Did Detroit Pistons really overpay for Mason Plumlee and Jerami Grant?

The Detroit Pistons paid a lot to acquire center Mason Plumlee and forward Jerami Grant. Was it an overpay? Or, simply the fact a ‘rebuilding team’ has to overpay to lure players?

Judging the free agent signings of the Detroit Pistons is like seeking a new job.

Imagine you are applying for a job in your field, and you receive two solid offers:

1. It is from a very prestigious firm, and the main office is in a very glamorous locale. There are people at the company you have long admired and would be excited to work with. There might even be some award-winning glory you can be a part of soon.
2. It is a very respectable firm, although it has not done well lately. The city you would be based in is nice, but not chock full of celebrities. The path to prominence in the company will be quick if you perform well. And the firm guarantees you a lot more money that Job Offer 1.

Which one would you chose?

The answer is … either 1 or 2 is correct. Every individual has their own priorities, as to what they are looking for in a job.

When it comes to NBA free agency, the same rules apply. Some players only care about winning a championship, or are really interested in playing with a certain player (usually named LeBron).

Other players realize that NBA careers are short. They want to play as much as possible, and maximize their money-making abilities. They know they’re one bad injury away from being finished.

The Detroit Pistons appear to be signing two players as free agents who definitely fall into Job Offer 2 in Mason Plumlee and Jerami Grant.

Both come to the Motor City from the Western Conference finalist Denver Nuggets. The Lakers beat the Nuggets in five games. However, if not for a last-second shot by Anthony Davis, Denver would have held a 2-1 lead and who knows how that might have changed the series.

According to reports, Plumlee signed a three-year contract for $25 million. Grant, who was a standout in the playoffs for the Nuggets, is receiving $60 million over three years.

That is a lot of money to pay for players who were more or less role players on their former team. They also each play a position in which the Pistons are not hurting for bodies. In case you had not heard, Detroit has tried to corner the center and power forward market.

One thing to consider is, if they did not get a big offer in terms of money and opportunity, would Grant and Plumlee have brought their talents to Detroit?

To entice a player who was on one the top four teams in the NBA last year, what can a team that did not even get invited to the Orlando Bubble offer that Denver could not?

Playing time and money.

Each case is different, so let us look at Jerami Grant and Mason Plumlee individually and then decide, given the overall circumstances, was it an overpay or will Detroit get value for its money.