The Detroit Pistons would love to get an early extension completed with Ausar Thompson this offseason, and they have all of the leverage.
If the Pistons were unable to sign a deal with Thompson before the season starts, they’d still have control over his future as a restricted free agent, just as we’ve seen with Jalen Duren.
Duren is now the only All-NBA player that has ever held out this long for an extension in restricted free agency, and the Pistons and Thompson should want to avoid doing this all again next summer.
Jalen Duren has shown the pitfalls of restricted free agency
Restricted free agency has turned into a war of attrition over the last few offseasons as teams try to watch every penny to stay out of the tax.
Players are still trying to get their money of course, but have few options, as cap space has been scarce, and teams are reluctant to put offer sheets on restricted free agents if they think their current team will match.
I’ve suggested an extension for Thompson similar to the one Dyson Daniels received after his third season, as they are similar players as elite defenders with questionable offense. Daniels was coming off a much better offensive season than Thompson is, so if the Pistons can get a deal in that range, they’ll be happy.
Thompson will certainly want more, as he just watched his twin brother ink a deal for more than twice what Daniels got from the Hawks.
Thompson could decide to bet on himself, hope that he has a big leap offensively, and then cash in next summer, but ask Duren how that works out.
There are a ton of teams projected to have cap space next summer, including the Sacramento Kings, who have made their interest in Duren well known.
But as we saw last season, that money can disappear quickly once players start moving around, and we could enter next summer with just a couple of teams that actually have cap space to use in free agency.
Thompson could be stuck in the same situation as Duren, a restricted free agent with no suitors other than the Pistons, and absolutely no leverage to work with.
He probably has as much leverage right now as he’s ever going to get, so if the Pistons put a fair deal on the table in the $120-150 range, Thompson would be wise to take it, get his money now and avoid the saga that Duren is currently going through.
There’s always a chance that offensive leap doesn’t come, and Thompson gets an even smaller offer next offseason when he’s viewed strictly as a defensive specialist.
It would be best for both sides to get the deal finished now, so they can go into next offseason with no drama that overshadows the basketball side.
Once Duren finally signs, things could progress quickly, and let’s hope that happens in time for this to all be a distant memory when training camp starts.
Add us as a preferred source on Google