Detroit Pistons: This contract may have set the market for Saddiq Bey

The Detroit Pistons are a year away from a possible rookie extension with forward Saddiq Bey.

The Pistons have a good payroll situation and Bey will likely be the first of their young players to get his first big contract.

He’s played well in his two seasons, but a big breakout year could put him into the conversation for a max deal. Either way, he’s going to get paid, and a recent contract may give us an idea of how much.

Keldon Johnson, who came into the league a year before Saddiq Bey, recently signed an extension with the San Antonio Spurs for 4 years/$80 million.

Like Bey, Johnson is not a household name to casual NBA fans, but just got a nice contract after his third season in the league. If you look at the two players, there are a lot of similarities.

Detroit Pistons: Saddiq Bey and Keldon Johnson

Both forwards were taken later in the first round of the draft, as Saddiq Bey was the 19th pick in 2020, and Keldon Johnson went 29th the year before.

Johnson is younger than Bey even though he’s been in the league one year longer and after a rookie season when he played only 17 games, he’s put together two seasons that are very similar statistically to Bey’s two years in the NBA.

This was especially true last season, when their numbers were pretty close.

Johnson averaged 17 points, 6.1 rebounds, 2.1 assists per game while shooting 39.8 percent from 3-point range on 5.3 attempts and 46 percent overall. He had 2.9 offensive win shares and two defensive win shares and a had a 21.3 percent usage rate.

Bey averaged 16.1 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game on 34.6 percent shooting from long range on 7.4 attempts and 39.6 percent shooting overall. He had 2.5 offensive win shares and 1.6 defensive win shares with an identical 21.3 percent usage.

Bey is ahead of where Johnson was statically in his second season, but remember that Johnson is younger. That also means that Saddiq Bey has one more season before he gets his deal and has a chance to make a big leap.

This contract number is probably the baseline for Bey’s next deal as long as he continues to improve, and if he makes another big leap this season, it could be even more.