The Detroit Pistons have completed the NBA Draft and can now turn their attention to contracts, free agency and Summer League.
Detroit has several players up for extensions this summer, including Isaiah Stewart, Killian Hayes and James Wiseman.
They’ll probably play wait and see with Hayes and Wiseman, but it would be smart to lock up Isaiah Stewart now before the price gets higher. That price may have been somewhat set by a recent extension for Naz Reid that will pay him $42 million over the next three seasons.
Timberwolves center Naz Reid has agreed on a new three-year, $42 million deal with a player option, his agents Sean Kennedy and Jeff Schwartz of @excelbasketball tell ESPN. Undrafted out of LSU, Reid had his best season with 11.5 points and 4.9 rebounds. pic.twitter.com/YtBjdggxMa
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 25, 2023
The two players are a similar age (Stewart is nearly two years younger) and have similar numbers, though Stewart is the superior rebounder.
Expect Beef Stew to get a contract extension in this range, my guess is 3 years/$45 million. If Stewart continues to improve his 3-point shooting, this could end up looking like a bargain.
What number will Ausar Thompson wear for the Detroit Pistons?
The Detroit Pistons drafted two players in the first round of the 2023 NBA Draft, grabbing Ausar Thompson with the 5th pick and traded up from the 31st to select Marcus Sasser with the 25th selection.
It appears as if Thompson is going to wear #9 and Sasser #25, as their jerseys are already on sale in the team shop. Jerami Grant was the last player to wear #9 and Derrick Walton last wore #25 for Detroit.
Detroit Pistons Summer League Schedule
Detroit also released their Summer League schedule, which will be the first time we’ll likely get to see the rookies in action. Although we don’t know if guys like Jaden Ivey, Jalen Duren or James Wiseman will suit up, we do know when the games will be played and who they are against:
- vs. Magic on July 8 at 5:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
- vs. Rockets on July 9 at 6 p.m. (ESPN2)
- vs. Raptors on July 12 at 6 p.m. (ESPN 2)
- vs. Spurs on July 14 at 8:30 p.m. (NBA TV)
The Pistons will take on their newest rivals right way with games against the Magic and Rockets, which will be the first time Ausar and Amen Thompson will share the court on opposing teams.
Detroit will also get a look at phenom Victor Wembanyama for the first time in Summer League, so these are going to be must-watch games even though they are glorified scrimmages.