Detroit Pistons: Other teams are crazy, as Olynyk deal turning into NBA free agent bargain

With so much spending going around the league, my initial hesitations on the Detroit Pistons signing former Rockets forward Kelly Olynyk for three years, $37 million have dissipated.

Have you look around at what other teams are paying for lesser talent? The NBA free agency Brinks truck spilled a little cash outside the Pistons Performance Center for Olynyk, and then proceeded to Cleveland where it dumped $100 million out for role-playing center Jarrett Allen, along with five years attached to it.

He’s only 23 and has shown flashes of potential, but the Cavaliers are banking hard on what could be versus what he is now, which is a 10-point, eight rebounds per game big man filling a similar role of of the player you drafted at No. 3 overall, Evan Mobley.

Meanwhile the Pistons filled multiple holes with Olynyk, who can play the power forward or center positions, adds much-needed space on the floor, and can knock down the 3-point shot.

Detroit Pistons: Kelly Olynyk is looking like an even bigger bargain in comparison

I’m not here to talk about Olynyk the player, though. I’m explaining how reasonable the deal looks for Detroit in comparison to all the money being thrown around by other teams. Olynyk looks and plays more like a souped-up version of former Piston Walter Hermann (remember him?) than he is a future Hall of Famer. But that’s OK, because the contract has a team option for year three and isn’t overall outrageous.

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The division rival Chicago Bulls – who have made it obvious they’re going all-in to put together a championship contender – with the additions of former San Antonio Spurs guard DeMar DeRozan and former New Orleans Pelicans guard Lonzo Ball; decided to sign former Lakers back-up point guard Alex Caruso to a four-year $37 million deal.

This team has an overload of guards, yet decided to add Caruso for more years and the same money as Olynyk, and he won’t nearly make as big of an impact.

Other outlandish deals include the Spurs dishing out $42 million over three years for former Pacers small forward Doug McDermott, guard T.J. McConnell (a plucky reserve but nothing more), returning to the Pacers for $35.2 million over four years, and the runner-up Phoenix Suns giving aging guard Chris Paul a deal almost into his 40s.

At first glance, I didn’t like the Olynyk signing, but in today’s NBA free agency, this is a reasonable contract with flexibility that puts Detroit in position to make a bigger splash next offseason, when former Pistons forward Blake Griffin’s contract comes off the books.