before the deadline.
The Detroit Pistons have essentially nailed their goals for the offseason to this point. They signed their backup point guard (Ish Smith), they signed a couple of bigs (Jon Leuer and Boban Marjanovic), they got a steal in the draft in big man Henry Ellenson and they got a second round target at a position of need in point guard Michael Gbinije.
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They also took care of one of their own, signing Andre Drummond to a five-year deal worth $130 million. Only one thing remains to be done: extending guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope before the October 31st extension deadline.
As Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press lays out, it may not be as easy as it sounds for the two parties to come to an agreement by then.
"“We’ve got plenty of time,” Pistons president and head coach Stan Van Gundy said Friday. “Everybody needs to sort of be able to take a breath at the end of this so there’s no real rush on that. Everybody knows he’s a guy we consider part of our core and would love to have long term.”"
According to Ellis, there was speculation at the Orlando Summer League that KCP would be looking for a deal worth about $20 million per season. The Pistons are going to be over next year’s $104 million salary cap regardless, but they would rather not come close to the NBA’s punitive luxury tax threshold of a projected $122 million which such a contract would cause them to risk.
The first $4,999,999 a team is over the threshold costs them $1.50 per dollar in tax to the league, and $5 million to $9,999,999 costs them $1.75 per dollar in tax. Needless to say, staying away from that stratospheric penalty is likely to be a priority for the Pistons when it comes time to pay KCP.
Caldwell-Pope took a step forward last year, setting career highs with 36.7 minutes, 14.5 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.4 steals per game, but his shooting remains a concern, primarily from three-point range. He hit just 30.9 percent of his 4.9 threes per game, which is a large volume to shoot at such a low percentage.
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Given the numbers being thrown about in free agency so far this year, his expectation for a multi-year deal worth $20 million a season may not be so far off the mark, but maybe common sense can reign and the KCP and the Pistons can come to a somewhat more reasonable number before the season begins.