The Detroit Pistons signed Mason Plumlee to be their starting center in 2020, but he lasted just one year in the Motor City. Now, the veteran big man may be forced into retirement. He barely played last season. The Charlotte Hornets dumped him in a midseason trade and the San Antonio Spurs couldn't find minutes for him. Now, the 36-year-old is an unrestricted free agent, and there haven’t been any rumors about him finding a new team. Plumlee may be forced to retire.
The Pistons gave him a three-year, $25 million contract back in 2020. Plumlee averaged 10.4 points, 9.3 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 0.8 steals, and 0.9 blocks in 26.8 minutes per game. Detroit dumped him before the 2021 draft, and it forced them to move back 20 spots. No Pistons had more win shares than Plumlee in his lone season with the franchise, but they won just 20 games. Detroit wanted to feature Isaiah Stewart and did not need to pay Plumlee while chasing a top draft pick.
The 36-year-old’s production has steadily declined in recent years. He appeared in just 20 games with the Hornets before being traded to the Thunder at the deadline. Oklahoma City instantly waived him. Plumlee caught on with the Spurs, but only played in six contests. He had the worst value over replacement player (VORP) of his career, and no team is eager to sign him.
Former Pistons starter Mason Plumlee may be forced into retirement
Pistons fans can’t be shocked. Plumlee has clearly been falling off for years and reached new lows this season.
Plumlee has had an impressive NBA career. Plumlee was the 22nd overall draft pick back in 2013. He played 13 seasons in the league for eight different teams. The seven-footer went back and forth between being a starter and a reserve. He played behind Nikola Jokic, Ivica Zubac, and Victor Wembanyama at different stops. Plumlee always produced strong advanced metrics, but the numbers didn’t always reflect his on-court impact.
The seven-footer helped Duke win an NCAA title and earned a gold medal with Team USA at the 2014 World Cup to only add to his resume. Many players would love to be Plumlee, but his time has come.
His stay in Detroit only lasted one season, and Pistons fans would like to forget that year. They won just 20 games and were in the early stages of a painful rebuild. The Pistons used it to build the foundation of their current roster, but that didn’t make things hurt any less in the moment.
Mason Plumlee was signed by the Spurs in February to a rest-of-the-season deal, and he barely played. The decline has been slowly happening for years, and his NBA career may be over.
There have been zero rumors about him signing. Most of the league’s offseason business is done. LeBron James is slowing up the forward market, but that likely isn’t impacting Plumlee. Sadly, his days in the NBA may already be done. Pistons fans only got one year from the big man, and it was one to forget.
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