Detroit Pistons: Pros and cons of signing Jerami Grant long-term

Detroit Pistons: Jerami Grant and the salary cap

Pro: Jerami Grant is currently on one of the best value contracts in the league. Some fans questioned Troy Weaver when he gave Grant a 3 year/$60 million deal, as he had really been a role player up until last season, but he proved he can be far more.

If the Pistons were to extend Grant and fold his remaining years into the new deal, he would likely be on a similar annual salary, which is more or less minimum wage for an impact player in the NBA.

As the salary cap continues to grow, Grant’s deal will look even better, and he could be a huge bargain in 3-4 years when even mediocre players are making $20 million a season.

Con: If Jerami Grant’s production started to plummet as he ages, does Detroit really want to be on the hook for big money just as their young players are extension eligible? The best part of Grant’s current deal is that it will be completed at the same time the second-year players (Saddiq Bey, Isaiah Stewart, Killian Hayes) are first eligible for their rookie extensions.

If Bey or Stewart blow up in the next two seasons, they could command upwards of $15 million per season each, which might make it difficult to keep both of them (and prepare for Cade’s max extension) if the Pistons are already paying an aging Grant 20+ million a season.

Verdict: Having too many good players is a problem the Detroit Pistons have been waiting to have for a long time. Even if Grant isn’t as good in the next few seasons, he is still going to be a valuable contributor who is on a team-friendly deal that would be very easy to trade if the Pistons find they are pressed by the cap. As long as the Pistons don’t give him a ridiculous extension (think Blake Griffin), then I see no downside to the cap, as they will have space to have Grant and still keep all of their guys. If not, he’d be easy to trade and could bring back a haul that will give the Pistons future assets. Sign away!