The Detroit Pistons signed their first rookie extension of the Tom Gores era (Andre Drummond was a restricted free agent) yesterday, rewarding Isaiah Stewart with a contract that could be worth up to $64 million over four years.
It was a polarizing deal to say the least, as some fans thought it was a value, while other declared it a catastrophe. But when you consider it’s just over next season’s mid-level exception, and that the fourth year is not guaranteed, it doesn’t look that bad. Even if you consider this an overpay, it’s not one that is likely to hurt the team long term.
Detroit clearly has faith in Beef Stew and they bet on his improvement, so we can expect him to be a featured part of the rotation and possibly even the starting lineup next season.
Consider this the Pistons’ endorsement of Isaiah Stewart as part of the future plans, but what does his extension mean for the other bigs?
Detroit Pistons: The Isaiah Stewart extension, James Wiseman and Marvin Bagley III
The Stewart extension doesn’t change the fact that the Detroit Pistons may still have one too many big men.
If you believe in Stewart as a power forward who will play some small-ball center, and that James Wiseman and Marvin Bagley III are backup centers who will fight for minutes, then this Stewart extension hasn’t changed anything.
It’s likely Stewart will start initially alongside Duren and that one of Wiseman or Bagley III will be Duren’s primary backup.
That could leave the Pistons with one highly-paid third center who doesn’t get many minutes, which is not an efficient way to use your salary cap. We can argue about Beef Stew’s contract all day, but the truth is that the Pistons will be paying a lot of money for three centers, at least two of which will be backups and one might not be playing at all.
The Stewart extension doesn’t change the wonky roster construction, and highlights the fact that they probably have one too many big men. A third center should be a Robin Lopez type on a minimum deal, not a guy in his early 20’s making over $12 million a year.
This is why many fans think additional moves are coming, and that we could see one of James Wiseman or Marvin Bagley III shipped out before next season or by the trade deadline.