The Toronto Raptors are exactly where the Detroit Pistons don’t want to end up, which is with a bunch of highly paid players who aren’t worth the contracts.
Toronto has made several questionable moves that are the exact type the Pistons need to avoid: They rewarded Immanuel Quickley with a massive contract extension that immediately raised some eyebrows. They did the same with Jakob Poeltl, who is a nice player, but is he worth $29 million worth of cap space?
They traded for Brandon Ingram in a move that I was so happy the Pistons didn’t make, then extended him before watching him sit on the bench for the rest of the season. And let’s not forget RJ Barrett, who is making $27 and 29 million in the next two seasons.
The Raptors now have four players making at least $27 million and a fourth (Poeltl) who will make nearly $20, giving them an expensive starting five that is likely going to be battling it out for the 8th or 9th seed next season if they are lucky.
The NBA is a league where you are either competing for the playoffs, tanking for draft picks or in the purgatory in between where no team wants to be.
Detroit Pistons roster: It’s decision time
Who knows? Maybe Brandon Ingram and Immanuel Quickley will be healthy and play near their peak levels. Maybe Scottie Barnes will learn how to shoot. Maybe Poeltl has another level. That’s a lot of maybes that the Raptors didn’t have answers to before committing big money.
This is what the Pistons are trying to avoid by not signing early extensions with Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren. Both players have shown flashes of why they were drafted so high, but both also have big question marks hanging over their games. Best to see more before committing, which the Raptors did not do.
The Pistons don’t want to get in a situation like the Raptors are with Quickley where they are paying Jaden Ivey $32.5 million a season based on hope. Quickley is a good player, but that’s a lot of money for a non-star.
This is why we’re unlikely to see Ivey get his extension before the regular season begins, as Trajan Langon wants to ensure contributions and contract match, which will be easier to do with more information.
One of the most difficult parts of team building is not falling in love with your own guys to the point you reward them with contracts that might look bad down the road. It may make for some awkward negotiations, but the Pistons have to stand their ground to avoid the dreaded middle ground of NBA purgatory.